Scott Rupard
The Lillian Ruth Rupard Memorial Scholarship was established by Denver W. Rupard after the passing of his wife, Lillian Rupard, to honor her life and to help students in the field of education, which was her field. Lillian grew up in Lenoir, N.C. and Denver grew up in Statesville, N.C. Lillian graduated from Appalachian State University in Boone, N.C. with a Bachelor’s degree in English and a Master’s degree in Education. She taught English in North Carolina public schools. Lillian passed away in 2003. Denver W. Rupard graduated from N.C. State in 1959 with a degree in civil engineering. After a long career with Bethlehem Steel, he started Katy Steel Company in Houston, TX along with several other successful companies. Denver passed away in 2018.
Scott Rupard is the son of Denver W. and Lillian M. Rupard. Scott graduated from the University of Houston in 1977 with a degree in business administration. He and his wife Leslie live in Houston, TX, where Scott owns and operates Katy Steel Company, a large independent reinforcing steel fabrication business. Scott and Leslie’s son Blake graduated in 2012 from Texas Tech University with a degree in civil engineering. Blake then received his MBA from Vanderbilt University. He currently resides in Johnson City, TN, and is an executive with Eastman Chemical Company.
Impact
The Lillian Ruth Rupard Memorial Scholarship provides financial-need based scholarships for students in the College of Education. Awards are for one academic year and may be renewable up to 8 semesters of work. Denver has described Lillian as “a woman who only knew how to give and share her knowledge and affection.” The scholarship ensures that students who share Lillian’s enthusiasm and talents can pursue their own dreams of teaching.