Helen Haddix Deiker and Robert W. Deiker

Helen Haddix Deiker and Robert W. Deiker

Thanks to a generous gift from the estate of Helen Haddix Deiker of Fort Worth, a past president of the TWU Former Students Association more Texas Woman’s University students will receive scholarships to help meet their educational goals. The gift to the TWU Foundation will be used to establish the Helen Haddix Deiker and Robert W. Deiker Endowment Fund.

“Robert and Helen Deiker were ardent supporters of TWU,” said TWU Chancellor Dr. Ann Stuart. “I am grateful for the Deikers’ generous estate planning, which has resulted in one of our largest estate gifts ever and which will enable more of our outstanding students to achieve academic success.”

Mrs. Deiker, 82, who passed away on Oct. 16, 2007, attended Texas Woman’s University in the early 1940s. She taught high school math for many years and served as the head of the special education department at Hinsdale High School in Hinsdale, Ill. She married Robert “Bob” W. Deiker in 1960 and they lived in New York and Illinois before retiring back to Texas. Mr. Deiker passed away in 2002.

According to TWU classmate and lifelong friend Frances Matsler Gordon, Mrs. Deiker was committed to helping TWU because of the important role the university played in her life and education. Mrs. Deiker volunteered extensively for the TWU Former Students Association, receiving the Alumni Service Award in 1988 and serving as president from 1992 to 1994. She also spearheaded the effort to create the Frances Matsler Gordon Endowed Scholarship on behalf of the Class of 1945 for its 50th reunion.

“Even though the class named the scholarship after me, it was really Helen’s idea, and she did most of the work,” Mrs. Gordon said. “She kept track of the money raised, took the scholarship winners out to lunch and dinner, followed them in their careers and made sure the class knew about the recipients by reporting their activities in our class notes.”

Since 1995, the Frances Matsler Gordon Endowed Scholarship has been awarded to 36 TWU students.
Mrs. Gordon said that Mrs. Deiker would be pleased that the funds from her family’s estate will assist so many TWU students.

“To think that she, who helped so many people in her life, can help so many more finish college with this endowment is just wonderful,” Mrs. Gordon said. “It is so like Helen, helping people however and wherever she could.”