University of North Texas

Jim J. Bezdek, 86, passed away on Nov. 17 in Denton.

He was professor emeritus of education and worked at UNT from 1967 to 1996.

In 2011, he received the Ulys Knight Spirit Award. He and his wife, Rose, were members of the Chilton Recognition Society and supporters of the College of Music at UNT. They established The Czech Educational Foundation of Texas Dr. Jim J. and Rose A. Bezdek Endowment Fund Celebrating Czech Music and Culture.

He played the accordion since he was a child and performed the instrument at Czech festivals throughout his life. He received the Advancement of the Accordion in Higher Education Award from the National Accordion Association in 2012.

As a professor of higher education, he was a curriculum instruction management specialist who co-authored a mathematics program for the kindergarten to high school level. He taught in the Fort Worth ISD from 1953 to 1967.

He received his bachelor’s degree in mathematics in 1950 and his master’s degree in political science in 1954, both from North Texas, and his doctorate in mathematics in 1966 from Cornell University.

He served in the United States Army from 1951 to 1953.

He is survived by his wife, Rose; three children, two grandsons and one great-granddaughter.

—Jessica DeLeón, University Relations, Communications and Marketing