Remembering a Credit Union Champion

The entire UW Credit Union family is deeply saddened by the passing of our long-serving leader and Board Director Emeritus, Phillip J. Hellmuth Sr.  

Phil was a credit union pioneer whose profound industry impact shaped the very foundation of our cooperative. He joined our Board of Directors in 1971 and dedicated over half a century to serving the financial well-being of University of Wisconsin students, faculty, staff, and alumni. Through his tenure as Board Chair and later as Board Director Emeritus, Phil championed the true spirit of the cooperative movement—the simple, powerful idea of people helping people. 

His vision reached far beyond our Madison community. As a lifelong advocate for financial cooperatives, Phil’s national contributions were permanently recognized when he was inducted into the Credit Union House Hall of Leaders in Washington, D.C. He brought that same passion to his work as past president of the national Education Credit Union Council, demonstrating a lifelong commitment to leadership, fairness, and cooperative growth. He contributed many years of service to the CUNA Management School in Madison, serving as a seminar leader and reviewing, critiquing, and grading student projects for nearly 30 years. In addition, he served for nearly 20 years on the Credit Union National Association’s Board of Examiners for the Certified Credit Union Executive Program, serving as Chair of the Board of Examiners during his tenure. 

Phil's wisdom, warmth, and relentless dedication to our members established a culture of service that defines UW Credit Union today. We will honor his legacy by upholding the member-first values he lived for. UW Credit Union extends its deepest sympathies to Hellmuth’s family, friends, colleagues, and the many credit union leaders he mentored throughout his life.