Each year Dowling Catholic proudly honors
his famous speeches he called for everyone
Washington University in St. Louis in 1977 and
deserving alumni of St. Joseph Academy
to believe - in God’s love, in themselves and in
graduated from Drake Law School in 1980.
and DCHS with the Distinguished Alumni
each other. This embodied the Dowling spirit
and Distinguished Young Alumni Awards.
and is why Dowling still holds a special place
In 1981, Libby began one of several stints
We are honored to recognize Robert “Bob”
in Bob’s heart to this day.
working for the State of Iowa. After working
Nizzi ‘58, Elizabeth “Libby” Nelson ‘73 and
for the Department on Aging, she clerked
Alison (Blyth) Weisheipl ‘00 as our 2020
Bob left Dowling to pursue a career as a
for a federal bankruptcy judge. In 1984,
award recipients.
counselor and football coach at Boys Town
she joined the Attorney General’s Office,
in Omaha, NE, using his passion and what he
representing the Department of Revenue
Bob Nizzi graduated from Dowling High
had learned to help a whole new generation
on tax issues. Libby then entered private
School in 1958. He was a leader who excelled
of young adults. He retired from Boys Town
practice, performing transactional law,
in the classroom and on the football field,
after 16 years of service in 2005.
litigation, debtor-creditor work, real estate
lettering his junior and senior years and
law and corporate governance. She returned
serving as team captain all four years. He
Bob and Adelaide have seven children and
to service with the State as an administrative
served as class vice president his sophomore
19 grandchildren, with their twentieth due
law judge focused on the area of workers’
year, as president his junior and senior years
later this year. Bob’s son, Chris, followed in
compensation, and the primary mediator
and earned the Aquinas Key award.
his footsteps and currently serves as head
for resolving disputes between claimants,
football coach at BoysTown. One of Bob’s
employers and insurance carriers.
Bob graduated from Loras College and
favorite past times is helping him coach
married his wife, Adelaide, in 1961. He started
and continuing to develop young men for
Libby then moved on to increased
working at Dowling High School in 1964
the future.
responsibilities with the Attorney General’s
where he spent 24 years as a teacher, dean
Office, representing the Iowa Lottery, General
of students, counselor and football coach. He
Libby Nelson is a 1973 graduate of Dowling
Services, the Iowa Communications Network,
met life-long friends during his tenure and
High School. She was born in Des Moines,
the treasurer, the auditor, the Higher
enjoyed every opportunity to impact a young
the second of five children to R.W. and Mary
Education Loan Authority and the Iowa
person’s life. Bob was known for his ability to
Nelson. Following high school she went on
Finance Authority. She left the State in 2001
quiet a gym during a pep assembly. In one of
to complete her undergraduate work at
and joined Kemin Industries as chief legal
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D O WLIN G CATH OLIC H IGH SC HOOL