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. In this issue, 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
Talbot Endowed President and CEO
