Doris Ryder-McCracken/Women in Business Endowed Scholarship

Doris Ryder McCracken was born and raised in the Trempealeau, Wisconsin, area, and graduated from Trempealeau High School in 1930. Her first job was at the Trempealeau State Bank. During her time there, Doris judiciously saved her salary to pay tuition at Western where she attended night school in bookkeeping, an education that served her well.
The effects of The Depression weighed heavily in the Trempealeau-La Crosse area; thus, Doris moved to St Louis, Missouri, to increase her employment opportunities. Doris eventually acquired a supervisory position within a business division of McDonald Douglas Aircraft during WWII and the post-war era. During her tenure there, she again pursued continuing education at the St Louis University of Law and Accounting where she completed one year of accounting.
In the early 1950s, Doris moved to Denver, Colorado, and subsequently married. She continued to work in various industries for ten years. In 1974 she retired with her husband to Onalaska, Wisconsin, where she lived until her death on March 15, 2000.
Doris was an unusually independent and resourceful woman of her generation. She paid careful attention to the stock market, politics, and current issues well into her 80s. Those who knew her cherished her interest in young people. She often counseled young women in setting up household budgets and fostering a respect for and skill in money management. Doris was a strong proponent of education, particularly for women. Therefore, this scholarship was established in her name.
The Doris Ryder McCracken Women in Business Scholarship is offered in memory of Doris and in honor of her Ryder and McCracken families.