03-25-2006, 01:38 PM
CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- Laura Craig Koch finally received her varsity letter from West Virginia, the one she earned 77 years ago for participating in track, baseball, basketball and field hockey.
The 98-year-old Koch received the varsity letter earlier this month from state Sen. Clark Barnes. He met Koch's granddaughter, Laura Fauber, during a legislative reception last year and learned about Koch's missing letter. Barnes then contacted the WVU athletic department.
"To have graduated from high school back then, much less college, and to have worked so hard, I felt she deserved the recognition," Fauber said in Thursday's edition of The Charleston Gazette.
Koch majored in home economics, chemistry and biology. When she graduated in 1929, she got three letters -- W-V-U -- cut from gold felt instead of a varsity letter.
"The boys had a very nice school letter," Koch said. "I wanted a letter like that for a sweater I had. I just wanted to feel important enough to wear a school letter. They said they gave me a felt letter because I was the only girl who earned a letter that year.
"Well, it seems to me that it would be easier to give the real letter if there was only one person, don't you think?"
Koch initially wanted to frame the varsity letter, but her daughter plans to have it sewn on a sweater.
The 98-year-old Koch received the varsity letter earlier this month from state Sen. Clark Barnes. He met Koch's granddaughter, Laura Fauber, during a legislative reception last year and learned about Koch's missing letter. Barnes then contacted the WVU athletic department.
"To have graduated from high school back then, much less college, and to have worked so hard, I felt she deserved the recognition," Fauber said in Thursday's edition of The Charleston Gazette.
Koch majored in home economics, chemistry and biology. When she graduated in 1929, she got three letters -- W-V-U -- cut from gold felt instead of a varsity letter.
"The boys had a very nice school letter," Koch said. "I wanted a letter like that for a sweater I had. I just wanted to feel important enough to wear a school letter. They said they gave me a felt letter because I was the only girl who earned a letter that year.
"Well, it seems to me that it would be easier to give the real letter if there was only one person, don't you think?"
Koch initially wanted to frame the varsity letter, but her daughter plans to have it sewn on a sweater.