WHEELING, W.Va. — Wheeling University has announced a major financial gift that will help provide scholarship opportunities for students from West Virginia for years to come.
University officials said the institution recently received a $525,000 bequest from the estate of alumna Sandra Piper Sonneborn and her husband, Sydney Sonneborn. The contribution has been added to the university’s general endowment and will establish the Sandra and Sydney Sonneborn Scholarship Fund.
Income generated through the endowment will be used to provide scholarships for West Virginia students pursuing their education at Wheeling University.
University President Dianna Vargo said the gift creates a lasting impact that will benefit both current and future generations of students.
Sandra “Sandy” Sonneborn was a member of Wheeling College’s Class of 1960, graduating with a degree in biology as part of the institution’s second graduating class. Following graduation, she became a registered nurse and later earned a nursing degree from the University of Montana.
Sydney Sonneborn, also a Wheeling native, served in the U.S. Air Force before earning degrees from the University of Illinois and West Virginia University.
The couple relocated to Montana in the late 1960s before eventually retiring to Palm Desert, California.
University leaders said Sandy Sonneborn remained deeply connected to her alma mater throughout her life. Following her passing in 2014, Sydney Sonneborn continued supporting the university through alumni events and ongoing engagement with the campus community until his death in 2025.
Officials noted that the scholarship fund reflects the couple’s commitment to education and will help make college more accessible for students across the Mountain State.
University leaders say the endowment will continue honoring the Sonneborns’ legacy by providing financial assistance to future generations of Wheeling University students.
