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.”