12 Hawkeye Visionaries Who Transformed Campus
Knowing your way around the University of Iowa means being familiar with the names of some of our most prominent Hawkeyes. You might head to a game at Carver, class at Pappajohn, or a concert at Hancher—nicknames for a few of the 64 UI buildings that pay tribute to Iowa leaders. As the Together Hawkeyes campaign rallies the next generation of Iowa visionaries, here are a few of the many Hawkeyes who left a lasting mark on campus:
Willard “Sandy” (81LHD) and Susan Boyd
A former law professor who served as the UI’s 15th president from 1969-81, Sandy Boyd helped expand Iowa’s reputation as a premier public university—and its campus. The Boyd Law Building and Boyd Tower at UI Hospitals & Clinics celebrate the couple’s leadership and philanthropy.
Roy J. and Lucille A. Carver
The influential Muscatine couple and their family’s charitable trust have supported major projects such as the Carver Pavilion at UI Hospitals & Clinics, Carver-Hawkeye Arena, and the Carver Biomedical Research Building. The Roy J. and Lucille A. Carver College of Medicine was named for the couple in 2002 in recognition of the family’s $63 million gift to the college.
Russell and Ann Gerdin
From health care to athletics, the Gerdin family is among Iowa’s most generous supporters. The Russell and Ann Gerdin American Cancer Society Hope Lodge provides 28 rooms for cancer patients and their caregivers, the Gerdin Athletic Learning Center supports student-athlete success, and the Gerdin Family Lobby greets visitors at UI Stead Family Children’s Hospital.
Virgil Hancher (1918BA, 24JD, 64LLD)
A UI president who served from 1940-64, Hancher shepherded an unprecedented period of growth for the campus. The original Hancher Auditorium was named in his honor in 1972, and the UI preserved the nationally known moniker when the new auditorium opened in 2016.
Philip Hubbard (46BSEE, 49MS, 54PhD)
As the first African American vice president at a Big Ten university, Hubbard was a guiding star as the UI grew from 6,000 to 28,000 students in his 46 years as a faculty member, administrator, and champion of diversity. Hubbard Park, which is the front lawn of the Iowa Memorial Union, was named for him a year after his 1990 retirement.
Walter Jessup (34LITTD)
During his tenure as president from 1916-34, campus expanded from 42 to 324 acres, and the student body nearly tripled to 10,000. Jessup oversaw what was then the grandest building campaign in university history, which included the completion of the Pentacrest buildings and the campus’ westward expansion across the Iowa River. Jessup Hall has housed the office of the president since 1970.
Richard O. Jacobson
The Belmond, Iowa, native and his foundation have been a cornerstone at Iowa in areas like business, athletics, health care, and beyond. The Richard O. Jacobson Football Operations Building, part of the Hansen Football Performance Center, is home to Iowa’s storied gridiron program. Most recently, the Jacobson Foundation donated $70 million—the largest-ever gift to the UI—to kickstart the new patient care tower project for UI Health Care.
Sally Mason
The UI’s 20th president guided its response and recovery to the historic flood of 2008. Mason helped secure the funding to rebuild and replace many key buildings, including Hancher Auditorium, Voxman Music Building, and Visual Arts Building. Stead Family Children’s Hospital and Pappajohn Biomedical Discovery Building also broke ground during her tenure.
John (52BS, 10LHD) and Mary Pappajohn
The Des Moines philanthropists paved the way for an array of campus projects, including the Pappajohn Pavilion and John and Mary Pappajohn Clinical Cancer Center at UI Hospital & Clinics, Pappajohn Biomedical Discovery Building, and Pappajohn Education Center in Des Moines. John, a venture capitalist, also founded the John Pappajohn Entrepreneurial Center at his alma mater and colleges across Iowa.
C. Maxwell (26BSE, 30MS) and Elizabeth Stanley (27BA)
In the 1980s, the world-traveling couple donated their vast collection of African art to the UI’s original art museum; decades later, their family continued that legacy by contributing a naming gift to the UI Stanley Museum of Art, which opened last year. The C. Maxwell Stanley Hydraulics Lab also stands as a testament to the Muscatine engineer and businessman’s support for Iowa’s engineering program.
Jerre (65BBA, 11LHD) and Mary Joy Stead
The Steads have been steadfast supporters of the Henry B. Tippie College of Business and pediatric medicine at Iowa. In 2013, the UI named the Stead Family Department of Pediatrics in honor of the couple’s philanthropy, and in 2017, the university cut the ribbon on UI Stead Family Children’s Hospital.
Henry (49BCS, 09LHD) and Patricia Tippie
The university named the Henry B. Tippie College of Business in 1999 in recognition of the largest single gift from an individual in UI history. The couple’s philanthropic legacy also included the creation of the Henry B. and Patricia B. Tippie Director of Athletics Chair, which was the first endowed position in the UI Department of Intercollegiate Athletics.
