The founding donor of the W.K. Gordon center and active supporter of many causes in North Texas has died. In 2002, Mrs. Gordon saw to the opening of the W.K Gordon center, named after her father-in-law William Knox Gordon.

According to Tarleton’s Media Relations, the center “tells the story of the birth and death of Thurber, a company-owned mining town that was once the largest city between Fort Worth and El Paso.”

In 2011, Mrs. Gordon gifted Tarleton with the single largest donation in the university’s history. In an interview with Tarleton’s Media Relations, President F. Dominic Dottavio spoke of the legacy Mrs. Gordon will be leaving behind.

“Mrs. Gordon’s contributions to Tarleton State University are, in their own right, historical. We are grateful for her vision, her passion for preserving the past and her faith in our university.” Dottavio stated. “She cherished Thurber’s story, and leaves behind a legacy that is unmatched in our time. For generations to come, students, scholars, and the public will benefit from her thoughtful gifts and generosity.”

 According to the Star-Telegram obituary, Mrs. Anna Melissa “Chissa” Hogsett Gordon died peacefully late in the evening of Feb. 4, 2014. Gordon was the oldest daughter of two of Fort Worth’s founding families, born Nov. 20, 1918 to Joseph Bratcher Hogsett and Marguerite Cantey Hogsett. Gordon’s Obituary in the Star-Telegram detailed her family’s historical influence in Fort Worth and the surrounding area.

“Her paternal grandfather, Judge and state legislator J.Y. Hogsett, wrote the charter that turned a settlement in and around an army outpost into the municipality of Fort Worth,” The Star-Telegram detailed. “Samuel Benton Cantey, her maternal grandfather, cofounded Cantey and Capps in 1883, now known as Cantey Hanger. It is the oldest law firm in Tarrant County.”

Mrs. Gordon had an active interest in civic affairs, throughout the Fort Worth and Tarrant county areas. Gordon was a student of Mount Vernon College, BriarcliffCollege, and the University of Texas at Austin, where she was a member of the Pi Beta Phi sorority.

Mrs. W.K. Gordon Jr. was a legacy in her lifetime, and has ensured that she will remain a lasting influence in many lives throughout Tarleton, Fort Worth, and the greater Tarrant County area.