Founded in 1861, the University of Washington is one of the oldest state-supported institutions of higher education on the West Coast and is one of the preeminent research universities in the world.
Planning for a future rich in art
Many people wonder what they’ll do when they retire. For Dickson Preston, retirement represented a new beginning — and the fulfillment of a long-held dream. During his successful career as a computer specialist and writer, Dickson had indulged his lifelong passion for art history by taking every evening course available at the UW. The classes were even more meaningful because they helped him deal with the serious and prolonged illness of his wife, Dierdre.
Her improvement coincided with Dickson’s retirement in 1995, and he eagerly accepted UW professor Judith Clark’s suggestion that he pursue his BA. Professor Jeffrey Collins, who was enthusiastic about Dickson’s work, sponsored him for the MA program. Out of 100 applicants, Dickson was one of eight accepted into the program. He was awarded his MA in 1999 with a 3.95 GPA. And in 2008, at the age of 67, Dickson Preston was awarded his PhD in Art History.
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Dickson and Deirdre decided to will half of their estate to the UW to create an endowment supporting the Art History Division of the School of Art.
“The University gave me a lot of value for 12 years,” Dickson said. “It was not an obstacle that I was so much older than the other students, and everyone knew I did not have a career objective. I wanted to study Art History – and I could.”
Deirdre wants to give their estate where it would benefit people like her husband.
“The UW gave Dickson structure, work and enthusiasm during a very hard time," she said. "Fred Hutchinson and UW Medical Center saved my life. And really, UW saved Dickson’s life too.”