Count József Degenfeld took on a decisive role in the establishment of the University of Debrecen on the one hand as the major of Debrecen and on the other hand as the chief guardian of the Trans-Tisza Reformed Diocese. The state university has already expressed its honour symbolically in his life by providing the solemn address as a church official at the inauguration of the reception building in the presence of the royal couple. When he died it issued a special obituary acknowledging him as ”the best worker of the university’s establishment”.