Kiera Case and Peyton Lucas were awarded the Dean Ranson Scholarship for the 2020-2021 school year.

Case is a Fairview native and freshman at Northwestern. She is majoring in elementary education and plans to graduate early, then return to Fairview to teach.

“Northwestern has great scholarships and has helped the financial burden for me tremendously,” said Case. “I greatly appreciate being chosen for this scholarship.”

Lucas also is a Fairview native and a senior at Northwestern. Lucas will graduate from Northwestern with a bachelor’s degree in psychology in May 2021. He plans to pursue his master’s degree in psychology after graduation. Lucas has received the Dean Ranson scholarship for several years and is grateful for the continued assistance.

The Dean Ranson Scholarship was established at Northwestern in 2003 in honor of Ranson, of Fairview, by his daughters and their families, Rita and Jeral Cain of Fort Worth, Texas, and Janis and Robert Johnson of Montclair, Virginia. The scholarship provides financial assistance to full-time continuing Northwestern students with a minimum 2.5 cumulative grade point average. First preference is given to applicants from Major County in Oklahoma.

Ranson grew up on a family farm southwest of Fairview and graduated from Longdale High School in 1938. On Dec. 23, 1942, he married Ethel Martin, who preceded him in death in July 1989. He graduated from Northwestern State College in 1943 with a degree in physics and mathematics. Following graduation, he served 34 months with the U.S. Army Signal Corps during World War II. After receiving his military discharge, he taught high school for one year at Zenda, Kan.

In 1947, he returned to Fairview to begin his 55-year career with the Farmers and Merchants National Bank. Ranson served the bank in various positions before being elected president in 1972. In 1985, he was elected chairman of the board and in 1988 became CEO.

During his banking career, he provided leadership to many civic and community organizations. He also served on the board of directors of the Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation. In 1990, he married Mary Teske. In 2002, Ranson received the Fairview Chamber of Commerce Lifetime Achievement Award and he retired from Farmers and Merchants National Bank that same year. He passed away in 2007.

For more information about investing in students at Northwestern, contact Skeeter Bird, CEO, Northwestern Foundation & Alumni Association, at [email protected] or 580-327-8593.