K. Ann Dempsey

Dr. Dempsey was a native of Wisconsin. She held a BA from Lawrence University, an MA from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and a PhD from Saint Louis University. She joined the faculty of St. Louis Community College at Florissant Valley in 1966 and retired in 1997. Dr. Dempsey served in the English Department as Chair and the last eleven years as the Honors Program Chair. She received the David L. Underwood Award in 1997 as well as the George Walters Award from Lawrence University.

When asked why she established the scholarship, Dr. Dempsey said, “Some of my most rewarding teaching experiences came while I was establishing and running the Honor Program at Florissant Valley. The Program utilized our fine faculty to give students an opportunity to go beyond a course syllabus and develop their own intellectual capacities. I established the Scholarship program to help students stay in the program. The money is intended for whatever the students need to do that, be it baby-sitting, books, or unexpected expenses.”

Dr. Dempsey traveled extensively and worked at painting in water media and fusing glass on Sanibel Island where she spent winters. She passed away in 2021.