Retired professor Jim Bezdek (’50, ’54 M.S.) and Brave Combo member Carl Finch (’75, ’70 M.F.A.) were honored by the National Accordion Association earlier this year.
Bezdek, who taught mathematics curriculum development from 1967 to 1996, received the Advancement of the Accordion in Higher Education Award. He founded the Jim and Rose Bezdek Endowment Celebrating Czech Music and Culture at UNT. He played the accordion to pay for college and performed the instrument at Czech festivals throughout his life.
Finch took the prize for Establishing New Musical Horizons Featuring the Accordion for his experiments with “different tempos, sounds and instruments” and reflecting a wide range of genres beyond polka.