the magazine for members of the iowa state university alumni association
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WINTER 2 0 0 8
The
faces of
campaign
iowa State
Remarkable students. Outstanding professors. Extraordinary alumni and friends. This is what it takes to shape a future. This is Campaign Iowa State: With Pride and Purpose.
CAMPAIGN
IOWA STATE
Iowa State launches its largest fundraising campaign ever: $800 million
Campaign Iowa State: With Pride and Purpose, an $800 million fundraising campaign, presents one of the most exciting opportunities for growth and distinction in Iowa State University history. Never before has Iowa State been more prepared to make a difference globally than it is today by fulfilling its mission to “create, share, and apply knowledge to make Iowa and the world a better place.� Iowa State strategically crafted its campaign priorities to focus on funding for students, faculty, programs, and facilities. A long history of private philanthropy has brought the university to this point, and with the support of committed alumni and friends through Campaign Iowa State, the future is unlimited.
Photo by Jim Heemstr a
he achievements of this campaign will transform “T Iowa State for many to years to come. With the support of committed alumni and friends, there is no limit to the possibilities our future holds. — Gregory geoffroy, President, Iowa state University
”
$800,000,000 Where will the money go?
Student support: $235 million Tuition and debt load for students are rising each year. At the beginning of the campaign, about 4,000 students received privately funded scholarships. Campaign Iowa State will increase scholarships to help support meritand need-based students in all programs.
Program support: $195 million Academic and out-of-classroom programs and campus organizations help serve ISU students and challenge the frontiers of knowledge. Campaign Iowa State will help enhance the student experience in many areas.
Faculty support: $215 million Competition for the best scholars is intense. One of the most effective ways to attract and retain world-class faculty is to offer endowed chairs, professorships, and fellowships. Campaign Iowa State seeks to double the number of endowed faculty positions from 75 to 150.
Facilities support: $155 million State-of-the-art facilities help attract the best and brightest students, faculty, and staff have a profound impact on their ability to excel. Campaign Iowa State will help fund major academic and athletics building and renovation projects.
For details, go to the Campaign Web site: www.withprideandpurpose.org
‘ th i s i s e v e r y o n e ’ s c am p a i g n ’
Kasei James Roger Underwood Sophomore, Josh Abbey Gary Thompson Tanya Zanish-Belcher (’80 agricultural public service and Sophomore, architecture (’57 physical education) Head, ISU Library business) administration Recipient, American Institute Gregory L. Geoffroy Campaign donor / Special Collections Campaign chair / in agriculture of Architects (Iowa Chapter) President, Iowa campaign volunteer Campaign donor Wendy Thomas campaign donor Recipient, Scholarship Mary Gibbons State University Ames, Iowa Sophomore, Mei Hong Kolschowsky Ft. Madison, Iowa (’82 accounting / Andrew Hillier veterinary medicine John D. Corbett Foundation Principal investigator, business administration) Bev Madden Russell G. and Professor of Chemistry Campaign donor (’60 home economics Scholarship ISU’s W. M. Keck Lora L. Talbot ISU College of Liberal Arts Chicago, Ill. Ames, Iowa education, MS ’70) Laboratory for Scholar in and Sciences Campaign donor High Throughput Veterinary Medicine Ames, Iowa Atom-Scale Analysis Mt. Pleasant, Iowa ISU College of Engineering 12 visions winter 2008
Teaching teachers to teach science What happens when science and literacy meet in the primary classroom? Here’s the scenario: Elementary school teachers in kindergarten through second grade tend to be focused on teaching reading, language arts, and math to their young students. Many of the teachers have not taught science in years, and they are terrified of the idea of teaching science. So, often children in the early primary grades have limited contact with science curriculum. A new program at Iowa State, “When Science and Literacy Meet in the Primary Classroom (K-3),” aims to solve that problem, at least for the students of 20 elementary school teachers in Iowa. The project is being funded through the Roy J. Carver Charitable Trust. Lori Norton-Meier, assistant professor of literacy education in Iowa State’s College of Human Sciences, directs the project, which brings the 20 elementary teachers to the ISU campus for eight days of training during the summer, sends them back to the classroom, and then brings them back the next two summers for additional training – for a total of three years. Meanwhile, Iowa State students in Norton-Meier’s literacy methods course become pen pals with the children whose teachers are involved in the project. At the end of the semester, the children and the ISU students will have the opportunity to meet. During the summer of 2007, the teachers came to campus for the first time. “Many of them came a little tentative and left
I am really excited about this project. I have to admit, it has been a long time since I have really TAUGHT science. I am embarrassed to say it, but it was something I might get to on Fridays or if we had time. And dare I tell you? I am scared to teach science. There is always that fear that I have to know it all. I feel so comfortable with all the literacy components of my day…but it was here during this week that I began to see that the confidence that I feel with literacy can come in my science teaching, too. I am really excited about this year…and a new adventure.
gung-ho,” said Norton-Meier. “They each had that moment when they realized, ‘I can teach science!’ So that was really exciting.” The program engages the teachers with hands-on science content like building rockets and working in a chemistry lab, forcing them to become frustrated – like children do – when they have questions and can’t find the answers. “Teachers are active learners, just like the kids are active learners,” said Norton-Meier. “It will be powerful to see how teachers can transition the learning they did last summer into the classroom.” The goal is to get the teachers to integrate science, an area where they may have been limited, with reading and writing and speaking, all areas where they’re more comfortable, in order to strengthen science learning among the young students. Norton-Meier says one of the most exciting aspects of the project is seeing the three elements – teacher learning, elementary student learning, and Iowa State student learning – come together throughout the semester. “That’s what I love most about this program,” she said. o
– Lynda, a first-grade teacher, after her first 5-day summer workshop on science and literacy
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Coming full circle
‘I found my passion in life’ Lives are changed, friendships are forged in rural Uganda
Bong Wie thought so highly of his academic adviser at Stanford University – a graduate of Iowa State University – that when Iowa State offered him a position on the aerospace engineering faculty, he didn’t hesitate to accept. “It was a very easy decision,” said Wie, who is the first holder of the Vance D. Coffman Endowed Chair in Aerospace Engineering. “Dr. Arthur Bryson was my master’s and Ph.D. adviser. He influenced a lot of researchers and engineers in our aerospace community and is truly an internationally known scholar in his profession. Iowa State University has a long history of producing well-qualified aerospace engineers and faculty members, so I was very familiar with the reputation of Iowa State in aerospace engineering.” Arthur E. Bryson, Jr. graduated from Iowa State in 1946 with a degree in aeronautical engineering and taught at Harvard University before moving to Stanford. In addition to influencing Wie, Bryson was also a mentor to Vance Coffman (’67 aeronautical engineering), retired chairman and CEO of Lockheed Martin Corporation. Coffman earned his master’s and Ph.D. at Stanford, and upon his retirement Lockheed established the endowed faculty chair in Coffman’s name. Wie was a member of the Arizona State University faculty from 1989 until accept-
True
ing the position at Iowa State in 2007. His research expertise includes space vehicle dynamics and control, modeling and control of large space structures, and solar sail flight control system development and mission design. At Iowa State, he is the director of the Spacecraft Systems and Controls Laboratory. “This is an excellent example of how endowed faculty positions help us recruit world-class leaders by providing the highest level of faculty recognition and support,” said ISU President Gregory Geoffroy last March when Wie’s hiring was announced. “These positions strengthen the university in many ways, and we are Bong Wie, the Vance D. Coffman Endowed Chair in Aerospace very grateful to Lockheed Engineering, stands near a distinguished alumni display in Howe Hall. Martin for establishing Two of the ISU alumni honored in the display – Arthur E. Bryson, Jr., this endowed chair in Wie’s mentor at Stanford University, and Vance Coffman – were key honor of Vance Coffman.” factors in Wie’s decision to accept the position at Iowa State. Wie described Professor Bryson as “a very gentle person Wie’s career has been indescribable, he and a real scholar.” Bryson’s influence on said. “His impact was enormous.” o
or False
Check your campaign IQ
1. Only $1 million gifts make a difference. False. Gifts of all sizes are needed to support the ongoing excellence of Iowa State and to make Campaign Iowa State a success.
“extras” that help define the Iowa State experience. Philanthropy allows students and faculty to take advantage of opportunities that cannot be funded through state support.
2. Philanthropy helps the university pay the light bill. False. Gifts help provide the
3. Private support to ISU helps solve the world’s problems. True! Philanthropy provides re-
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searchers with additional resources to advance and accelerate research. Iowa State scientists conduct research in many areas – from curing diseases to discovering new biofuels. 4. My gift to Iowa State will help me save money on my taxes. True. Most gifts qualify as a tax deduction. 5. I may be able to double my gift without spending extra money.
True. In many cases, employers offer matching gifts to educational institutions. Last year alone, matching gifts accounted for $1.4 million. 6. I get to choose how my money will be used. True. With more than 4,400 gift designations, you can support the programs that reflect your interests: your academic college or department, the library, the arts, athletics, etc. You decide exactly
administration in agriculture, has twice worked and studied in Uganda through grants from the Sustainable Rural Livelihoods program, a project initially funded by Gerald A. (’62 agriculture) and Karen A. Kolschowsky in 2003. “I loved Uganda,” Sukup said. “I just loved everything about it. It was like I found my passion in life. The first time I went into the field with one of the workers, it was like, ‘I could do this for the rest of my life.’” In 2006, Sukup and five other ISU students and two faculty members taught agriculture classes in one of Uganda’s most desperately impoverished areas. They showed the children how to grow food in a school garden, and through funding from the Center for Sustainable Rural Livelihoods, watched as the garden – and the children – flourished after a well was added near the school. “It was the most amazing day ever,” Sukup says of the day workers dug the well. “We were supposed to teach two classes that day, but school was cancelled! The truck pulled in and the Elly Sukup visits whole school just sat there the home of one of her students, and watched them drill. Florence (far left), “It’s just little things like in Uganda. At right, that,” she continued. “All of a next to Sukup, is sudden you have water! You Florence’s mother; can irrigate your garden! You Florence’s siblings are in the foreground. can actually have livestock! contribute d photo
Two Iowa State alumni impact the hiring of new endowed chair of aerospace engineering
Elly Sukup is a typical college student. She gets up. She brushes her teeth. She goes to class. But she never forgets that on the other side of the world, people wake up every morning and wonder if there will be enough food to eat. Some day – through the research being conducted by Sukup and other students and faculty through Iowa State’s Sustainable Rural Livelihoods program – that is likely to change. Sukup, an ISU senior from Dougherty, Iowa, majoring in public service and
where your gift goes and how it is used. You can even create your own fund. 7. Cash is the only way to make a gift to Iowa State. False. There are many options, including personal property, real estate, bequests, stocks, bonds, mutual funds, and more. 8. Endowed positions help Iowa State recruit and retain top faculty.
True. Endowed chairs and professorships can support course development, graduate assistants, laboratory equipment, salary enhancements, scholarly travel, and research projects. Faculty fellowships recognize the leadership potential of talented faculty and provide educational foundations that enrich all students. They also encourage professional growth, offer early career recognition, and support research and other special projects.
All of a sudden the kids are healthier … more kids are enrolling because of those opportunities … the community comes together and sees, ‘Wow, the school has water. This school really has something going for it.’ All of a sudden – all these opportunities! And to be able to witness something like that? I can’t put it into words.” After her experience in Uganda in 2006, Sukup started looking for a way to go back. “I felt eternally grateful to the Center for Sustainable Rural Livelihoods and to Jerry and Karen for the money they invested in me. I wanted to do something to give back.” Sukup returned to rural Uganda in 2007 to gather baseline data for research she hopes will continue into the future. She found that many of the students she had taught the previous summer had taken the agricultural concepts they’d learned from the ISU students and planted gardens at their homes. There had been a definite transfer of knowledge. And it went both ways. “I learned a lot more from them than I’m sure they learned from me,” Sukup said. “It was very much a learning experience.” After graduation, Sukup hopes to work in developing Third World countries, especially in the area of nutrition, public health, and gender issues. “Iowa State has helped me find my passion,” she said. “Iowa State has been wonderful to me. I have had amazing mentors.” o
c am pa i g n fa c t s :
M
ore than 100,000 donors have made a gift or commitment to the campaign to date.
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The little gift that grew Money was tight in 1956 when Verna and Arend “Sandy” Sandbulte came to Iowa State. The high school sweethearts from Sioux Center, Iowa, had married at age 19 in 1953, and right away Sandy left to serve in the Army. After 21 months he returned home to his wife and baby and enrolled at Iowa State as an electrical engineering major. The young family – two more children would arrive before they left Ames – lived in Pammel Court, where they paid $26 a month for rent. While he attended college, Sandy worked part-time for Fareway Grocery and later for O.A. Olson Manufacturing. Meanwhile, Verna babysat for children in Pammel Court. Sandy’s 1959 Iowa State electrical engineering degree, coupled with an MBA from the University of Minnesota, gave him a head start on his career, and when he was approached to give a gift to Iowa State in 1974, he gave a modest donation: $10. “We started small and built up from there over the years,” he said. Soon the Sandbultes were giving $1,000 on an annual basis. Over the years, Verna and Sandy have given back to Iowa State often, both monetarily and through key volunteer positions. In the late 1980s the couple donated regularly to the Department of Electrical Engineering and in the 1990s contributed a major gift to Campaign Destiny, the university’s comprehensive fundraising cam-
Executive Campaign Committee Verna and Arend “Sandy” Sandbulte have been giving to Iowa State regularly since 1974, and their gifts have grown larger over the years. The Sandbultes live on the shore of Lake Superior.
Chair: Roger Underwood (’80 agricultural business) Ames, Iowa
Steve Bergstrom (’79 business) Montgomery, Texas Jerry (’62 agricultural business) and Karen Kolschowsky Oak Brook, Ill. Gene (’49 veterinary medicine, ’70 Ph.D.) and Linda Lloyd Ft. Myers, Fla. Verna and Arend “Sandy” Sandbulte
paign. Sandy became involved in volunteer leadership positions through the ISU Foundation, first as a member and later as chair of the Investment Committee, then as vice chairman and chairman of the ISU Foundation Board of Directors. While vice chairman of the board, he headed a committee charged with developing a strategic plan for the foundation. Today, he serves on the Audit Committee, and he and Verna have pledged a gift to the current Coover Hall building fund. They have also includ-
Sandy: ISU ’59 electrical engineering Retired chairman/president/CEO, Minnesota Power Four grown children, 14 grandchildren Duluth, Minn.
ed an Iowa State endowed professorship in their estate plans. “Iowa State color has always run in our bloodstreams,” Sandy says. “Whenever we go back to Ames, there’s just a really special feeling.” o
Participation: Why it matters Roger Underwood, volunteer chair for Campaign Iowa State: With Pride and Purpose, wants everyone connected with Iowa State to participate in the campaign – not just those who can contribute major gifts. “I would hope everyone would consider giving to this campaign,” said Underwood (’80 agricultural business). “If you are a $100 or $250 donor and make a gift every year to the campaign, that really adds up.” Underwood remembers when he gave his first gift to Iowa State. It was $25 that he “probably 16 visions winter 2008
Campaign Iowa State is led by a group of volunteers who work closely with ISU President Gregory Geoffroy. In addition to the executive committee members listed below, more than 100 alumni and friends serve on other committees.
couldn’t afford at the time.” But he wanted to give back to the university that gave so much to him. Within the framework of a fundraising campaign, smaller gifts add up to big impact according to ISU Foundation President Dan Saftig. “When you have hundreds and thousands of the more modest gifts, they add up to make a significant impact to all corners of the university,” he said. “It’s also a shot in the arm, because a high level of participation in the campaign is a confidence booster for our students who receive schol-
arship support and for our faculty who receive support through philanthropy. It says that there’s a larger family that believes in them, that has confidence in them.” Donors have the opportunity to direct their gifts to the area closest to their hearts or their interests. Saftig said there are more than 4,400 gift designations from which to choose, from the marching band to mechanical engineering to VEISHEA to agricultural entrepreneurship – and everything in between. Donors may even establish a new gift fund. “Higher education is a great
Chuck Manatt (’58 rural sociology) Washington, D.C. Jim (’60 electrical engineering) and Kathy Melsa Naperville, Ill. Owen Newlin (’51 agronomy, ’53 MS) Des Moines, Iowa Dick Stanley (’55 electrical engineering / mechanical engineering) Muscatine, Iowa Ellen Molleston Walvoord (’61 home economics journalism) Harvard, Ill.
Note: The ISU Foundation acknowledges annual donors who give at the $2,500 or higher level each year through the Campanile Society. The two-year-old society already has more than 2,000 members.
What is a comprehensive campaign? A comprehensive fundraising campaign addresses the broad needs and opportunities for the entire institution. Such campaigns are designed to feature high-priority university goals, and intensive fundraising efforts are focused on their achievement. When did the campaign begin and when will it end? Iowa State officially began its campaign on July 1, 2003. The public launch was Oct. 19, 2007. The campaign is scheduled to conclude on Dec. 31, 2010. How much money has been raised to date? It is common for universities conducting a fundraising campaign to raise a significant portion of their goal prior to announcing the effort publicly. This helps launch the campaign with great momentum and encourage donors to support a successful effort. Since the beginning of the campaign, Iowa State has raised more than $528 million (as of Dec. 1, 2007), already surpassing the $458.6 million raised in the previous campaign. What are the priorities of Campaign Iowa State? • Student support: $235 million • Faculty support: $215 million • Program support: $195 million • Facilities support: $155 million
Note: Only ISU degrees are listed
c am pa i g n fa c t s :
philanthropic investment, where all donors, large and modest, can have a significant impact not only on today’s students but on what they will do in the future,” said Saftig. “Great things are happening here. Now more than ever, this is the time to invest in Iowa State University.”
Campaign
T
he campaign theme “With Pride and Purpose ” represents the enormous pride that alumni feel for Iowa State and the purpose the university serves to improve lives on a local and global scale.
How were the campaign priorities determined? Iowa State faculty and staff helped determine the university’s fundraising priorities by submitting their recommendations to ISU President Gregory Geoffroy. All priorities were required to be directly tied to the university’s strategic plan. President Geoffroy consulted with the university deans and other key leaders before making his final recommendations and setting the $800 million goal. Who gives to the campaign and how much? In fiscal year 2007 alone, more than 54,000 donors supported Iowa State through private philanthropy efforts. These benefactors are alumni, friends, faculty, staff, students, corporations, and organizations that all want to make an impact on the future of ISU. Gifts and commitments range from $25 to $1 million and above. Every single gift, no matter its amount, is important to the success of this campaign.
FAQs Where does the money go? Donors are asked to make an investment in an area of their greatest interest – this could include a scholarship, an endowed faculty position, a favorite program, a college need, support for athletics, or the arts. There are more than 4,400 established funds already that receive private support, or a donor can choose to start a new fund. Why a campaign and why now? Campaign Iowa State: With Pride and Purpose is an opportunity to celebrate Iowa State pride and help Iowa State fulfill its purpose to “create, share, and apply knowledge to make Iowa and the world a better place.” The achievements of this campaign will transform Iowa State for many years to come. ISU is poised to extend and expand its global impact. Iowa State cannot create an environment of success with current levels of state support. The university also cannot continue to raise tuition beyond the reach of students and their families. While Iowa State must always rely on state support for its overall operation, there are many needs and opportunities that only private support can achieve. What were the outcomes of previous comprehensive fundraising campaigns? • 1988-1993: Partnership for Prominence, $214.5 million • 1995-2000: Campaign Destiny, $458.6 million Who manages fundraising efforts at Iowa State? The Iowa State University Foundation is the non-profit organization dedicated to securing and stewarding private gifts that benefit Iowa State University. ISU President Gregory Geoffroy works closely with the ISU Foundation to establish fundraising priorities and to meet with alumni and friends about how they can make an impact at the university through private support. How can I find more information on the campaign? Go to the campaign Web site: www.withprideandpurpose.org
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Remarkable students. Outstanding professors. Extraordinary alumni… Liz Beck
experience “T he Iowa State includes so many traditions
(’74 history, master’s ’77) Retired director of ISU Honors Program Campaign donor/campaign volunteer
and special opportunities that came about only because of the generosity of Iowa State donors. Who can imagine an Iowa State without the Campanile and dozens of campus facilities, without many of our top faculty members who hold endowed positions, or without scholarships for more than 4,000 of today’s students? This campaign is about providing more of these very special opportunities that make Iowa State such an enriching place to learn and grow. — Dan Saftig, President, ISU Foundation
” Sue Ravenscroft Roger P. Murphy Professor of Accounting ISU College of Business c am pa i g n fa c t s :
39 endowed faculty positions have been created since the beginning of the campaign; there are currently 114 endowed faculty positions at Iowa State* 448 new scholarship accounts have been created since the start of the campaign* Silas Pippitt Anumantha Kanthasamy W.E. Lloyd Chair in Neurotoxicology ISU College of Veterinary Medicine 18 visions winter 2008
*As of Dec. 1, 2007
Junior, pre-journalism & mass communication Hixson Opportunity Awards scholar, a privately funded scholarship program Red Oak, Iowa
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me to know that “Itatexcites the end of this campaign we’re going to be a stronger institution.
”
— roger underwood, (’80 agricultural business) campaign chair
Jane Sturgeon (’85 accounting) Campaign donor/campaign volunteer Urbandale, Iowa
Arista’s I’m Gonna Getcha Good, AKA “Twain” 4-year-old golden retriever owned by Deanna Collins and her daughter, Katie, of Ames The Collins family has contributed to the College of Veterinary Medicine’s Companion Animal Fund in memory of friends’ pets who have died
Scott Schrage (’06 advertising) Graduate student, journalism & mass communication Caller in the ISU Foundation’s PhoneCenter (raised $47,850 to date) Sloan, Iowa
James Dickson ISU Professor of Animal Science Campaign donor
Campaign features by Carole Gieseke Campaign facts and details provided by the ISU Foundation staff Photos by Jim Heemstra
…Unlimited potential. These are the faces of Campaign Iowa State. 20 visions winter 2008
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150
The original Lancelot and Elaine were donated by the 1935 VEISHEA Central Committee.
years of
1935
philanthropy
Two swans, Lancelot and Elaine, are donated to the college by the VEISHEA Central Committee. 1937
The ISC Agricultural Foundation is established to operate 12 distressed farms in order to demonstrate how such land in Iowa can be rehabilitated.
a histo ry o f g ivin g at I owa state
T
he following is an abbreviated history of philanthropy at Iowa State University and of the ISU Foundation. The evolution of giving began quietly, in the early days of the college, with the donation of agricultural gifts, and bells, and swans. Today’s fundraising efforts are more strategic, and the generous gifts of alumni and friends have forever enriched Iowa State’s programs, its faculty, its student body, and its campus. 1870
1878 Funds to build Alumni Hall were donated by students, faculty, alumni, and friends.
alumni, and friends. The building costs a total of $35,000. 1914
The ISC Alumni Association employs a professional staff and establishes an office in Alumni Hall. 1916
1899
Edgar Stanton donates the first 10 bells of the carillon that will be housed in the newly constructed Campanile on central campus. 1904
Construction of Alumni Hall begins. Funds for the structure are donated by students, faculty,
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LaVerne Noyes, a member of the first graduating class (1872) donates $10,000 for landscaping the campus and for constructing the lake that will later be named Lake LaVerne.
That same year, a subsidiary organization known as the Iowa State College Alumni Achievement Fund is incorporated. This move recognizes the need for private financial support and the willingness of alumni and friends to provide such support. The Fund’s efforts are largely centered on annual giving, a direct-mail appeal for scholarships and other university programs.
1946
National Cyclone Club, the annual giving program to support Iowa State’s student-athletes, is founded to build greater interest in athletics and provide additional financial support. The organization’s original name is the 630 Club. Today the National Cyclone Club boasts 7,442 members.
1934
“Alumni Fund Facts” published in 1934 lists the following: • Most contributors: Class of 1909 (14 contributors) • Largest sum contributed: Class of 1905 ($124) • Largest average contribution: Class of 1892 ($35 average)
1949
Edward R. “Ed” Hergenrather (class of 1940) is appointed the first director of field activities for the Iowa State College Alumni Association, where he directs the Alumni Fund, an annual giving program for all alumni and friends of the college.
Lake LaVerne was constructed with funds donated by LaVerne Noyes (class of 1872).
1954
1932
The ISC Alumni Association is officially incorporated to promote the general welfare of Iowa State by fostering a spirit of loyalty and commitment among students, former students, alumni, faculty,
Photo: IS U Libra ry / S pe cial Coll e ctions
Edgar Stanton (class of 1872) donated the first 10 bells of the carillon in 1899.
The Iowa State College Research Foundation, Inc., is created with the purpose of paying the costs of financing patents from inventions by members of the faculty. From 1934 until 1938 the Board of Patent Trustees of the ISC Alumni Association has rights to all patentable processes and devices growing out of college-supported research.
staff, parents, and friends.
Donations to the new Iowa Agricultural College include 100 rhubarb roots, an industrial plow, an American bee hive, garden seeds, mowers, plows, quartz geodes, a copy of the Dubuque Daily Times, and cattle portraits. The Iowa State College Alumni Association is founded on Nov. 12, with Edgar Stanton (class of 1872) as the first president.
1938
The Stanton Memorial Carillon Foundation is incorporated “to preserve, improve, and further the advancement of the carillon” at Iowa State. The foundation still meets on an annual basis. ISC president James H. Hilton
(class of 1923) proposes construction of an educational/cultural/athletic complex during his address to the faculty at the fall convocation. Hilton’s dream will eventually become the Iowa State Center and bring a marked change in the scope of the institution’s fundraising program. 1955
The Alumni Achievement Fund is awarded citations from Time-Life and from the American Alumni Council for excellence in direct mailing campaigns. In five years, contributions have increased more than five-fold. 1957
The Alumni Achievement Fund advances the money to buy a sixacre tract of land near Greybull, Wyo., for a permanent geology camp. 1958
The Iowa State College Foundation, a private, nonprofit organization established by a group of alumni and friends of the college, is incorporated in July. The primary purpose of the new organization will be, according to its articles of incorporation, “to accept, hold, administer, invest, and disburse, for educational and scientific purposes, such funds as may be given to it by any person, firm, or corporation.” Volunteer alumni and community leaders of the ISC Foundation launch Iowa State’s first major capital campaign to raise funds to build the Iowa State Center. 1962
C.Y. Stephens (class of 1925), national chairman of the Iowa State Center campaign, gives $1 million to the campaign. University staff members pledge approximately $225,000 to the center. Also in 1962, the pledge class of Alpha Sigma Phi social fraternity raises $100 to purchase a pair of swans for Lake LaVerne to replace the swans that died during the year. 1963
Henry (1904 civil engineering) and Ann Brunnier donate their
extensive art collection to Iowa State University. Their donation is now part of the permanent collection of the Brunnier Art Museum, located in the Iowa State Center. 1968
The Order of the Knoll, a new organization to assist the advancement of the university, is formed. Eighty-one charter members pledge to contribute a minimum of $1,000 per year for 10 years. Today, the Order of the Knoll remains Iowa State’s most prestigious donor recognition organization. A new project of the ISU Alumni Achievement Fund, the University Parents’ Fund, is established. The new program makes it possible for parents of students to lend financial support which will directly benefit the student body. H.J. Schroeder, widowed father of eight children, five of whom had already enrolled at Iowa State, is the first Parents’ Fund chairman. 1969
C.Y. Stephens Auditorium (named for C.Y. Stephens, a successful retail dairy businessman), the first of Iowa State Center’s four
C.Y. Stephens Auditorium was the first of the four Iowa State Center buildings to be constructed.
buildings, opens this year, followed by Hilton Coliseum in 1971, Fisher Theater in 1974, and the Scheman Continuing Education Building in 1975. Total cost of the project is $27 million. 1974
The ISU Achievement Fund board authorizes a land-use study of the four corners of property located at the intersection of U.S. Highway 30 and Elwood Drive (now University Boulevard). It is decided that the best use for this “gateway” to the university would be a topquality hotel. A privately funded for-profit corporation is created, with 35 friends and alumni, as
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limited partners, contributing $1 million in equity. Another $3.5 million is borrowed, and the Gateway Center Hotel is built. The Achievement Fund provides a line of start-up credit and creates a separate corporation, Gateway Center, Ltd. The limited partners later gift their shares to the Achievement Fund, and the ISU Foundation now owns 100 percent of the Gateway Hotel and Conference Center. 1980
The ISU Achievement Foundation is created as a new entity separate from the ISU Achievement Fund and the ISU Foundation. The Achievement Foundation is now the primary fundraising organization for the university.
1986
1992
Green Hills Retirement Community, a quality living experience and health-care facility for Iowa State’s retired faculty, alumni, and friends, is launched by the Achievement Fund Board of Trustees. Green Hills is conceived by the Board to provide a top-quality living environment near the university. The retirement community is located near the intersection of U.S. Highway 30 and University Boulevard.
The ISU Foundation’s PhoneCenter opens. Today, the PhoneCenter contacts more than 150,000 alumni, parents, and friends each year and now raises over $3 million annually to support key university programs.
1987
A research park is established south of the campus on land purchased by the ISU Achievement Foundation. The creation of the Iowa State University Research Park raises the interaction between the university and industries to a new level and facilitates technology transfer from academia to the marketplace. 1988
Reiman Gardens opened in 1995 and has now grown to 14 acres including a butterfly wing.
One of the earliest endowed faculty positions is established: the Glenn Murphy Professor of Engineering. Within a few years, two more key endowed chairs will be announced: the Pioneer HiBred International Agribusiness Endowment Chair, and the Palmer Chair for Electrical Engineering. 1982
Foundation governors begin a “Campaign for Excellence” to raise $4 million for library expansion, $4 million for an Iowa State Center endowment, $2 million for research and instructional equipment, and $5 million for a general excellence endowment. The campaign is later named “Excellence in the Eighties,” with a goal of $50 million to be raised over five years and with the added objectives of endowments for chairs and professorships, research grants, and faculty enhancement, as well as “Scholarships for Excellence.”
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The ISU Achievement Foundation, established in 1980, is renamed the ISU Foundation. The ISU Foundation launches “Partnership for Prominence,” a five-year capital campaign. The campaign goal – $150 million – is the largest in Iowa State history. Volunteer leaders for the campaign are Owen Newlin (’51 agriculture, ’53 M.S., ’55 Ph.D.), chair, and Steve Zumbach (’73 agricultural business, ’80 Ph.D. economics), deputy chair.
1991
Disc jockey Kenn McCloud locks himself in the Campanile, whose bells have been silenced due to lack of funding, and vows not to come out until he has raised $10,000 – enough to pay a guest carillonneur. The five-day lock-in results not only in raising $10,000 but in the eventual donation of a million-dollar endowment that will ensure the tower and the bells’ continued health.
Reiman Gardens, a botanical garden just south of Jack Trice Stadium, is dedicated. The gardens – which have today grown to 14 acres and become one of the state’s premier attractions with the addition of the Christina Reiman Butterfly Wing and a 5,000-square-foot conservatory – are funded through the leadership gift of Roy (’57 journalism) and Bobbi (’06 honorary alumna) Reiman of Greendale, Wis., along with gifts from other alumni and friends.
1993
“Partnership for Prominence” surpasses its new goal, with a total of $185.3 million raised by February. The grand total on June 30, 1993, the official closing date of the campaign, is $214.5 million. This total places ISU in 12th place among public university campaigns.
1997
1994
A major gift from John and Mary Pappajohn of Des Moines launches the Pappajohn Center for Entrepreneurship, providing assistance, connections, and corporate-world resources for faculty and students.
In July, the ISU Foundation launches a $26 million campaign to secure private scholarship support in six categories: National Merit, National Achievement, President’s Leadership Initiative, Christina Hixson Opportunity Awards, athletics, and general scholarships.
A ceremony on central campus in September 1999 celebrated the largest single gift to Iowa State to date: an $80 million anonymous gift to the Department of Agronomy.
1995
The President’s Scholarship Campaign goal is increased to $50 million and becomes a com-
700 Iowa State supporters gathered in Hilton Coliseum in September 1995 for the official announcement of “Campaign Destiny: To Become the Best.”
1990
Oversight of the annual program fund (the ISU Achievement Fund) moves from the ISU Alumni Association to the ISU Foundation.
have succeeded at Iowa State because of Hixson’s vision.
prehensive fundraising campaign entitled “Campaign Destiny: To Become the Best.” The original campaign goal is $300 million, and Chuck Johnson (’65 industrial administration) is the campaign chair. The Christina Hixson Opportunity Awards are introduced, providing financial support for Iowa students. Hixson invested $11.3 million from the Lied Foundation Trust to create the need-based scholarship program, awarding one scholarship per Iowa county – 100 each year. To date, hundreds of Iowa students
teaching, learning, and outreach environments. “Campaign Destiny” funds building projects throughout campus, including Reiman Gardens, Howe and Hoover Halls for the College of Engineering, the Palmer Human Development and Family Studies Building, Kocimski Auditorium for the College of Design, Gerdin Business Building, Jischke Honors Building, Extension/4-H Youth Building, the Roy J. Carver CoLaboratory for the Plant Sciences Institute, and the enhancement and expansion of Jack Trice Stadium. In addition, “Campaign Destiny” gifts provide resources to develop new academic curricula through such initiatives as the Center for Entrepreneurship, Plant Sciences Institute, and ISU’s first named school, the Greenlee School of Journalism and Communication. Donors also fund 22 new faculty professorships and chairs. At its close in June 2000, eight of the top 10 largest gifts ever received by Iowa State have occurred during “Campaign Destiny,” and four of the top 10 largest gifts to any institution of higher education in Iowa have been given to Iowa State during the campaign.
1999
2001
The Department of Agronomy receives an $80 million anonymous gift, the largest gift to an American public university to date. The gift creates an endowment that will be used to find innovative ways to help the department become a world leader in charting the future of agriculture.
A two-year, $50 million initiative entitled “Investing in People” is announced by ISU President Gregory Geoffroy in October. The focus is on securing gifts to endow student scholarships and fellowships, plus faculty professorships and chairs.
2000
“Campaign Destiny” exceeds its original $300 million goal by more than 150 percent, reaching an unprecedented $458.6 million by its end on June 30. Donors contribute nearly $104 million to create 614 new undergraduate and graduate scholarship programs. Buildings and equipment are other significant areas for donors’ gifts. More than 50 building projects have been earmarked for improvements in Iowa State’s
The ISU Foundation moves to a new location south of Highway 30 to provide greater access to donors and the Ames community.
The Alumni Center, currently under construction, is scheduled to be dedicated during Homecoming 2008.
2005
Ground is broken on the Iowa State University Alumni Center in October following a fundraising effort that includes a lead gift from Bobbi and Roy Reiman. The building is scheduled to be completed in April 2008, and a dedication will be held during Homecoming 2008. 2007
Iowa State surpasses 100 endowed faculty positions. Morrill Hall opens to the public in March and is rededicated in April. The historic renovation project totals $10.28 million, $7.4 million of which is secured from private gifts. More than 3,600 individual donors contribute to the building campaign, including Nancy and Lyle (’66 ag business) Campbell. The Campbells, along with President Gregory and Kathy Geoffroy, chaired the campaign.
Morrill Hall re-opened in April 2007 following a $10.28 million renovation.
Iowa State University launches the public phase of its $800 million Campaign Iowa State: With Pride and Purpose fundraising initiative on Oct. 19 in Hilton Coliseum. This largest-ever fundraising campaign, chaired by Roger Underwood (’80 agricultural business) of Ames, is scheduled to conclude in 2010. As of Dec. 1, 2007, Iowa State has raised more than $528 million in gifts and commitments from more than 100,000 donors.
2002
A campaign to raise $9 million to renovate historic Morrill Hall is announced. Campaign Iowa State: With Pride and Purpose 2007 kickoff.
2003
“Investing in People” ends in November, with $51.5 million in commitments ($39.7 million for student support and $11.8 million for faculty support).
All photos by Jim Heemstra unless otherwise noted.
www.isualum.org visions
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