Creighton University

Creighton University mathematics professor John Mordeson, Ph.D., was installed as the first holder of the John N. Mordeson, Ph.D. Endowed Chair in Mathematics on May 1. Endowed chairs are one of the main priorities of WILLING TO LEAD: THE CAMPAIGN FOR CREIGHTON UNIVERSITY.

Mordeson is the first professor at Creighton to have a chair endowed in his name and the first to hold a chair established by a former student.

The Mordeson Chair was funded by a $1.5 million gift from George Haddix, MA’66, Ph.D., and his wife, Sally Hansen Haddix, of Ralston, Neb. George Haddix is chairman and CEO of PKW Acquisitions Corp. and its subsidiary, PKWare, a security software company based in Milwaukee. He was a student of professor Mordeson’s in the 1960s — earning a master’s degree in mathematics from Creighton in 1966 and writing his thesis under Mordeson’s direction. Haddix also taught mathematics at Creighton from 1969 to 1971, before using his talents to find success in industry. His love for education is shared by his wife, Sally Hansen Haddix, who served as a third-grade teacher in Springfield, Neb., for 12 years.

“There is nothing more inspiring than a former student honoring a gifted teacher who nurtured and guided him or her,” said Creighton President the Rev. John P. Schlegel, S.J. “Creighton University is tremendously grateful for the leadership and generosity of George and Sally Haddix. This endowed chair will help establish Creighton as a leader in the study and application of mathematics of uncertainty.”

The new chair will provide significant support to the Center for Research in Fuzzy Mathematics and Computer Science. George and Sally Haddix helped found the center in 1994 and have provided continuous support. Mordeson has served as the center’s first and sole director.

At its inception, the center was one of only a handful at U.S. institutions to concentrate on research in “fuzzy math,” or the science of mathematical uncertainty. Today, the center promotes research around the world, as well as the application of mathematics of uncertainty theories to a wide range of medical, technological and social sciences fields.

“Mathematics has always been a critical element in Jesuit, Catholic education in the liberal arts,” said Timothy Austin, Ph.D., dean of the College of Arts and Sciences. “One cannot claim to be a competent citizen in the 21st century without a firm grasp of mathematical principles.”

Haddix used his mathematics background to help develop data compression and encryption software that has changed the way businesses operate. His talents also contributed to the ATM machines that transformed Americans’ banking habits.

“George was an awesome student, one of the finest I ever had,” recalled Mordeson, who has taught at Creighton for more than 40 years.

Mordeson, who came to Creighton in 1963, has served as director of the University’s graduate program in mathematics and its computer science program. A noted scholar and researcher, he was recently elected president of the newly formed international Society for Mathematics of Uncertainty. Mordeson has worked with colleagues in Third World countries and has been instrumental in bringing to Creighton’s campus visiting scholars from China, India, Korea, Japan and Saudi Arabia.

“The creation of this chair is our way of honoring the tremendous work of Dr. Mordeson as a mathematician, a teacher and a member of the Creighton community,” said George Haddix, who also serves on Creighton’s Board of Directors. “One of the great wheels that turn the U.S. engine of opportunity and prosperity is the education system. The Jesuit universities and colleges are perhaps the finest examples of the type of higher education required to keep the entire system in balance.”

“We owe it to George and Sally to make the best use of their support,” Mordeson said. “There is a movement to use fuzzy math in the social sciences, including philosophy and political science. We have a chance to put Creighton University in the forefront of this research.”