Virginia Winship was born into one of Battle Creek’s early-day families. She was a school teacher, and worked hard to help and support community organizations, and passed away in 1959. She never married and never had children, but her legacy lives on, well over a half-century later, in the form of the Winship Memorial Scholarship Foundation.
On June 10, 1961, it was announced that a brand new scholarship fund left by Miss Virginia Winship to aid local students, will top $1 million. The trust fund was expected to yield $40,000 to $50,000 a year, and as of 2021, it still is. The fund has a current value of nearly $5 million.