William F. Dalke Jr. and Kathryn Stover Shaffer Dalke Endowed Scholarship

This scholarship was endowed by the Dalke family in memory of their parents, William F. Dalke Jr. (1920-1991) and Kathryn Dalke (1921-2007), on the 50th anniversary of the Family Drive-In Theatre.

William F. Dalke Jr. was a lifelong resident of Woodstock, Va. After leaving the U.S. Navy at the end of World War II, he went into business with his father, William F. Dalke Sr., who, as a young immigrant, established Dalke’s Valley Theatres in 1912. Together, they operated movie theatres in Woodstock, Strasburg, Edinburg and New Market, with the Family Drive-In near Stephens City opening in 1956.

Kathryn Stover Shaffer Dalke grew up in Maurertown in a family descended from the earliest settlers in the Shenandoah Valley. Bill and Kathryn were active in the community. Bill served as the mayor of Woodstock from 1959 to 1970. Both believed in making college education opportunities available as a part of bringing success to individuals and the community.