MUNCIE, Ind. - People who knew Dick Kelly have no trouble remembering the former Ball State University professor and administrator. Now they want to make sure others remember his work.

Friends and family of Kelly have established the Richard L. Kelly Memorial Scholarship in honor of the long-time Department of Business Education and Office Administration (BEOA) professor and chairman.

Kelly died last year, but a part of his life?s work is coming to fruition through Indiana?s new community college partnership between Ivy Tech State College and Vincennes University. Two-year associate?s degrees from this system may be transferred to four-year colleges and universities, including Ball State.

"Dr. Kelly was a leader in workforce education," said current BEOA chairman Rod Davis. "He worked very hard to help create what has been called a ?seamless life-long learning system? for Hoosiers. It involves coordinating career and technical education from high school to two-year schools to the university level."

Davis said Kelly was instrumental in making this process work for Indiana.

"It is very difficult for educators at all three levels to work together," he said. "Dr. Kelly was a leader in programs such as Tech Prep and School-to-Work which have been designed to achieve this articulation. The scholarship in his memory will encourage two-year college students to continue their educations at the university level."

The scholarship will assist students who transfer to Ball State from Ivy Tech and Vincennes to study in the College of Business. Students should have at least a 3.0 grade point average and a demonstrated financial need. Initial contributors to the fund, including Davis, BEOA professor Betty Brown, Paul Parkison, chairman of the Department of Accounting, and Dorothy G. Kelly, Kelly?s widow, hope to endow the scholarship with gifts totaling $25,000.

Dick Kelly came to Ball State in 1970 and served as chairman of his department from 1971 to 1986. He then became the director of vocational education and associate degree programs at Ball State, retiring in 1993.

He was the recipient of the North Central Business Education Association Distinguished Service Award, the Indiana Vocational Association Award of Merit and Outstanding Service Award and the Indiana Business Education Association Outstanding Business Educator Award.

Contributions may be sent to the Ball State University Foundation.