In his final act of generosity, alumnus James “Jim” Matejka ’59, ’62 has left a portion of his estate to MSOE, giving generations of Raiders an opportunity to pursue excellence.
The planned gift of over $750,000 establishes the James R. Matejka Endowed Scholarship and will support students pursuing any engineering discipline at MSOE.
Matejka passed away in April, his legacy revealing a life committed to serving his beloved community and paying it forward to others.
Matejka learned and became interested in the electrical trade from his father, often accompanying him on jobs to run wires through tight crawl spaces. This early experience inspired him to enroll at MSOE in the late 1950s.
While he loved his time as a student at MSOE, his education was nearly derailed by financial struggles at home. Facing the possibility of dropping out, he explained his predicament to MSOE personnel. Their response would shape the rest of his life. He was offered a part-time janitor job on campus. Working after school hours and on weekends, it was enough to pay his full tuition.
After earning several degrees from MSOE, including a certificate for refrigeration service in 1958, followed by an associate degree in air conditioning technology in 1959 and a bachelor’s in mechanical engineering in 1962, he returned to his hometown of Geneva, Nebraska, doing electrical work with his father. In 1966, they incorporated the family business into Geneva Electrical Co., Inc.
Through the company, Matejka completed several large electrical projects in the state of Nebraska, including the Cornhusker Army Ammunition Plant near Grand Island and at York University (formerly York College). In Geneva, he did services for the courthouse, several businesses and private homes. He also performed a significant amount of electrical and HVAC work for Fillmore County Hospital.
According to family friends William and Mary Burgess, after his passing, uncashed checks for his service from residents and widows in Geneva were found in his home.
The Burgesses said his reason for giving back was simple and heartfelt: he wanted to “take care of my school like they took care of me.” A fitting legacy for a man who understood that sometimes the greatest opportunity can come from a simple helping hand.
