As the name of the honor itself suggests, the UT-Arlington Alumni Service Award is about legacy.
It’s what one created, left behind, or
passed on.
It could hardly be more fitting for Linda Dipert.
The Arlington resident and 2001 UTA graduate – who continues to study there, pursuing a Ph.D. in urban planning – was among the people honored by the university in September for their lasting contributions. She is a founding member of Women Inspiring Philanthropy, an Arlington charity that gives grants to local causes and organizations.
“Aside from the honor itself, what the recognition really means to me is that I’m on the right path, doing the right thing, that others believe in what I’m doing,” she said. “So that feels the best.”
Also honored at the Distinguished Alumni ceremony was Trey Yelverton, Arlington city manager since 2012, who has helped steer projects such as the Levitt Pavilion, the College Park District, Downtown City Center, Texas Live!, business expansions, and the city’s rideshare service. He is a 1988 UTA graduate with a bachelor’s degree in political science.
Xavier Egan (2011, BBA, Finance) received the Alumni Rising Star Award. The College of Business graduate founded Capital Asset Equities in Arlington, chairs the Arlington Mayor’s Black Advisory Council, and leads UTA’s Black Alumni Chapter. The university lauded him for his “resilience and focus on creating positive change.”
Allan Saxe received the Distinguished Philanthropist Award, presented posthumously and accepted by his wife, Ruthie Brock. Professor Saxe taught at UTA for 54 years before retiring in 2019. In 2021, he was named Emeritus Associate Professor of Political Science. In a statement, the university called him “a must-take professor who led passionate discussions and inspired students with his humor and kindness.”
He became known for his giving after receiving an inheritance in the 1990s and donating it to non-profits and scholarship funds. At UTA, his name is on the intramural field and at the planetarium.
Linda Dipert, who earned a bachelor’s degree in marketing from UTA, was recognized along with her husband for their legacy-building. The Dan Dipert Family Fund supports causes such as the building of a chapel at Texas Health Arlington Memorial Hospital, and their gifts to UTA include a nursing scholarship.
Dan Dipert received his education at Ouachita Baptist University and Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. His purchase of an Arlington travel agency led him to eventually build a tour and bus company, Dan Dipert Coaches and Tours.
His name is on the UTA Dan Dipert Welcome Center and the AISD Dan Dipert Career and Technical Center.
Growing up in rural Arkansas, Dipert said he learned the value of people helping each other.
“We have to be there for everybody,” he said. “Some people don’t have anyone looking out for them the way they should.”
The Diperts continue to think about the betterment that their lives can create for Arlington.
“What can make this a better place for my grandchildren? How could I make them stay?” Mrs. Dipert said. “I met with a young UTA graduate, and she was so enthusiastic about Arlington and her future, and she said she was going to stay here. And I just thought, that is so fantastic. That is what we are all striving for.”
Of his wife, Dan Dipert said, “Watching what she’s done in the community has given me more pride than the things I’ve done.”
It is worth recognizing, as UTA did, for the Diperts and others.
