As a high school band teacher, Robert Warrender set high standards for his students and expected them to be met.

"The kids really liked him," longtime friend Wayne Hamilton said. "He was a taskmaster but he treated them kindly. I've heard all kinds of accolades."

That devotion to helping students continues even after Warrender's 2007 death, thanks to a trust he established to fund scholarships and other good works around the state.

This year, the KU School of Medicine-Wichita learned that it will be the recipient of a $100,000 gift to its scholarship fund.  

It was Hamilton, trustee of the Robert W. Warrender Trust, who designated the Wichita campus as a recipient. But he called the gift a good fit with his friend's "social conscience."

"Rural areas in this part of Kansas need doctors," Hamilton said. "They need doctors all over Kansas. Mr. Warrender really wanted to help people, and I think if we fund our share of doctors in this area, that would be to his liking."

Details of the scholarship are still being worked out, but will likely to be a $4,000 annual grant to one medical student every four years, allowing it to operate in perpetuity, Hamilton said. The first scholarship will probably be awarded in fall of 2016, with a preference for students interested in practicing in a rural area of the state.

"We're extremely grateful for the support of the Robert Warrender Trust in assisting our students while supporting the mission of the school," said Brad Rukes, KU Endowment development director for the Wichita campus. 

Warrender was born and died in the same house in Ashton, Kansas. He graduated from Arkansas City Junior College in 1952, earned his bachelor's degree in music education from the University of Wichita in 1957 and his master's degree three years later. After serving in the Army, he spent most of his career teaching in Sedan, but also worked in El Dorado and Ford, near Dodge City. After retirement, he volunteered to help a younger teacher tutor woodwind players in Winfield.

A talented saxophone and clarinet player himself, Warrender played with the Arkansas City Community Band and several Midian Shrine bands in Wichita.

"He enjoyed playing with the Shriners in their big band music and jazz ensembles," Hamilton said. "But he also liked religious music and classical music."

Hamilton described his friend as both frugal and generous, saying he met his goal of achieving a net worth of $1 million. He started giving it away before his death, personally funding scholarships for students in Sedan. Hamilton, a former band teacher himself, met Warrender while playing in the Arkansas City Community Band. By the time Warrender was ready to retire, Hamilton helped him set up a trust.

The trust works through the Legacy Regional Community Foundation to give scholarships in Winfield and Arkansas City. He also left what Hamilton calls a "sizable" retirement account to fund a four-year scholarship for a graduating senior from Sedan each year. 

"The only requirement is that the students must have participated in band for four years," Hamilton said.

He's contributed to scholarships at Cowley County Community College and also  the Ark City Area Arts Council, Habitat for Humanity, the Salvation Army and several other organizations. In 2013, money from Warrender's trust established a scholarship at Wichita State University for students who want to become band directors.

"He just had a big heart," Hamilton said.