{"id":42030,"date":"2025-05-27T15:55:08","date_gmt":"2025-05-27T20:55:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.und.edu\/und-today\/?p=42030"},"modified":"2025-05-27T17:27:08","modified_gmt":"2025-05-27T22:27:08","slug":"legacy-of-unds-first-woman-aviator-inspires-new-generations-of-pilots","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.und.edu\/und-today\/2025\/05\/legacy-of-unds-first-woman-aviator-inspires-new-generations-of-pilots\/","title":{"rendered":"Legacy of UND\u2019s first woman aviator inspires new generations of pilots"},"content":{"rendered":"

Though Kay Lawrence, UND \u201942, died in service to her country, her example lives on \u2014 and is helping more and more\u00a0women pursue aviation careers<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"Air<\/a>
U.S. Air Force Capt. Sawyer \u201cRizz\u201d Murray, a 2018 UND aviation alum from Rosemount, Minn., flies the F-22A Raptor for the Air Force as part of a fighter wing and for the Air Force\u2019s F-22 demonstration team. Click on the image for a fuller version of the photo. U.S. Air Force photo.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Editor\u2019s note:<\/strong>\u00a0At UND, the Kay Lawrence Women in Aviation Scholarship is given in honor of Kay Lawrence, the University\u2019s first woman pilot and an aviator who gave her life for her country in World War II. Last week, UND Today told Lawrence’s story<\/a><\/strong> through her Grand Forks Central high school and UND college scrapbooks, which recently were sent (by the family of Kay\u2019s best friend in high school and college) to Lawrence’s nephew, Mike Lawrence, in Grand Forks. <\/em><\/p>\n

In Part 2 of this two-part feature, today’s story is a special Memorial Day item: a story featuring interviews with two winners of the Kay Lawrence scholarship and other female aviators, among them a UND graduate who\u2019s now an Air Force captain and pilot of the F-22 Raptor, a supersonic stealth fighter.<\/em><\/p>\n

UND Today thanks Patrick C. Miller, retired strategic communications editor for UND Today, for reporting and writing both stories.<\/em><\/p>\n

* * *\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

By Patrick C. Miller
\n<\/strong>Strategic communications editor, UND Today (ret.)<\/em><\/p>\n

A year after graduating from the University of North Dakota in 1942 with an education degree, a pilot\u2019s license and a job at Boeing Aircraft Co. in Seattle, 22-year-old Kathryn \u201cKay\u201d Lawrence didn\u2019t need to join the Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASP).<\/p>\n

But the desire to serve her country during World War II, the allure of flying and the opportunity to pilot the fastest, most advanced aircraft of the day led UND\u2019s first woman pilot to volunteer to fly military aircraft in noncombat roles. In July 1943, she reported for WASP flight training at Avenger Airfield in Sweetwater, Texas.<\/p>\n

Tragically, less than a month into the program, Kay\u2019s life was cut short when the plane she was flying on a solo training mission crashed 15 miles from Avenger Field.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
Click on image for larger photo.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Mike Lawrence, 86, was 5 at the time and scarcely knew his Aunt Kay. However, he remembers the day the family received word of her death in Grand Forks, where Kay grew up and he still lives.<\/p>\n

\u201cMomma couldn\u2019t stop crying,\u201d he recalled.<\/p>\n

In the photo nearby, which was taken by Patrick C. Miller for UND Today, Mike Lawrence\u00a0 is shown with a photo of his aunt Kay, the WASP emblem and Kay\u2019s pilot\u2019s wings.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

Remember the WASPs<\/h2>\n

For decades after the war ended, the many contributions of the WASPs and the 38 women pilots from their ranks killed in training and operational accidents were largely forgotten.<\/p>\n

It wasn\u2019t until 1977 that President Jimmy Carter signed a bill passed by Congress recognizing the WASPs as military veterans. In 2006, the U.S. Air Force conducted a graveside ceremony in Memorial Park Cemetery memorializing Kay Lawrence with full military honors.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe WASPs were some of the forgotten, unsung heroes who weren\u2019t formally recognized,\u201d said U.S. Air Force Capt. Sawyer \u201cRizz\u201d Murray, a 2018 UND aviation alum from Rosemount, Minn. \u201cNow we\u2019re finding out more about these women who \u2014 just like Kay \u2014 put everything on the line to go pursue their dreams, fly and defend their country.\u201d<\/p>\n

Today, Murray is living the life Kay Lawrence envisioned more than 80 years ago. She flies the F-22A Raptor for the Air Force as part of a fighter wing based at Langley Air Force Base in Virginia and for the Air Force\u2019s F-22 demonstration team. The Air Force bills the Raptor as \u201cthe most dominant and advanced air superiority fighter in the world.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWomen like Kay Lawrence, astronaut Sally Ride and the first female Thunderbird pilot \u2014 Nicole \u00a0\u2018FiFi\u2019 Malachowski \u2014 who paved the way as being one of the few so I could be one of the many is really a powerful thing,\u201d Murray said. \u201cIt means that people like me are getting more opportunities to do what we love because people like Kay pursued what they wanted to do and what they loved.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"
Morgan Schoenecker is the daughter of Steve Schoenecker and granddaughter of Marcy Gilberston-Schoenecker, Kay Lawrence’s best friend in high school and college. Schoenecker is a private pilot in Alaska. Photo courtesy of Morgan Schoenecker.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Flying to balance life<\/h2>\n

Morgan Schoenecker, a forensic nurse and private pilot in Anchorage, Alaska, is the granddaughter of Kay Lawrence\u2019s best friend, Marcy Gilbertson-Schoenecker. Kay and Marcy graduated from Grand Forks Central High school together in 1938. Both enrolled at UND, and they also signed up for pilot training through a federal Civil Aeronautics Authority program \u2014 the only two women in a class of 40 at UND.<\/p>\n

\u201cGrowing up, I always heard stories about Kay,\u201d Morgan remembered. \u201cShe was almost like a sister to my grandma, more than a family friend. It felt like she was really family to my grandma.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Headshot
Kay Lawrence<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

But their lives diverged when Marcy left UND after her sophomore year to marry George Schoenecker, a pitcher with the Grand Forks Chiefs baseball team. The couple followed George\u2019s baseball career to Salina, Kan., where they started a family.<\/p>\n

Kay went on to graduate from UND in 1942, earn her pilot\u2019s license \u2014 the only woman to do so among 100 college students across North Dakota \u2014 and go to work for Boeing in Seattle. In the summer of 1943, she made the fateful decision to join the WASP program.<\/p>\n

Morgan became better acquainted with Kay\u2019s life story after her father gave her a scrapbook Kay had compiled at UND. It showed that Kay and Marcy were both involved in many of the same athletic, social and academic activities. (Two of Kay\u2019s scrapbooks and other mementos were recently returned to her nephew<\/a><\/strong>, Mike Lawrence, by the Schoeneckers.)<\/p>\n

Paging through Kay\u2019s scrapbook, Morgan was struck by how many of Kay\u2019s interests and activities mirrored her own \u2014 including a love of aviation.<\/p>\n

\u201cI had the feeling that if we had gone to school at UND at the same time, we would have been friends,\u201d she related.<\/p>\n

As a forensic nurse, Morgan often works cases involving domestic abuse, sexual assault and homicide. For her, flying isn\u2019t only a hobby. It also provides balance to the daily stress of her job.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy job is really emotionally challenging because I see a lot of sad things every day,\u201d she said. \u201cThat\u2019s part of why I love flying so much. If I\u2019m just 500 feet above ground level, all the stress and anxiety and trauma related to my job melts away.<\/p>\n

\u201cEverything is put into perspective,\u201d she added. \u201cYou feel like you\u2019re above it all. You can see the beautiful mountains and the ocean. I find that flying is a really nice balance to the work that I do.\u201d<\/p>\n

Building a legacy through scholarship<\/h2>\n

Beth Bjerke, UND associate dean of aerospace, has worked to keep Kay\u2019s example and legacy alive to inspire new generations of women in aviation. It seems to be working.<\/p>\n

\u201cOur women in aviation numbers are increasing exponentially,\u201d Bjerke said. \u201cFor the longest time, it was below 10 percent. In the last few years, we\u2019ve been welcoming incoming classes of more than 20 percent and close to 25 percent, which is outstanding to see after years of trying to move the needle.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Kanishka
The 2025 Kay Lawrence Scholarship was awarded last month to Kanishka Keswani, a UND student pursuing her degree in commercial aviation. She is shown here with Robert Kraus, dean of the Odegard School of Aerospace Sciences at UND. Photo (c) 2025 Arjun Jagada, arjunjagada.com. Used by permission.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

In tribute to Kay, the UND chapter of Women in Aviation each year raises funds for the Kay Lawrence Scholarship. The 2025 scholarship was awarded last month to Kanishka Keswani, a UND student pursuing her degree in commercial aviation.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m really honored to get the Kay Lawrence Scholarship,\u201d she said. \u201cShe was a brave person and an inspiration.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hailing from Bhopal, India, Keswani embodies the risk-taking attitude of Kay Lawrence, coming from halfway around the world to attend UND and pursue her goal of becoming an airline pilot.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen I got to UND, it wasn\u2019t too long before I made a lot of friends,\u201d Keswani said. \u201cIt was a big culture shock for me at first, but all of my flight instructors and all of my professors were so supportive that I never felt out of place.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen I started flying at UND, I just fell in love with it,\u201d she continued. \u201cThe quality of the aviation program is amazing.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Angie
This photo from 2023 shows two-time Kay Lawrence Scholarship recipient Angie Joven as a student pilot at UND. Photo courtesy of Angie Joven.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

A lasting inspiration<\/h2>\n

Angie Joven, currently a first officer in New York flying for Endeavor Air \u2014 a subsidiary of Delta Airlines \u2014 is a 2023 UND alum and two-time recipient of the Kay Lawrence Scholarship. She came to UND from Ewa Beach, Hawaii.<\/p>\n

When Joven received the scholarship in 2021, she sent Mike Lawrence a card to let him know what the honor meant to her.<\/p>\n

\u201cKay Lawrence is an inspiration of mine and reminds me to be bold,\u201d she wrote. \u201cSometimes it can be overwhelming being the only girl in some of my classes. But I know that I am just as qualified as my male peers, and I am grateful to even have the opportunity to fly at the University of North Dakota.\u201d<\/p>\n

Today, Joven views the scholarship not only as a meaningful opportunity, but also credits it with helping her be successful academically.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt encouraged me to keep going because there are challenges throughout flight training itself,\u201d she explained. \u201cIt can be really hard to get out of the mindset of wanting to quit or give up. I truly appreciate the meaning of what the scholarship is about.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Kay Lawrence Scholarship is set up within the UND Alumni Association & Foundation<\/a><\/strong>, but it is primarily funded by the UND Chapter of Women in Aviation. Bjerke would like to see that change, however.<\/p>\n

\u201cRight now, it\u2019s a pass-through scholarship, but it would be amazing to get it endowed so that it\u2019s here forever in Kay\u2019s memory,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

Keswani plans to play a role in making this happen.<\/p>\n

\u201cOnce I graduate from UND, I hope to stay actively involved with the UND Alumni Association and, one day, support this scholarship myself \u2014 even if it\u2019s through small steps at first,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s inspiring to be part of a community that\u2019s so committed to encouraging the next generation of aviators,\u201d she continued. \u201cAnd I\u2019m especially eager to remain connected with and contribute to UND\u2019s Women in Aviation chapter in the years ahead.\u201d<\/p>\n

>> Did you miss it?<\/strong> Read the first story in UND Today\u2019s two-part series<\/strong><\/a>.<\/p>\n

>><\/strong>\u00a0Do you want to read more UND Today stories?\u00a0<\/strong>Just\u00a0hit the link<\/strong><\/a> or go to our home page to subscribe to our newsletter.<\/p>\n

\"Grand
On Oct. 14, 2006, the Grand Forks Air Force Base Honor Guard conducted a ceremony with full military honors for Kay Lawrence at her gravesite in Memorial Park Cemetery, Grand Forks. Photo courtesy of Mike Lawrence.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Though Kay Lawrence, UND \u201942, died in service to her country, her example lives on \u2014 and is helping more and more\u00a0women pursue aviation careers<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":24,"featured_media":42032,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[38,1124,55],"class_list":["post-42030","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-around-und","tag-alumni-association-foundation","tag-equity","tag-john-d-odegard-school-of-aerospace-sciences"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nLegacy of UND\u2019s first woman aviator inspires new generations of pilots - UND Today<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Though Kay Lawrence, UND \u201942, died in service to her country, her example lives on \u2014 and is helping more and more\u00a0women pursue aviation careers\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/blogs.und.edu\/und-today\/2025\/05\/legacy-of-unds-first-woman-aviator-inspires-new-generations-of-pilots\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Legacy of UND\u2019s first woman aviator inspires new generations of pilots - UND Today\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Though Kay Lawrence, UND \u201942, died in service to her country, her example lives on \u2014 and is helping more and more\u00a0women pursue aviation careers\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/blogs.und.edu\/und-today\/2025\/05\/legacy-of-unds-first-woman-aviator-inspires-new-generations-of-pilots\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"UND Today\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2025-05-27T20:55:08+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2025-05-27T22:27:08+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/blogs.und.edu\/und-today\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2025\/05\/Sawyer-Murray-18-pilot.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1024\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"682\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"UND Today\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"UND Today\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"10 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.und.edu\\\/und-today\\\/2025\\\/05\\\/legacy-of-unds-first-woman-aviator-inspires-new-generations-of-pilots\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.und.edu\\\/und-today\\\/2025\\\/05\\\/legacy-of-unds-first-woman-aviator-inspires-new-generations-of-pilots\\\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"UND Today\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.und.edu\\\/und-today\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/6d75904e56fd4224cbe50dab6857dc00\"},\"headline\":\"Legacy of UND\u2019s first woman aviator inspires new generations of pilots\",\"datePublished\":\"2025-05-27T20:55:08+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-05-27T22:27:08+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.und.edu\\\/und-today\\\/2025\\\/05\\\/legacy-of-unds-first-woman-aviator-inspires-new-generations-of-pilots\\\/\"},\"wordCount\":1966,\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.und.edu\\\/und-today\\\/2025\\\/05\\\/legacy-of-unds-first-woman-aviator-inspires-new-generations-of-pilots\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.und.edu\\\/und-today\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/7\\\/2025\\\/05\\\/Sawyer-Murray-18-pilot.jpg\",\"keywords\":[\"Alumni Association & Foundation\",\"Equity\",\"John D. 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