According to Ken Decker, a patent attorney, establishing this scholarship, and one to benefit mechanical engineering students, was "a natural." According to an article in the Lafayette Journal & Courier, Decker commented: "When I went to Purdue, I had it easy. My family could easily afford it. But Kitty struggled. She had to work, and so we thought giving scholarships would be a good choice. And a kid always feels good about getting it. It encourages good students."

Kitty Decker graduate in 1967 with a bachelor's degree from the College of Consumer and Family Sciences, and later earned her master's from Purdue as well. Ken Decker graduated in 1964 with a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering.