Dean Ranson Scholarship awarded

November 23, 2015

Megan Cansler, senior nursing major at Northwestern Oklahoma State University, is one of two recipients of the Dean Ranson Scholarship for the 2015-2016 academic year. Not pictured is the other recipient Kristina Schmidt.

Megan (Marks) Cansler, of Seiling, and Kristina Schmidt, of Cleo Springs, are the 2015-2016 recipients of the Dean Ranson Scholarship at Northwestern Oklahoma State University.

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, Va. 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.

Cansler, a senior nursing major on the Woodward campus, has attended Northwestern since her freshman year and plans to graduate this May. She is grateful for receiving scholarship support throughout her time at Northwestern.
“Scholarships help immensely with the financial side of education,” said Cansler. “Instead of worrying about going to work every day to pay for my classes, I can concentrate on my studies and excel in them.”

Schmidt, a junior nursing major, would like to work in an emergency room after graduation and recognizes the role scholarships have played in her education toward her career.

“Receiving scholarships has allowed me to not have to work as many hours at my job and has given me more hours to focus on my studies,” said Schmidt.

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, and, 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, Northwestern Foundation CEO, at aebird@nwosu.edu or 580-327-8599.

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