UNCOVERING A LEGACY
The story behind former Iowa State All-American, Tom Smith
FOUNDATION FOR THE FUTURE
CELEBRATING LASTING CONNECTIONS
Readers share their lifelong Iowa State friendships
Patience Pays Off
Iowa State has many loyal employees; faculty and staff who have dedicated 20-, 30-, 40-plus years to educate, support, and uplift the university’s innovative students and research. When you work alongside these individuals, the topic of retirement can come up and there always seem to be two camps: those who haven’t given retirement a thought, and those who know exactly what they’ll do with the free time. (Though decades away, I fall in the latter category.)
Enter Tom Kroeschell, who worked at ISU for 36 years. As a director of communications in the athletics department, Kroeschell says he always lived in the present (there’s always another game in another sport to pay attention to). So years ago, when Kroeschell saw a photo of President Wendy Wintersteen (’88) with ISU alumnus and philanthropist Tom Smith (’68, ’71) holding a 1941 student-athlete letter blanket, he filed it away as a potential story for another day.
That nugget of an idea stayed with Kroeschell, and when he retired in 2021, he soon began diving into the history of that photo. Who was the athlete
behind the blanket?
Kroeschell has spent several years digging through newspaper and university archives learning the story of Tom Smith’s life and legacy. An avid archive reader (each day, he wakes up and reads the Des Moines Register and Ames Tribune daily paper from 100 years ago), Kroeschell was pleasantly surprised to find enough information to begin to really understand the character behind the man.
“Tom Smith had a really surprising number of quotes and documentation,” Kroeschell says. “It’s very rare to find so many quotes about someone at that time. And part of it was that he was kind of a character; he was funny and he attracted attention.”
This issue’s feature tells the story of Tom Smith, but also of what can come from patience and dedication to an idea. I hope you enjoy it, as well as the rest of the fall magazine.
Iowa Stater
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Iowa State University President Wendy Wintersteen, left, and Tom Smith hold Smith’s uncle’s 1941 letter blanket.
Christian Petersen Art Museum
1017 and 0003 Morrill Hall
603 Morrill Road, Ames, Iowa 50011
Monday – Friday, 10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Closed weekends and University holidays & breaks.
Farm House Museum
National Historic Landmark
601 Farm House Lane, Ames, Iowa 50011
Monday - Friday, noon – 4:00 p.m.
Closed weekends and University holidays & breaks.
Art on Campus Collection
The Art on Campus Collection is located on the exterior and in the interior of buildings across the Iowa State University campus. Open 24 hours a day, year-round (some restrictions apply to art located inside buildings).
University Museums is a distinctive accredited organization that encompasses two art museums, a National Historic Landmark historic home museum, a sculpture garden, and one of the largest campus public art collections in the nation.
Free admission and events.
515.294.3342
CYTINGS
Left: Iowa natives Donna and Donald (’67) Smith, and Catherine (’71) and Dean (’71) Twedt showed off their Cyclone pride as they toured Norway, Denmark, Finland, Poland, Germany, and Sweden. Center: Five Cyclone fans –– Carly Utesch Quam (’08), Shaun Quam, Mike Petersen (’87), Katie Petersen (current doctoral
ENDURING ENCOURAGEMENT
In 1983, the chair of the ISU Department of Animal Ecology, Bob Summerfelt, invited me to join the Fish Health Section of the American Fisheries Society. In 1984, while I was in veterinary school, Dr. Summerfelt recruited me to work with him on a fascinating thesis project and a master’s degree in fisheries biology. Fast forward to 2021, when I served as president of the Fish Health Section: I learned that Dr. Summerfelt was a charter member of the section, and I featured a profile of his career to our ~300 members as part of the section’s 50-year anniversary celebration. Dr. Summerfelt turns 90 this year. Over the past 40+ years, he has regularly emailed me words of encouragement
student), and Seth Quam –– embarked on the Triple Bypass bicycle ride in Colorado over the summer, a one-day, 118-mile ride that traverses three mountain passes with a total elevation climb of 10,800 feet. Right: Sam Strotman (’86) brought his Cyclone spirit to the Olympics this summer.
through my moves to California (in 1987) and then British Columbia, Canada (in 2004). We continue to meet for lunch when I return to ISU nearly every year for a visit.
Best regards,
GARY MARTY (’83, ’86, ’87)
ABBOTSFORD, BC, CANADA
EDITOR’S NOTE: Thank you to all who shared stories of your lifelong friendships from Iowa State. Read more stories like Gary’s starting on pg. 36.
FOLLOW AND CONNECT WITH US: @ISUALUM
Email iowastater@iastate.edu. Your submission may be shared in print or online.
The Hub
MOMENT
Maiden Homecoming
The limestone maidens in Christian Petersen’s Fountain of the Four Seasons returned to their posts in August following a 21-month absence. Decades of rain, ice, and wind eroded the surfaces of the maidens; University Museums opted to have replicas carved while it was still possible to recreate details from the 1940 originals. University Museums Director Lynette Pohlman (’72, ’76) says staff considered other mediums before choosing limestone for the replicas. “In the end, we came back to the idea of a faithful replication,” she says.
Image by Christopher Gannon
Wintersteen Recognized for Innovation
Iowa State University President Wendy Wintersteen was honored this summer as the innovationENTREPRENEUR of the Year by the Des Moines Business Record. The award recognizes a leader who is known for innovative accomplishments and fostering a culture of innovation. As president, Wintersteen has made innovation and entrepreneurship a priority by encouraging a community of collaboration on campus and beyond.
“Innovation, creativity, and entrepreneurship are at the heart of what we do at Iowa State University,” Wintersteen says. “As part of our land-grant mission, we serve the
people of Iowa with cutting-edge research and groundbreaking innovations, and by preparing graduates who are innovative thinkers.”
During Wintersteen’s seven years as president, Iowa State has ranked consistently in the Top 100 Worldwide Universities Granted U.S. Utility Patents, dedicated the $84 million Student Innovation Center in 2021, was named one of TIME Magazine’s Best Colleges for Future Leaders, and was awarded the Entrepreneurial University of the Year for the Americas in 2023. Iowa State’s research park also has seen considerable expansion during this time, growing to more than 130 high-tech companies and 2,500 employees.
$346.2 MILLION
The record number that Iowa State researchers attracted in external funding for the fiscal year that ended June 30, to support their experiments and projects.
HEARD ...
“It ended up being a crazy week. People from other schools are reaching out to ask how we managed to get such a perfectly crazy weather week for our field trip.”
—
BILL GALLUS, PROFESSOR OF GEOLOGICAL AND ATMOSPHERIC SCIENCES
In previous years, Gallus has had students simulate storm chases online. But this spring, 13 students and their instructors chased real storms, witnessing incredible sights, including twin tornadoes, and an EF4 tornado. They collected data and shared information with national forecasters. The future forecast? Gallus hopes to offer cross-country storm-chasing adventures, making the university a magnet for aspiring meteorologists nationwide.
Welcome,
Jason Keith
JASON KEITH JOINED IOWA STATE in August as the university’s senior vice president and provost.
He comes to ISU from another land grant university, Mississippi State University, where he was a faculty member and administrator for 13 years. He served as dean of its College of Engineering (2014-24), director of the School of Chemical Engineering (2011-14), and director of its Energy Institute (2013-14).
As Iowa State’s chief academic officer, Keith oversees: seven academic colleges, Graduate College, University Library, enrollment management, office of the vice president for research, and office of the vice president for extension and outreach.
Winning Wines
LA CRESCENT, ROSÉ, AND MARQUETTE WINES bottled at Iowa State’s winery, located in the Food Sciences Building, received prestigious awards at the 2024 Iowa State Fair Wine Competition. The La Crescent and Rosé wines were awarded Best in Show in the Dry White and Rosé categories; Rosé received a double gold, La Crescent a gold, and Marquette a silver.
The wines embody the resilient spirit of the Midwest, crafted from two acres of cold-hardy grapes grown at Iowa State’s Horticulture Research Station and various off-campus locations across the state. The vines’ unique ability to endure Iowa’s harsh winters reflects the strength and character of the region.
Drew Tuttle, senior in horticulture, and Emma Frederick, junior in horticulture, were among the student workers who helped produce the 2023 wines.
COLLABORATION
Cyclones Take New York
BY SARAH IGRAM
CYCLONE FANDOM has always been a family tradition for Elli Allen; some of her fondest childhood memories are attending games at Hilton Coliseum.
“I would barely get inside Hilton and sit down before getting right back up to stand in line for a Clone Cone,” says Allen, an Iowa State senior studying apparel, merchandising, and design.
It’s the memory of that iconic Cyclone treat that inspired Allen’s winning design in Iowa State’s inaugural Cyclones Take New York contest.
Open to any Iowa State student,
the contest challenged participants to create an officially licensed Iowa State apparel product that would resonate with fans looking for a fashionable way to show their Cyclone pride.
Iowa State’s Trademark Licensing team taught students how to work with licensed marks while experts in the fashion program helped students understand how to leverage market research and seek out fashion trends to create a sellable garment.
“There’s been a resurgence in traditional techniques that make things feel
handcrafted and homey like embroidery, crochet, knitting, and puff embroidery,” Allen says. “The data I collected found that people like the feeling of embroidered applique.”
Allen took what she learned through research and combined it with her favorite Cyclone tradition to create an embroidered Clone Cone design. She then chose a garment from industry partner, Blue84’s, line of apparel for her design. She submitted her case study and was chosen as one of 10 finalists.
The finalists pitched their research, market study, design, and final product to a panel of judges.
“I was honored to place first because I know just how amazing the others’ designs are and how much work everyone put into their designs,” Allen says.
Second-place winner and senior in apparel, merchandising and design, Kai Huntoon, was inspired by turnof-the-century Iowa State marks and photography. His hoodie brings vintage Cyclone pride to life and capitalizes on the popularity of neutral colors and unisex sizing.
Junior in apparel, merchandising and design, Piper Michalski, placed third with an on-trend sweat set that can take Cyclones from morning to night in comfort and style.
Not only did all three products hit the retail market, the top two winners –– Allen and Huntoon –– received a trip to New York Fashion Week that Allen calls, “a once-in-a-lifetime experience.”
The full line of Cyclones Take New York products is available at Innovate 1858, the Iowa State University Book Store, and other Cyclone retailers. This annual contest is a collaboration among Trademark Licensing, Athletics, and the College of Health and Human Sciences.
Elli Allen, pictured wearing her winning design, was inspired by her childhood memories of enjoying Clone Cones at Hilton Coliseum.
Celebrating Cy
purchased by
for
The first costume ––
the university
$200 –– was 8 feet, 6 inches tall, and mainly made from chicken wire and aluminum.
The original 1954 costume can be viewed in Cy’s Lounge at the ISU Alumni Center.
Virgil Petty (’57, ’64) was the inaugural Cy mascot, chosen by the athletic club to don the cardinal and gold costume after being cut from the varsity basketball team.
Iowa State’s beloved mascot, Cy, turned 70 in 2024.
In 1954, Mrs. Ed Ohlsen was the first of 17 people to submit the name, Cy, in a nationwide naming contest.
EXPERIENCE
Storytelling, Singing, and Science
BY STACEY MAIFELD AND PAULA VAN BROCKLIN
WHAT’S THE BEST WAY TO TELL a World War I veteran’s life story? How can we better fight bacterial infections? Eleven College of Liberal Arts and Sciences’ students explored these questions and more recently as recipients of the Dean’s High Impact Award for Undergraduate Research.
Through the award, students received funding and the opportunity to conduct research alongside faculty mentors; here’s a sample of their projects.
Arranging a Life’s Story
This summer, Layk Nollen was tasked with reorganizing the Charles P. Howard Collection at the University Archives and Special Collections Department at Drake University.
A World War I veteran, Howard graduated from Drake Law School and became one of Iowa’s most successful attorneys. He also owned several newspapers and became a correspondent for the United Nations. Howard’s collection
comprises items from all aspects of his life, making Nollen’s work challenging.
“My job was to arrange the materials in a way that would make sense to a person viewing the collection,” says Nollen, a senior studying history. “In reprocessing the collection, I had to make it tell a story –– Howard’s story.”
Investigating Vocals
Since childhood, Carlee Carpenter has been interested in how singing voices change over time.
Now a junior studying voice performance, Carpenter spent the summer visiting music theater camps and a music studio to collect data from singers ages 5 to 12. Children generally sing in three vocal registers, explains Carpenter –– the head voice, chest voice, and a voice that blends the two. Shifts happen naturally during a song, often when a melody ascends and descends.
“It’s been fascinating and fulfilling to work through our data collection, meet
young singers, and learn more about their voices,” Carpenter says.
Researching Resistance
As a member of the Sashital Lab in the Roy J. Carver Department of Biochemistry, Biophysics, and Molecular Biology, sophomore Sharon Tsimese’s research project focused on bacterial resistance.
Bacteria have evolved to develop many defense systems that protect them against viruses, Tsimese explains, and she examined a new system named Septu, discovered in 2018.
“This summer, my successes included producing an accurate and reproducible Michaelis-Menten Curve for the protein complex that constitutes the Septu anti-phage defense system, and elucidating the activity of these various proteins through different activity assays and extensive testing, ultimately helping us narrow down our focus to the key areas to explore in this defense system,” Tsimese says.
History student Layk Nollen organizes medals from the Charles P. Howard Collection at Drake University as part of his summer research project.
Assistant Professor Lu Liu is working to make decentralized water systems a reality for cities nationwide through innovative modeling that informs decisions.
PERSPECTIVE
Reliable Water in a Warming World
ISU RESEARCHERS WORK TO COMBAT ISSUES FACING THE COUNTRY’S WATER SYSTEM
BY KIRSTEN KRAKLIO
Pumps malfunction. Valves break. Pipes leak. Infrastructure ages. By-products and contaminates like PFAS enter the freshwater sources.
Traditionally, cities have relied on centralized water systems that treat freshwater from a river or aquifer at a central facility, then distribute it through a large network of pipes. But that infrastructure becomes increasingly vulnerable to disruptions as it ages. And climate change, water scarcity, and population growth increase stress on the systems.
These issues are just some of the reasons why cities are beginning to experiment with distributed systems –– small-scale water treatment, reclamation, and recycling plants that are designed to collect, treat, and reuse water near both the source and user.
“Access to clean, safe, and affordable water is a fundamental human right,” says Lu Liu, an assistant professor in the Department of Civil, Construction and Environmental Engineering who is working to make decentralized water systems a reality for cities nationwide through innovative modeling. “People often don’t consider the reliability and resilience of urban water systems until faced with insufficient or poor-quality water.”
Liu answers a few questions on what could be the future of America’s water systems.
What are some examples of small-scale treatment?
Small-scale treatment can range from advanced filters inside individual homes to treatment at tanks serving clusters of homes or commercial, industrial, and agricultural facilities. A good example is the decentralized water system in San Francisco, where on-site water recycling systems in new buildings supplement the buildings’ water needs. In a few years, these buildings could become completely self-sufficient or water-neutral with on-site distributed water systems.
What are the benefits of cities investing in decentralized water systems?
It can be cost-effective: Reusing water can be more cost-effective than developing other alternative supplies, provided there is a robust business model and supportive governance. It’s environmentally sound: Reusing water reduces pressure on freshwater sources. It’s safe: Properly treated reclaimed water can be safe to drink and may even contain fewer toxins than current water sources. And it can be locally controlled: Communities gain more autonomy in meeting their water demands without relying on external sources.
How are citizens reacting to wastewater recycling?
Wastewater recycling for non-potable uses has been implemented to supplement local water supply in many U.S. cities. However, potable reuse often faces challenges due to public skepticism about its safety, reliability, and appropriateness. Direct potable reuse (DPR) remains a highly controversial water reuse system with low public acceptance, primarily due to the explicit connection between wastewater and drinking water.
What role does tech play in the future of reusable water?
Technology is crucial in ensuring that water meets safety standards and complies with environmental regulations. Developers need to focus on creating low-cost water treatment technologies that are affordable for underserved communities with limited resources.
What can people do at home to support our water systems?
Save and reuse water within your capacity. For example, use a rain barrel to collect rainwater for irrigation instead of using tap water. This reduces the burden on the city’s stormwater drainage system during storms and conserves water for daily activities.
COMPETITOR
Gone Global
FORMER IOWA STATE BASKETBALL STAR BRIDGET CARLETON REFLECTS ON HER BASKETBALL JOURNEY BY CALEB GRIZZLE
FOUR YEARS AGO, former Cyclone basketball player Bridget Carleton (’19) achieved her Olympic dream — representing team Canada — during the eerily quiet, COVID-19 affected Olympics in Tokyo. This year, Carleton returned to the Olympic stage, this time in Paris surrounded by roaring crowds and her family.
“My parents are just as passionate about watching me play as I am about playing, so having them there with me was the best part of it all,” Carleton says. “The Olympic games are the epitome of sport, representing your country amongst the best of the best; it’s always surreal and a dream come true.”
From the beginning of her time at Iowa State, it was well known that Carleton wanted to compete at the Olympic level; head coach Bill Fennelly and associate head coach Jodi Steyer were vital in making that dream a reality.
Along with her coaches, Carleton credits her teammates and the culture at Iowa State as the impetus for her consistent growth and improvement as a player.
“Coach Fenn, from day one of my recruitment, I know he believed in me; he could see my potential, even when I couldn’t see it for myself,” Carleton says. “Coach Steyer was huge in my recruitment to Iowa State. She was like my second mom, and she really helped develop me into the player I am today.”
Now, Carleton plays basketball nearly year-round, balancing her time with the Canadian national team, as a staple in the starting five for the Minnesota Lynx, and as an elite scorer in the EuroLeague. How does she stay grounded through the whirlwind of it all?
“Spending time with family and friends, reading a good book, and drinking coffee,” she says.
No matter where in the world Carleton is playing the game she loves, she always does her best to share a meal with family, even if virtually.
“It’s a grind, but it’s what I love to do, and it’s my job,” she says. “So, I’m not going to complain too much about getting to play basketball for a living.”
CYCLONES SHOW SUPPORT
IOWA STATE IS ONE OF TWO SCHOOLS in the nation with top 30 attendance in wrestling (No. 3), women’s basketball (No. 6), men’s basketball (No. 18), football (No. 28), and volleyball (No. 28) for the 2023-24 seasons.
BACK-TO-BACK BOWLSBY AWARDS
DAVID CARR (’22, ’24) WAS THE MALE RECIPIENT of the Big 12’s 2024 Bob Bowlsby Award. The award is the conference’s highest honor, presented to the male and female student-athlete who best represents the characteristics of leadership and excellence on and off the field. Carr is the second ISU student-athlete to receive the honor in the Bob Bowlsby Award’s two-year history, joining Ashley Joens (’22), who was the first female recipient in 2023.
Celebrating 50 Seasons
IOWA STATE FOOTBALL IS CELEBRATING 50 seasons at Jack Trice Stadium during the 2024 football season. Hundreds of photos of the stadium, game programs, players, and coaches are available for Cyclone fans to view on a special website commemorating the stadium’s history. Learn more about the naming of the stadium, relive the 50 most memorable victories, and find out what the largest Iowa State comeback at the stadium was by visiting cyclones.com/ feature/50-seasons-of-jts.
Iowa State Legends Join Big 12 Alumni Council
FORMER IOWA STATE BASKETBALL LEGENDS Georges Niang (’16) and Ashley Joens (’22) have been named to the inaugural Big 12 Alumni Council. The council, which comprises 32 former student-athletes from across each Big 12 institution, will leverage the guidance and insights of the alumni on a variety of topics, including brand building, athlete relations, storytelling, digital content, and more, as the Big 12 Conference enters a new era.
Georges Niang
Cyclone Alley students cheer on Iowa State at Hilton Coliseum.
POSTCARD FROM CAMPUS
Cy Walk
Iowa State University’s pedestrian bridge connects Jack Trice Stadium to faithful fans on game days, providing access to parking areas east of the stadium via the quarter-mile-long elevated walkway. The bridge welcomes students, fans, and alumni returning to Ames with its Iowa State cardinal and gold lighting.
Image by Christopher Gannon
UNCOVERING A LEGACY
STORY BY TOM KROESCHELL ILLUSTRATION BY JENNY WITTE
Thomas Smith (’68, ’71) never knew his namesake, Tom Russel Smith (’42).
While stories of his uncle were scarce, Thomas Smith had a link to his family’s and alma mater’s past. For years, in Thomas and his wife Evonne’s (’68) Texas home, there was a trunk containing a large wool cardinal blanket with gold etching containing the year 1941; his uncle’s fraternity, Kappa Sigma; and his uncle’s name.
The blanket, presented as recognition for Smith’s selection as Iowa State’s Athlete of the Year for the 1940-41 school year, included three letter stripes and a star, signifying his status as captain of the 1940 Cyclone football team.
“When President Wendy Wintersteen came to visit us, I took the blanket out of the trunk and we took a picture,” Thomas Smith says. That image opened the door to a reexamination of his uncle’s life.
Tom Smith had an ordinary name. He lived a short but extraordinary life.
Smith was raised in Boone, Iowa, 17 miles west of the Iowa State campus where he would make his name. His father, Arthur Smith, ran a florist business in town.
Smith demonstrated his prep football toughness using spare telephone poles purchased by the Boone school board as tackling dummies.
Smith chose to attend Iowa State, where he was admitted to study horticulture. Smith eyed a roster spot on the Cyclone football team, but a place on it was anything but certain. Iowa State head coach “Smilin” Jim Yeager was skeptical that Smith would be able to withstand the demands of guard play in the trenches of the Big Six Conference. Players competed on both offense and defense and rarely came out of the game.
“When I first saw Tom, he was wearing an oversized pair of pants and a torn green sweater,” Yeager later said. “He was the most gosh awful looking freshman I’ve ever seen.”
Yeager gave Smith the toughest test he could imagine, pitting him in practice against the heart of the Iowa State line: All-American and College Football Hall of Fame guard Ed Bock and future NFL regular Clyde Shugart. They pushed Smith up and down the field. After several series, Smith, with a serious face chimed “any time you guys have had enough, just tell me and I’ll ease up on you.”
Smith passed the test. He was one of only 16 sophomores to earn a 1938 varsity roster spot.
With Bock and Shugart in the line, and ably led by nifty All-American halfback Everett “Rabbit” Kischer, the 1938 Cyclones far exceeded the expectations of nearly everyone.
For the next two years, Smith was at the core of Iowa State teams that went 2-7 in 1939 and 4-5 in 1940. During his senior season, Smith had called signals for the team, a rarity for an offensive lineman. Limited substitution rules meant Smith was often choosing what play would be run by the Cyclone offense.
Left: Jim Yeager, Tom Smith, John (Bud) Fisher, Mike Enich, and Jim Harris celebrate at a banquet in December 1940. Middle: Smith, front far right, poses with Iowa State’s 1940 starting lineup. Right: Smith was named an All-American in 1943.
Media stories about Smith abounded.
Early in the 1939 season, Yeager was preaching the importance of speed to his team. The following day Smith showed up at practice with a shaved head.
“Coach, I want you to know I’m sacrificing everything for speed,” Smith said.
Smith’s outgoing, upbeat personality made him popular with his teammates and fellow students. He lived at his parents’ home in Boone to save money and would invite Cyclones over to enjoy a home-cooked meal and host teammates for weekends at the Smith cottage in Okoboji.
On the way back from a 1939 game at Marquette, the Cyclones stopped in Chicago to see the Bears play the Detroit Lions. The Bears took a timeout on 4th-and-2. The Cyclones were discussing strategy amid a fog of smoke from the pipe of Iowa State team physician Dr. J.F. Edwards. The doctor turned to Smith and asked what he would do in this situation.
“I’d throw away that pipe,” Smith said.
Smith was a renowned storyteller who liked to have fun,
but he also had a serious side; duty was important. In 1940, he was helping his injured father run the family business, including selling corsages on campus, while handling his academic and athletic obligations.
“A good day’s work never hurts anyone,” Smith said. “The trouble with so many fellows is that they ride the gravy-train through college and then aren’t ready to take the knocks after they get out.”
As a senior, Smith had bulked up to 190 pounds. He made up for his still small stature with the telephone pole toughness of his high school days. In one game, a 260-pound Oklahoma lineman complained to the referee that Smith was playing with unnecessary roughness.
The complaint disgusted Smith, who weighed 70 pounds less than his protesting foe.
“If I were your size,” Smith grumbled to his opponent. “I’d do something about it without going to the referee.”
George Veenker, Iowa State’s athletics director from 1933 to 1945, summed up Smith’s personal brand: “Tom was a manly
Smith, back row and center, is pictured with crew of the K-111 two days before his death.
“You could almost write a book about Tom (Smith). He’s a great boy and was an outstanding player.”
— Iowa State head coach Jim Yeager
sort of fellow, with a lot of personality, very level headed but always enjoying a joke.”
No doubt, Smith was ready for anything.
On March 31, 1941, Iowa State’s Agriculture Engineering Building caught fire. Smith chose not to be just a spectator. He got to the top of the building, grabbed an ax and started chopping holes in the roof to aid the firemen. In the process, he injured his foot by stepping on a nail that pierced his shoe sole.
Like many students, Smith’s priorities pivoted after the 1941 attack on Pearl Harbor brought the United States into World War II. He graduated in 1942 with his degree in horticulture, and soon after, joined the Navy.
Smith was quickly acclimated to the service as an ensign in the Naval Reserve. He entered flight training in lighter-than-air vehicles. The U.S. war effort did not produce enough planes to patrol the entire U.S. Pacific shoreline, so airships were used to meet the need.
In the fall of 1944, Lt. j.g. Smith was on temporary duty in Delmar, California. After nightfall on Oct. 17, Smith was part of a seven-man crew of the King-111 airship. According to the official Navy report, because of a navigation problem aggravated by foggy conditions, the ship flew over blacked-out Catalina Island, 22 miles south-southwest of Los Angeles. The crew thought they were still over open water; they weren’t and they flew into tree tops and crashed.
In the early 1990s, then-Catalina Island Museum
Director Patricia Moore interviewed the accident’s lone survivor, machinist’s mate Ernst Jarke. Jarke’s taped interview was detailed by reporter Jim Watson in the Catalina Islander.
The K-111 came down, brushing through some trees, which tore off the airship’s left engine. Jarke said the entire crew was able to jump safely from the ship’s gondola after the crash and they gathered near the top of a hill around the wreckage. The men were milling around the wreck when the fuel tanks exploded.
The men tried to flee but were either killed outright or initially survived the inferno horribly burned. Of those who lived long enough to be taken to an infirmary on the island, only Jarke survived. He spent eight months recovering from his burns.
Tom Smith, to whom duty was so important, was just 25 years old when he died for his country. Smith’s body was returned to Boone for funeral services. He was buried in his hometown’s Linwood Park Cemetery, where he lies today near his mother and father. His full name is engraved on a wall in the Memorial Union’s Gold Star Hall, honoring Iowa Staters who gave their lives in military conflicts since World War I.
The telling of Tom Smith’s story began with a blanket remembered and displayed by the nephew he never knew. When reexamined, it underscores a family’s shared devotion to Iowa State that has spanned generations.
FOUNDATION FOR THE FUTURE
STORY BY MIKE KRAPFL IMAGES BY M. JULIE PHOTO
100 YEARS ON,
IOWA STATE’S
CHILD DEVELOPMENT
LABORATORY
SCHOOL MAKES AN IMPACT ON BIG AND LITTLE STUDENTS ALIKE
“My dream is coming true!!!” wrote Caitlin Alesch (’24) on her LinkedIn page last year after she was offered an internship as a child life specialist for Children’s Nebraska, an Omaha hospital.
“I have always been interested in working with children,” Alesch says.
That interest took off in eighth grade, when she missed 40-plus days of school in Lincoln, Nebraska, for hospital tests that eventually produced several diagnoses.
During one hospital trip to Omaha, she met with a child life specialist who used a teddy bear to demonstrate how an IV procedure would go. The specialist also helped to distract Alesch when she
faced an IV needle.
“It was a very big advantage to meet that child life specialist,” Alesch says.
When she came to Iowa State University to study human development and family studies, Alesch was set on becoming a child life specialist herself. One of the program’s requirements was to fulfill a number of hours working with children, which she achieved by completing her program’s practicum in Iowa State’s Child Development Laboratory School within the College of Health and Human Sciences, and by working two semesters in the lab school’s classrooms. She assisted teachers. She set up meals. She helped with restroom rou-
tines. She monitored and encouraged safe play.
All that experience helped her build a resume and land an internship at Children’s Nebraska, which then turned into a full-time job. Today, she helps children and families prepare for and cope with hospitalization. That can include offering a child a blanket or a stuffed animal, explaining medical terms in simple language, or providing distractions during procedures.
Working at the lab school “gave me a lot of practical experience and feedback,” Alesch says. “There were great mentors there and they helped me assess and work with kiddos.”
LEARNING THROUGH PLAY
Two preschoolers, their tiny table and chairs facing classroom windows looking out to a shady campus playground, picked up plastic insects just the right size for their hands.
In the middle of the classroom behind them, four of the class’s 4- and 5-year-olds surrounded teacher Katie Moore while she described an unsuccessful hunt for live caterpillars.
Next to them, two classmates played in the toy kitchen. Head teacher Tiffany Schieffer was at their side, demostrating how the school is a place where “we grow together.”
At the other end of the classroom, three students sat on a sofa with a few books from the corner library. They chatted more than they turned pages.
This is learning through play. During this unstructured, “center time” of their day at Iowa State’s lab school, the children picked a station and played and talked and moved, all the while exploring their carefully tended and curated classroom.
Young children have been learning
“Children need people who will stand up for them no matter what. But to stand up for children we have to understand their needs. And that understanding needs to be rooted in research.”
at the school –– and helping college students learn about working with children –– for 100 years this fall. Staffers believe it is the country’s oldest early childhood lab school still in operation.
FROM NURSERY SCHOOL TO LAB SCHOOL
“Be the person that helps all children reach their potential regardless of their abilities!” says the website recruiting students to Iowa State’s major in early childhood education. One of the selling points is the nationally accredited lab school, which has been educating young children and practicum students alike since 1924.
That’s when Iowa State’s new department of child development hired Lulu Lancaster to direct child care and training and to lead the department’s nursery school that served “the teaching and research needs of the department,” according to a historical note posted by the University Library.
The school helped establish emergency nursery schools in the ’30s to get families through the Depression.
–– KALA SULLIVAN
The school also offered an introductory child development course on television during the 1950s, trained Head Start staff during the 1960s, and worked with state leaders in the 1990s to offer licensure for early childhood education.
The lab school has changed over the years, growing and shrinking, serving different ages, at times offering before- or after-school sessions, and providing a laboratory for various research projects.
“One of the valuable takeaways for the lab school is its ability and willingness to understand the field and understand early childhood in the context of the state and world,” says Jennifer LaRosa (’99, ’09), who directed the school for more than 12 years until she left the role in July.
Brain research in the early 2000s, for example, showed the importance of educating infants and toddlers, says LaRosa. Because of those brain studies, the lab expanded enrollment to infants and toddlers, with eight of the lab school’s 56 students falling into that age group currently.
As a middle schooler facing health issues, Caitlin Alesch met with a child life specialist who used a teddy bear to demonstrate how an IV procedure would go. Alesch now works as a child life specialist herself, helping children and families prepare for and cope with hospitalization.
“The lab school has a dual mission,” says Kala Sullivan (’11), an assistant teaching professor in human development and family studies who served as the school’s interim director. “Obviously, we’re offering high-quality care for children and their families. We’re also providing high-quality education training for our college students.”
The school is also a research laboratory complete with built-in observation areas where faculty and students can research early childhood development and education.
“Children need people who will stand up for them no matter what,” Sullivan says. “But to stand up for children we have to understand their needs. And that understanding needs to be rooted in research.”
Beth Lantz, who moved from Omaha to become the school’s new director, says there was a lot to like when she considered the opportunity.
“I wanted something more than
child care, more than a day care,” she says. “I love how the lab school not only impacts children, but also future teachers. That’s huge.”
A LAB SCHOOL PROGRESSION
Erica Jaeschke (’20) spent her undergraduate years observing and learning her way through the lab school as a practicum student.
During her first year, Jaeschke took anecdotal observations about different stages of childhood development. Sophomore year, she learned how teachers develop strategies to meet various state standards for early childhood learning. Junior year, Jaeschke wrote lesson plans and then tried those plans under teacher supervision. She spent senior year student teaching in an Ames preschool center.
Post-graduation, Jaeschke has taught preschoolers and recently started a special education position in a Minneapolis elementary school.
“The lab school teachers taught us
how to meet a child’s strong emotion with empathy and understanding,” Jaeschke says. “That helps me remind myself not to take things so personally. It’s very easy to do that. But the lab school teachers were so calm.”
And, she said, they leaned on research to support their daily work.
“Teachers are doing everything, developmentally, that should be done, according to the research,” Jaeschke says. “It was the best modeling experience you could have.”
For 100 years now, the lab school has been modeling that kind of science with practice as it has trained students, served children, helped families, and made discoveries in early childhood education.
As Lancaster, the lab school’s founding director wrote in 1925: “Long ago home economics people learned that theory without practice was only half education, likewise it seems sure that the child to be known must be studied first hand.”
Young students play in a sandbox with teacher Katie Moore. Students at ISU’s Child Development Laboratory School are encouraged to learn through play.
Teacher Peggy Ward reads to her class.
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Balance Transfers are not considered purchases and do not apply for purposes of this offer. Limit 1 bonus cash rewards offer per new account. This one-time promotion is limited to customers opening a new account in response to this offer and will not apply to requests to convert existing accounts. Your account must be open with active charging privileges in order to receive this offer. Other advertised promotional bonus cash rewards offers can vary from this promotion and may not be substituted. Once you qualify, you will receive your cash rewards within your next 1-2 billing cycles. The value of this reward may constitute taxable income to you. You may be issued an Internal Revenue Service Form 1099 (or other appropriate form) that reflects the value of such reward. Please consult your tax advisor, as neither we nor our affiliates, provide tax advice.
PALS IN PERU
Paula Oviedo, Marcelo Oviedo, Ann Espeset (’89), and Mike Espeset (’91) enjoy showing off their alma mater flag on a trip to Peru.
Image contributed
The Power of Friendship
DEAR MEMBERS:
What a university experience can offer students can’t be understated: an education, a career path, industry connections, maybe a significant other or spouse, but possibly most importantly, friendship.
“Time doesn’t take away from friendship, nor does separation,” Tennessee Williams once wrote. On pg. 36, you can read a feature on three groups who recently celebrated 50 years of friendship. Many in the groups are alumni. Now spread across the country, all remain friends and supporters of each other and our beloved university.
As this is the official alumni magazine, our content often focuses on our outstanding alumni, students, faculty, and staff. I want to take a moment to recognize another group that’s near and dear to us: the non-graduate friends, families, and fans who have self-selected Iowa State as their institution of choice. Here at the association, we’ve had a long history of valuing, honoring, counting, and celebrating these important adopted Cyclones. Approximately 16% of our current Iowa State Alumni Association members are non-graduates of Iowa State –– including my wife, Peggy!
Since 1968, 56 such individuals have been recipients of the university’s highest recognition award given to non-ISU alumni, the Honorary Alumni Award. Dean Hunziker and Max F. Rothschild were this year’s recipients. To read more about these awardees, or to nominate someone you know for a future award, visit www.isualum.org/distinguishedalumni.
Non-alumni friends of Iowa State are vital to our community: they’re members and donors; season ticket holders; student recruiters; employers; board, advisory council, and committee members; garden and museum docents; OLLI participants and faculty; ISU Foundation governors; Cyclone Club members; and so on. These individuals are advocates
who stand up and stand out for Iowa State.
One such non-alumni couple is Lora and Russ Talbot. This 2017 Honorary Alumni couple continues to make Iowa State a priority in their lives in so many incredible ways, including funding first-generation scholarships, professorships, graduate fellowships, completion grants, and supporting university initiatives like The Fashion Show, Athletics, and building remodels, just to name a few. They even stepped forward and endowed the chief alumni officer position here at the association. The Talbots are also volunteers giving of their time and talents. They served the association as honorary co-chairs for the Forever True, For Iowa State campaign and Cyclone Central volunteers as well as Lora served on the association’s board of directors and Russ served on the association’s Awards Review and Selection Committee. Their volunteer footprints are also all over the ISU Foundation and the College of Veterinary Medicine.
Thank you to all our friends and members, who like the Talbots, give your talents by engaging and encouraging Iowa State students, faculty, and staff. Your investment into the work, achievements, challenges, and opportunities of Iowa State and Iowa Staters, helps make our community a better one.
Thanks to all our friends of Iowa State University: you matter!
JEFF JOHNSON, PHD ‘14 HIGHER EDUCATION, LORA AND RUSS TALBOT ENDOWED PRESIDENT AND CEO
Daniel Bumblauskas
(’03, ’06, ’10); MEMBER OF THE ISU ALUMNI ASSOCIATION’S BOARD OF DIRECTORS; DEAN AND PROFESSOR AT DRURY UNIVERSITY BREECH SCHOOL OF BUSINESS
Why is education important to you?
Part of the reason I became a professor was to have an impact on students; watching my students grow both personally and professionally and have success in their careers and personal lives is extremely rewarding.
What is on your must-read list?
One of my favorite books is “A Beautiful Mind,” but what I’m mostly reading right now are books on artificial intelligence. At the top of my list is “Co-Intelligence: Living and Working with AI” by Ethan Mollick, which we’re reading together as a group at Drury.
What are the most beloved and oddest objects in your office?
I always had a bunch of sports artifacts from when I was in high school and college: hockey pucks, golf balls, stuff like that. Now I have a couple of tournament champion, runner up banners, medals, and hats from coaching my boys at hockey; items like these are my most cherished.
The most peculiar thing in my office: I have been to like a million conferences over the years, both for industry and academia. So, I have one drawer that is filled with name badges. It’s kind of neat and amazing and also ridiculous that I kept them all.
Bygone Buttons
BY TARA IVERSON
JUNIOR STUDYING ANIMAL SCIENCE; HOMECOMING CENTRAL KICKOFF CHAIR; CYCLONE ALLEY COMMITTEE MEMBER
Homecoming buttons are a beloved tradition that allows Iowa Staters to wear their Cyclone pride on their sleeves –– literally. Over the decades, the buttons’ designs and purpose have changed considerably. Buttons have come in all shapes and sizes and have featured a wide range of Iowa State traditions and ‘Cy’lebrities. Designs have been born out of student contests and now centralize around the homecoming theme, guided by direction from the Homecoming Committee.
Starting in the late ’80s, a homecoming button offered students deals at local Campustown businesses. Today, a homecoming button’s biggest draw (besides the flair) is Food on Campus. Samantha Shepard, a 2024 Food on Campus chair, says the buttons serve an important role in helping to promote Food on Campus.
“Buttons must be displayed when hungry cyclones come through, so it’s guaranteed to be on display for all to see during homecoming week,” Shepard says.
Creatively designed buttons have served a great purpose over the years and are one of Iowa State’s many great traditions!
MEMBER MEMORABILIA
Thirst for Knowledge
Shelley Smith didn’t set out to become one of the world’s foremost beer experts. Up until the second semester of her senior year, Smith (’03) was an animal science major with ambitions to become a veterinarian. Guidance from department heads helped her pivot.
“I was about three months from
fun) first job: working on the AnheuserBusch quality assurance team.
“I was like, ‘Making beer? That sounds awesome. Yes, let’s do that,’” she says. “Honestly, that’s how I got started.”
Now a leader in brewing innovation and operations for The Boston Beer Company, Smith went on to earn her MBA from Washington University in St. Louis and holds an International Diploma in Brewing Technology from the World Brewing Academy. She is also among only five women to secure the
“I was like, ‘Making beer? That sounds awesome. Yes, let’s do that.’”
prestigious Master Cicerone® certification. The rigorous exam requires understanding of the entire brewing process at a scientific level and in-depth knowledge of 104 different beer styles.
“I love to learn and be challenged and expand my knowledge in all kinds of areas,” Smith says.
The same thirst for growth Smith exhibited at Iowa State now propels her career. An Alpha Gamma Delta, Smith was co-captain of Dance Marathon, a member of numerous honor societies, and played on the women’s hockey club, among other extracurricular activities.
graduating and decided that I needed to change my major,” she says. “I knew that chemical engineering would give me more opportunities.”
Smith’s path to the highest achievement for beer industry professionals stemmed from a serendipitous conversation at Iowa State’s engineering career fair. She put in an extra two years of studies before landing a fascinating (and
Employer-supported initiatives encourage Smith to give back and expand her skills. Through programs like “Brewing the American Dream,” Smith shares her expertise with emerging food and beverage entrepreneurs. She has also run in all six World Marathon Majors and is part of the team that developed Samuel Adams 26.2 Brew, a low-alcohol ale beloved by Boston Marathon runners and spectators.
“It’s a sessionable beer,” Smith says. “I’m obviously a little biased, but I do love it.”
— BRIANNE SANCHEZ
CYCLONE STORIES: SHELLEY SMITH (’03) / BOSTON
Future Cyclones
The ISU Alumni Association connects Cyclones Everywhere of all ages with age-appropriate programming, member benefits, and family-friendly events all year round! With the ISU Alumni Association, future cyclones can always be engaged with the magic of Iowa State. Visit isualum.org/Legacy to learn more.
IF YOU’RE HEADED TO ...
Salt Lake City
ISUAA SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH, LOCAL AMBASSADOR JED WYSE (’22) SHARES HIS FAVORITE PLACES TO EAT, EXPLORE, AND EXPERIENCE NEW ADVENTURES.
Experience the sights and sounds of Salt Lake City by checking out the Great Salt Lake for scenic views and wildlife encounters. When visiting in warm seasons, bike up Big Cottonwood Canyon or hike to Donut Falls for a taste of SLC culture. During ski season, visit the Wasatch and Uinta Mountain ranges for top-tier powder skiing conditions.
Refuel and refresh with stops at Ruth’s Diner, a historic restaurant located in a trolley car just minutes from downtown SLC, or one of Salt Lake Brewing Company’s locally owned breweries, restaurants, and brew pubs in the SLC and Park City, Utah, area.
Enjoy all things sports and live events at the Delta Center, home to the NBA’s Utah Jazz and great live concerts and shows.
To submit a photo of future Cyclones for Iowa Stater magazine visit www.ISUalum.org/ShareCycloneStories.
Cheer on the Cyclones from Bout Time Brew Pub & Grub and connect with fellow alumni during a game watch or ISUAA event. Make sure to join Cyclone fans for a pregame event on Nov. 22, the night before the ISU at Utah game. Visit isualum.org/Events for more information.
Forever True, Four Times Over
Ask Don Boyle for his resume, and you’ll see not just a long military and civilian career, but also rich educational experiences — not to mention a personal life that rivals any character you’ve met in novels. Where does this forever true Cyclone get his drive?
“It started early, with my mother,” he says. Raised in Decorah, Iowa, Boyle’s mother, Doris, drilled her children on the importance of education. When it came to Don, the lesson stuck. Boyle earned no fewer than four degrees, all from Iowa State: bachelor’s degrees in finance (’90), psychology (’91), and liberal studies/communications (’93), and a master’s degree in business administration (’10).
A traditional path, it was not. Boyle started out majoring in electrical engineering in 1969, but enlisted in the U.S. Navy in 1970. He served as a command master chief in the U.S. Navy and Navy Reserve, seeing action in Vietnam and Desert Storm. In 1978, he was hired by Iowa State Facilities Planning and Management.
From ’78 on, his ISU experience and service to his country
were intertwined. In the Navy, he used his psychology and communications degrees while leading teams – all the way up to his retirement from the Armed Services in 2001. His degrees informed his personal life, such as his work as a troop leader for Boy Scouts of America and coaching for high school soccer and wrestling. He has served as an ambassador dance host on international cruises. He’s been a top toastmaster. He’s especially proud of his volunteer work, including scholarships for international exchange students, and serving as a driving instructor for those new to Ames’ roads. In the 45-plus years he’s worked at the university, he’s beaten cancer not once, but twice. When asked what Iowa Staters share in common, Boyle comes back to campus.
“We have, by far, the most beautiful campus,” he says.
“I’ve been to many colleges, but Iowa State is different. We all know the Memorial Union, Lake LaVerne. Everyone knows the Campanile. Central Campus is just fantastic.”
CYCLONE STORIES: DON BOYLE (’90, ‘91, ‘93, ‘10) / DECORAH, IOWA
Celebrating Lasting Connections
STORY BY KIRSTEN KRAKLIO
Students come to Iowa State University for a variety of reasons: innovative majors, top-ranking faculty, a gorgeous campus. No matter the personal draw, one aspect alumni often credit their ISU journey with is lasting relationships. In 2024, a number of ISU groups celebrated 50 years of friendship; this is the story of three that reunited on campus recently to celebrate their Cyclone connections.
“It feels like we just left the dorm, like no time has elapsed.”
–– JOYCE BAHRENFUS
On a warm weekend in May, nine women returned to Iowa State, excited for the weekend ahead.
“It feels like we just left the dorm, like no time has elapsed,” says Joyce Bahrenfus (’74).
The group of women (plus two who joined the festivities virtually) have been friends ever since they met on the fifth floor of Maple Hall –– a floor dubbed the Knowles House –– in 1970, with the majority continuing to live together until graduation. Back then, free time was about having fun: roller-skating, going on picnics, hiking at Ledges, gathering in the communal room to watch TV or attend house meetings, visiting Boyd’s Dairy for an ice cream cone (even in the winter), and sitting in a circle for the candle-passing tradition to celebrate a new engagement.
“We did a lot of things together and that’s what carries us through for today,” says Killeen Jensen (’74).
Shared traditions, experiences, and life lessons built a foundation that lasts more than half a century later.
“Most of us were raised in small Iowa towns, and we were a bit naive. We grew together sharing our life experiences,” says Jan Webber (’73).
The group recalls their time in the Knowles House as filled with lots of joy. After graduation, the joy continued, as did the support, as the women progressed through single life, marriages, children, careers, divorces, health concerns, and losses.
Following their time at ISU, the women kept in touch with round-robin letters (which could sometimes take a whole year to get around). Then came email, and when the pandemic hit in 2020, the group turned to Zoom and now hosts virtual calls to keep up to date with one another.
No matter the medium, the women know they can turn to one another in times of need.
“We have a constant companion in one another,” Jensen says. “As we get older, our relationship only gets stronger. It’s a very special relationship; I don’t know if many people have that.”
Above: Women from the fifth floor of Maple Hall have continued their friendship for 50 years.
Top: Killeen Jensen, Judy Dye, Carol McDermott, Beverly Waddleton Johnson, Jan Young, Joyce Bahrenfus, Deedra Atkinson, Jan Webber, and Carol Sayler reunited at Reiman Gardens this summer. Marcia Detrick and Linda Batts attended the group’s reunion virtually.
“We’re so “lucky, “these are “some of “the closest “friends we have.”
–– PETER GERDOM
Committed Connections
In 1973, a group of students from across majors and grad years came together to plan and organize events for the following year’s VEISHEA, which was no small undertaking.
“It was a sobering thought when we realized we had to pull this off,” says Dee Reinhart Vandeventer (’75).
The VEISHEA Central Committee quickly realized they had good chemistry, and found themselves getting together quite often, though at the time they didn’t anticipate how impactful their friendships would be with one another.
“We didn’t know or think of that when we graduated,” says Becky Murphy Stadlman (’74). “We didn’t think that far ahead.”
Meaning, the group of students who joined a committee to gain work experience before graduation, didn’t know that 50 years later over a dozen of them would still be keeping in
touch and even returning to campus together to celebrate.
Two of the committee members, Peter (’75) and Janet Booth (’74) Gerdom, dated and then married after meeting through the committee.
“It got us together and we kept these friends for 50 years,” says Peter. “We’re so lucky, these are some of the closest friends we have.”
The group remembers their time on the committee fondly: members were required to wear business attire to meetings, they quickly learned how to lead and manage risk, and they bonded, in part, because of their united goal together.
“The more you’re involved, the more an organization means to you,” Vandeventer says. “What you put into it, you get out tenfold, and I think that’s how all of us felt; for at least a year, year and a half, we were inseparable.”
Above: Members of the 1973 VEISHEA Central Commitee were required to wear business attire to meetings.
Top: Jack Mueller, Dave Vandeventer, Peter Gerdom, Jon Banwart, Don Johnson, Steve Ferguson, Becky Murphy Stadlman, Dee Reinhart Vandeventer, and Jan Booth Gerdom returned to campus for a reunion this summer.
Foundational Friendships
On a Saturday afternoon this past summer, lyrics from “Cabaret,” “Man of LaMancha,” and more rang out from the Maintenance Shop. The singers? ISU alumni and performers who made the M-Shop their home 50 years ago as part of the Memorial Union Resident Summer Theatre (MURST).
“We were all in our 20s,” says Kathleen McKern Verigin (’74). “Full of drama and promises, on stage and off.”
Spouses John Lee (’76) and Susan Thomas Lee (’74), Paul Douroumis, and Verigin all worked together to launch MURST in the summer of 1974.
“The summers were really intense experiences,” John Lee says. “Everyone lived together in close quarters. We fought like brothers and sisters but we all supported one another.”
Part of the magic of MURST was that there were no stars because all were stars, a true ensemble, says John Lee. The goal was to provide a great participatory experience, entertaining the ISU and broader Ames community. MURST alumni ended up in a variety of careers, all across the country.
“One of my closest friends is Kathy [Taylor] (’80) who I met in a show my freshman year,” says Penny Wright Allen (’80). “We lived together for two summers of MURST, and even though we’ve never lived in the same city since, we have maintained a close friendship.”
John Lee says he spent some of the greatest hours of his life in the M-Shop; during his visit this past summer he was able to appreciate what it was that made the space so special.
“When my theater family isn’t there, it is just an empty facility,” he says. “Standing in the M-Shop this summer for the reunion, suddenly the room was alive again because of the people in it.”
For Susan Lee, MURST’s 50th reunion was about celebrating the legacy that started in the ’70s and has since touched the lives of many.
“Our friendships were/are forever,” she says. “Some have passed and we honor them annually. The disciplines and life teachings we learned then, we have now. Each and every one of us will tell you, we learned it growing up in the theater together doing what we loved most right there at ISU in Ames, Iowa.”
“Standing in the M-Shop this summer for the reunion, suddenly the room was alive again because of the people in it.”
–– JOHN LEE
Above: Members of MURST perform in “Applause,” the first show of the 1979 season. Top: Iowa State alumni and friends returned to the M-Shop this summer to reminisce about and sing songs of past MURST shows.
“I transferred to Iowa State at the beginning of my junior year in 1971 and soon met a group of six friends and that friendship has lasted more than 50 years. I love them like sisters, and when we’re together, it’s like no time has passed. I will always treasure my time at Iowa State, and these women are a big part of why.”
KATHY SIPERLY (’73)
“I was an ISU student-athlete from September 1970 to May 1974. In early winter 1970, I saw and met a beautiful young lady as I walked to class. After some convincing, Charlene went on a date with me and, as they say, the rest is history. We have been married 51 years! Charlene was the best ‘catch’ of my ISU career.”
IKE
HARRIS (’74)
Your stories of lifelong friendships
“Decades-long friendships that formed in the former Fisher-Nickell House have endured through time. Fisher-Nickell was a small house with residents who cared for and supported one another while students at Iowa State. The environment lent itself to lasting relationships and valued, treasured friendships.”
LINDA LEIER THOMASON (’82, ’84)
“In the fall of 1965, I started attending Iowa State University; a year later, Linda Pinneo (’69) came to ISU and we became classmates in pursuit of our degrees in physical education for women. A few years after graduation, I accepted a teaching and coaching position at Marshalltown High School, only to realize after a phone call, that my former classmate, Linda, was also teaching at MHS. We were reunited! We taught together for eight years, and have continued to keep in contact with one another through weddings, anniversaries, birthdays, Christmas cards, written letters, texts, emails, and visits. Our friendship has lasted from 1966 to present, 58 years. We have had so many memories.”
CAROLYN
PARRY WEIR (’69)
“My decades-long ISU relationship started on Nov. 5, 1954. It was Iowa State College then, but still the same beloved institution that it is today. This was my freshman year and my first quarter at Iowa State. I was eager to start my education process, but also anxious to check out the social life. I kept seeing this cute co-ed on campus and was trying to get up enough courage to make contact and learn her name, when I had the opportunity to meet her at a Theta Xi Fraternity mixer on Nov. 5. I asked if I might walk her back to the dorm after the mixer. She said yes. With a stop at the Union for a coke, we agreed on a real ‘date’ on the 7th.
Many dates later, we kissed at midnight under the campanile in order to seal the deal. Jane and I have been married now for ‘only 65 years.’ Hopefully, there will be a few more years added to this beautiful relationship.”
MIKE HEVERLY
(’58)
1981 Fischer-Nickell House members; Linda Leier Thomason is in the front row, far right.
Couple kissing under the campanile.
ISU Hall of Famer Ike Harris catching a football.
93rd Annual Honors & Awards
MEMORIAL UNION AWARD
Harold Pride Service Medallion
Steve E. Winfrey
Former director, Memorial Union Ames, IA
Awarded posthumously
COLLEGE AWARDS
AGRICULTURE & LIFE SCIENCES
Floyd Andre Award
Jim Knuth (’84 ENGLISH)
Senior vice president, Farm Credit Services of America Johnston, IA
George Washington Carver Distinguished Service Award
Robert Jester
(ATTENDED ISU ’58 -’63)
Owner, Jester Insurance Services
and Patricia Jester (’64 FOOD AND NUTRITION)
Retired president and owner, Creative Foods Ltd. West Des Moines & Ames, IA
Henry A. Wallace Award
Scott Hutchins
(PHD ’87 ENTOMOLOGY)
Secretary of Agriculture for Research, USDA Carmel, IN
Outstanding Young Professional Award
Brad Kinsinger
(’05 AGRICULTURAL AND LIFE SCIENCES EDUCATION)
Dean of agricultural sciences and hospitality arts, Kirkwood Community College West Branch, IA
IVY COLLEGE OF BUSINESS
Citation of Achievement
Larissa Holtmyer Jones
(’94 MARKETING, MBA ’03)
President and CEO, ISU Foundation Ames, IA
John D. DeVries Service Award
Kurt Tjaden (’85 ACCOUNTING)
Retired president – international, HNI Corporation Bettendorf, IA
Mark Walker (’79 INDUSTRIAL ADMINISTRATION ACCOUNTING)
Chief financial officer, Dart Transit Company Excelsior, MN
Ivy Award
Richard (Ric) Jurgens (’71 INDUSTRIAL ADMINISTRATION)
Retired chairman and CEO, Hy-Vee, Inc. West Des Moines, IA
Outstanding Young Alumni Award
Hillary Kletscher Myers (MBA ’16)
Low Carbon Intensity Feedstocks Trade, Cargill Inc. Victoria, MN
DESIGN
Christian Petersen Design Award
Theaster Gates ’96 COMMUNITY AND REGIONAL PLANNING, MA ‘05 INTERDISCIPLINARY GRADUATE STUDIES, HONORARY DOCTOR OF HUMANE LETTERS ‘18
Social proactive installation artist and professor, University of Chicago Chicago, IL
Design Achievement Award
John V. Carlson (’72 URBAN PLANNING)
Retired CEO/principal, Charles Perry Partners, Inc. Gainesville, FL
Becky Hansel (’00 ARCHITECTURE)
Partner, architect, and healthcare planner, INVISION Architecture Windsor Heights, IA
Michael Helgerson (’09 COMMUNITY AND REGIONAL PLANNING)
Executive director, Metropolitan Area Planning Agency Omaha, NE
Lindrea Reynolds (’07 GRAPHIC DESIGN)
Founder and CEO, LR Brand Consulting Chicago, IL
Outstanding Young Professional Award
Colin Behr
(’15 INDUSTRIAL DESIGN AND APPAREL, MERCHANDISING, AND DESIGN)
Senior product designer, Jordan brand special projects, Nike Des Moines, IA
ENGINEERING
Anson Marston Medal
Rudy Herrmann (’73 INDUSTRIAL ENGINEERING)
Retired president/CEO, Dover Resources, Inc. Kansas City, MO
Professional Achievement Citation in Engineering
Scott Carver
(PHD ’98 CHEMICAL ENGINEERING)
Senior vice president manufacturing and process sciences, Regeneron Pharmaceuticals Petersburg, NY
David Meline
(’80 MECHANICAL ENGINEERING)
Retired chief financial officer, Moderna Santa Barbara, CA
Alan Naumann (’82 COMPUTER ENGINEERING)
Chairman and CEO, Contrast Security Los Altos, CA
Young Alumni Award
Ann Gilman
(’11 CHEMICAL ENGINEERING)
Advanced research specialist, 3M Corporate Research Process Laboratory Bayport, MN
HEALTH AND HUMAN SCIENCES
Virgil S. Lagomarcino Laureate Award
Wan-Lee Cheng
(PHD ’76 INDUSTRIAL EDUCATION)
Retired president and professor, Chung Yuan Christian University Newark, CA
Helen LeBaron Hilton Award
Todd Snyder (’92 APPAREL DESIGN )
Chief brand officer/executive vice president, Todd Snyder/American Eagle New York, NY
Professional Achievement
Jean Duffy
(’87 FAMILY RESOURCE MANAGEMENT) Sr. vice president/principal, CAPTRUST Financial Advisors Des Moines, IA
Roberta Louise Smith
Johnson
(’78 HOME ECONOMICS EDUCATION, ’81 ELEMENTARY EDUCATION, MS ’88 PROFESSIONAL STUDIES IN EDUCATION)
Retired executive director, ISU Office of Student Financial Aid Ames, IA
Outstanding Young Professional Award
Stephanie Klaffke
(’06 HEALTH AND HUMAN PERFORMANCE)
Physical education and school wellness, Gilbert Community School District Boone, IA
LIBERAL ARTS & SCIENCES
Citation of Merit Award
Javaune M. Adams-Gaston (PHD ’83 PSYCHOLOGY)
President, Norfolk State University Norfolk, VA
Carrie Chapman Catt Public Engagement Award
Beth Wessel-Kroeschell
(MPA ’87 POLITICAL SCIENCE)
State legislator, State of Iowa Ames, IA
Young Alumni Award
Collin Reichert (MS ’11 GEOLOGY; MAT SCIENCE EDUCATION)
Science teacher, Ames Community School District Ames, IA
Ramsey Tesdell
(’06 TECHNICAL COMMUNICATION)
Co-founder, Sowt Media, Inc. Amman, Jordan
Elli Grapp (‘16 WORLD LANGUAGES AND CULTURES; POLITICAL SCIENCE)
Regional training director, YMCA Northern Midwest Learning Center Superior, WI
VETERINARY MEDICINE
Outstanding Young Alumni Award
Dr. Marisa Rotolo (DVM ’14; PHD ’17 VETERINARY MICROBIOLOGY)
Director, Swine Health, National Pork Board Hendersonville, TN
Lorraine J. Hoffman Graduate Alumni Award
Dr. David Suarez (PHD ’95)
Research leader exotic and emerging avian viral research unit, USDA Athens, GA
William P. Switzer Award in Veterinary Medicine
Dr. Cherri Trusheim (DVM ’99) Founder/CEO, Urban Animal Vashon, WA
Stange Award for Meritorious Service
Dr. Larry Carpenter (DVM ’82)
Retired surgeon/owner, Veterinary Surgical Service, PC Silver Spring, MD
Dr. Shawn Johnson (DVM ’96)
Co-Founder/director, innovative medicine, Sea Change Health Sunnyvale, CA
ALUMNI ASSOCIATION AWARDS
Alumni Medal
Thomas A. Connop (’76 HISTORY)
Retired partner, Locke Lord, LLP Dallas, TX
Denise Irene Essman
(’73 INDUSTRIAL ADMINISTRATION)
Retired president and CEO, Essman/Associates and Essman/Research Des Moines, IA
Alumni Humanitarian Award
Trudy Huskamp Peterson (’67 ENGLISH, SPEECH, HISTORY)
Certified archivist Washington, D.C.
Outstanding Young Alumni Award
Markus Flynn
(’16 KINESIOLOGY AND HEALTH, MS ’19 KINESIOLOGY)
Executive director, Black Men Teach St. Paul, MN
Kevin Roepke
(’06 PUBLIC SERVICE AND ADMINISTRATION IN AGRICULTURE )
Regional director – South Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa, US Soybean
Export Council Palm Jumeirah, Dubai
James A. Hopson Alumni Service Award
Matt Borgstrand
(’98 ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING)
Software quality engineer, Dell Technologies, Inc. Round Rock, TX
Only ISU degrees are listed.
2023-2024 Year in Review
99 Iowa counties
50 states and ISU alumni live in
179+ countries
3,846
future Cyclones received age-appropriate gifts from LegaCY Club.
500 constituents attended the Cardinal & Gold Gala in Des Moines and raised
$100,000 for ISUAA programs and events, including the inaugural New Grad Gifted Membership program.
SOCIAL CYCLONES:
ISUAA Facebook page received the most engagement among Big 12 peer schools with 112,263 likes, clicks, and shares.
OLLI increased membership to 676 learners, with members in 19 different states, and one in Canada.
727 TRAVELING CYCLONES JOINED TRIPS DURING THE PROGRAM’S 50TH YEAR.
771
Graduates signed up for the New Grad Membership.
Continued support and dedication to inclusivity by providing mentorship and work experience for a Project Search intern.
Number cruncher? Find financial info about your ISU Alumni Association.
YOU’LL LOVE A CAREER HERE!
When you work in the Ames area you can take your life to the next level. The Ames region offers:
Diverse job opportunities in healthcare, IT, manufacturing, and other in-demand industries.
Entertainment opportunities including concerts, hundreds of dining options, ample outdoor recreation, diverse shopping options, Big XII athletics, and more.
Employers who value their employees by offering competitive wages, excellent benefits, and a variety of amenities.
job and internship opportunities listed right now. Find your dream job today!
Your Gateway to Jobs in Boone and Story County, Iowa
Andrew Lopez Actor, filmmaker, and stand-up comedian
Andrew Lopez arrived to college with dreams of working in the TV and film industry, and his time at Iowa State University helped make those dreams a reality. “Iowa State means everything to me,” Lopez (’12) says. Despite acting in hit shows like “The Bear,” Apple TV’s “Platonic,” and multiple films; touring internationally for stand-up comedy; and gaining many writing and producing credits, Lopez remains passionate about all things small-town Iowa and Iowa State.
How did ISU help prepare you for the entertainment industry?
My education at Iowa State was top-tier; I loved going to classes, and I loved learning. But the extracurriculars are where you can get what you want out of them. My best friend, Bryan Scheckel (’12), and I joined the Student Union Board (SUB) and it was the greatest experience of my life. We booked acts for VEISHEA, he booked bands, and I booked comedians. My SUB advisors let me open for comedians and taught me how contracts worked. All of this led to my first job as an assistant in the motion picture department at Creative Artists Agency (CAA), one of the top Hollywood agencies in the world. Since then, CAA has signed me as a client.
We wanted to be in entertainment, and we found our way in through Iowa State. I don’t think anyone’s typically going to be like, “if you want to get into entertainment, go to Iowa State,” but there are ways to find your desired job or career path at Iowa State in even the craziest things, like entertainment.
What was it like to move from Iowa to Los Angeles to pursue your career? I owe a lot to my parents; they were super supportive of my dreams. They paid my first three months of rent out in LA. My mom is a special education teacher and my dad worked at a factory, and they saved enough money for me to be able to follow my dreams. I was the first person in my immediate family to go to college. They always said, “if you can get a degree, we’ll support you to do what you want to do after.” It was scary, but nothing’s too scary if your family supports you. I’m grateful and aware that I’m lucky that I had that support.
You’re working on writing and starring in a show centered around Iowa. Can you share more about it?
I’m currently working on a TV show with HBO; producing the show is Christopher Storer, who created “The Bear.” It’s a comedy with a lot of heart and specifically takes place in Iowa. A lot of it’s about growing up in Pella, but there’s also stories about college, so of course, there’s an Iowa State episode set on the night before graduation with the whole episode taking place at Sips. It’s an all-encompassing love letter to the Midwest.
ISU ALUMNI ASSOCIATION MEMBER INDEX
ANNUAL
Bob Summerfelt p.4
David Carr p.15
Dean Hunziker p.30
Shelley Smith p.32
Don Johnson p.39
Kathy Siperly p.41
Colin Behr p.42
Wan-Lee Cheng p.42
LIFE
Wendy Wintersteen p.2
Tom Smith p.2
Donald Smith p.4
Mike Petersen p.4
Sam Strotman p.4
Gary Marty p.4
Lynette Pohlman p.5
Virgil Petty p.9
Bill Fennelly p.14
Evonne Smith p.19
Peggy Ward p.27
Ann Espeset p.29
Mike Espeset p.29
Max Rothschild p.30
Peggy Johnson p.30
Jeff Johnson p.30
Lora Talbot p.30
Russ Talbot p.30
Daniel Bumblauskas p.31
Don Boyle p.34
Kate Tindall p.34
Joyce Bahrenfus p.38
Beverly Waddleton p.38
Judy Dye p.38
Peter Gerdom p.39
Janet Booth Gerdom p.39
Dave Vandeventer p.39
Dee Reinhart Vandeventer p.39
Jon Banwart p.39
Steve Ferguson p.39
Becky Murphy Stadlman p.39
Kathy Taylor p.40
Penny Wright Allen p.40
Linda Leier Thomason p.41
Ike Harris p.41
Charlene Harris p.41
Carolyn Parry Weir p.41
Mike Heverly p.41
Jim Knuth p.42
Robert Jester p.42
Patricia Jester p.42
Scott Hutchins p.42
Larissa Holtmyer Jones p.42
Kurt Tjaden p.42
Mark Walker p.42
Richard (Ric) Jurgens p.42
Hillary Kletscher Myers p.42
John V. Carlson p.42
Michael Helgerson p.42
Rudy Herrmann p.42
Todd Snyder p.42
Jean Duffy p.42
Roberta Louise Smith Johnson p.43
Thomas A. Connop p.43
Denise Irene Essman p.43
Trudy Huskamp Peterson p.43
Kevin Roepke p.43
Matt Borgstrand p.43
Curt Ringgenberg p.48
Congrats to Our Summer 2024 Pop Quiz Winner!
Curt Ringgenberg (’86) is our summer 2024 Iowa Stater pop quiz winner. Artist Reinaldo D. Correa-Diaz, also an Iowa State assistant teaching professor of architecture and industrial design, completed “BIOquilt” in 2022. “BIOquilt” is a multi-material piece which celebrates the rich ecological history that has allowed the state of Iowa to become a leader in biorenewable resources. It can be found in ISU’s Biorenewables Research Laboratory.
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