Thedford and Ruth Dirkse Family

This scholarship is established in the names of Thedford P. and Ruth I. Dirkse because of their long association with Calvin College. Both Ted and Ruth are graduates of Calvin, class of 1936. Ted began his teaching career at Calvin College in September 1947, when he was hired as a professor in the Chemistry Department. (He had previously held positions at Iowa State and Hamline University.) Ted retired in 1980. Ruth Imanse Dirkse was Manager of the Calvin Bookstore when she married Ted in March 1950. At that time she also was active in the Alumni Association and wrote a column, “Bookstore Briefs”, in Chimes.

During his entire tenure at Calvin College, and previously at Hamline University, Dr. Dirkse taught chemistry to the students in the Nursing Program. He always enjoyed teaching the nurses. In the fall of 1992, the Dirkse’s daughters decided that they wanted their contributions to Calvin College to be used to set up and endow a scholarship in the name of their parents. It was Ted’s and Ruth’s desire that the scholarship in their name be used to benefit students in the nursing program.