A scholarship for American Indians who want to become teachers has been established in the name of Billy Mills, an Olympic gold medalist and former track standout for Kansas University.

Running Strong for American Indian Youth has pledged $25,000 to the KU Endowment Association to endow the Billy Mills Running Strong for American Indian Youth Scholarship Fund.

The fund will provide scholarships for American Indian students in the Multicultural Scholars in Education program in KU’s School of Education.

The program seeks out minority high school students with an interest in education, provides scholarships and sustains a supportive network for each student throughout the five-year education program. This support includes access to mentoring relationships with faculty members and student peers, tutoring and other coursework assistance.

Mills, a member of the Oglala Lakota (Sioux) tribe, graduated from KU in 1962 with a degree in physical education.

Mills, who is also an alumnus of Haskell Indian Nations University, won the gold medal in the 10,000-meter run at the 1964 Olympic Games. He is the national spokesman for Running Strong for American Indian Youth, based in Lorton, Va.