Iowa State University Alumni Association| online edition | fall 2002
 

 


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Presidents and their families at the Knoll

Iowa State’s first president, Adonijah Welch, began his tenure (1868-83) living at Old Main, and then moved to the Farm House. Seaman Knapp (1883-84) lived at the Farm House, and William Chamberlain (1886-90) lived at the Gables cottage. The residence of Leigh Hunt (1885-86) is currently a mystery. Said Becky Jordan, ISU library archivist, “Like many things about Hunt, the details are elusive. Given his possession of a coach and footman, it would seem he would have needed a barn and servant’s quarters!”

William Beardshear: 1891-1902
President Beardshear, his wife, Josephine, and three of their five children were eager to make the new president's house their home. Like many of the first families that would succeed them, the Beardshears arrived in January 1901 to a house still in progress. "There were, I think, 25 workmen in the house," remembers the late Constance Beardshear, in a 1970 university archives interview. "But being a youngster of the running age, it was a lot of fun to keep up with the building." The popular, gregarious William Beardshear would live in his new house for less than a year. He died of a heart attack in August of 1902, but his family was permitted to stay there for another year, until they could find other lodging.

Connie Beardshear Josephine Beardshear

Albert Storms: 1903-10
Their stay at the president’s house was the first time Albert Storms, a former Methodist minister, his wife, Lovie, and their three daughters had lived in anything besides a parsonage. Lovie was an avid reader, and named the house the “Knole,” after one of England’s finest castles.

“We found that college people were as friendly and nice as church people,” wrote daughter Laura, in a June 1933 essay for the Alumnus. “Even the furniture was fun. Parsonages in those days were furnished, and one of the requirements . . . was that the Knole be furnished, for of course, we possessed no furniture.” The Storms rented rooms on the third floor to two Japanese students, who helped with housework.

Raymond Pearson: 1912-26
Upon their arrival, President Pearson, his wife, Fanny Alice, and his mother, Lucy, promptly changed the spelling of their new home from “Knole” to “Knoll,” and their version stuck.

Some of the home’s most extensive early remodeling occurred during President Pearson’s reign, including the addition of a servant’s bath to the third floor, and a new garage. Sleeping in fresh air was the fashion of the day,
and a sleeping porch was added. The old barn, located
in the present site of the Memorial Union Parking garage, was moved to the poultry farm.

Raymond Hughes: 1929-36
It must have been hard to find a quiet space at the Knoll on the year that President Hughes moved in. His new neighbor, the Memorial Union, was under construction, and the next year another new neighbor appeared: Welch Hall. The Hughes family (wife, Ella, and two children) acquired some new furniture and a new furnace for their home, but generally, very little money was spent during their stay. Hughes requested funds to dye the old carpet so that he could hide its stains, but there is no indication that his request was granted.

Charles Friley: 1936-53
Shortly after the arrival of President Friley, his wife, Vera, and daughter, Frances, the Knoll received considerable sprucing up. A bathroom was added, the front stairway changed to enlarge the hallway, and the garage was enlarged for two cars. Also, the house received a new roof, insulation, an interior re-painting, new wiring, and improvements in the plumbing and heating.

Frances remembers playing cards on the porch and sunbathing in the yard. “There weren’t as many [Iowa State] students back then,” she remembers. “It was like a big family.”

James Hilton: 1953-65
As students at Iowa State in the 1920s, Lois Baker and James Hilton probably never dreamed that the stately old house on campus would one day become their home. Soon after her arrival at the Knoll, Lois Hilton (1922, home economics) gained a reputation for being a great cook and hostess. James Hilton (1923, animal science) came to Iowa State after eight years at the University of South Carolina, and the couple became known for their southern cooking: ham, sweet potatoes, and coconut cake. Because she wanted more people to see the Knoll, Lois gave frequent teas and asked friends to bring guests who had not yet seen the house.

Bob Parks: 1965-86
One of the things Bob Parks remembers about his arrival at the Knoll were the noisy nights: the sounds of traffic from Lincoln Way, shouts from students at Welch Hall, and the chiming of the Campanile. The days must have been noisy, too. Shortly after Bob, his wife, Ellen, and 11-year-old daughter, Cindy, arrived, a parking ramp was added to the neighboring Memorial Union, and the Knoll itself underwent major renovation. The distinctive wrap-around porch disappeared to make way for a “garden room” to be used for informal entertaining, and a circular driveway was added.

Gordon Eaton: 1986-90
Virginia and Gordon Eaton’s children were grown and gone during their tenure at the Knoll. Perhaps that explains their bemusement at the huge family they inherited: the students of Iowa State. Using the Knoll’s north hill for sledding had always been a tradition, but it picked up steam during the Eaton years. Students “borrowed” trays from the Memorial Union and residence halls, and streaked down the hill under the very nose of their president. But President Eaton smiled, and told Daily reporters that he’d thought about joining in on the fun, but just hadn’t had time.

Martin Jischke: 1991-2000
When Patty and Martin Jischke, their children, Charles and Mary, and Rocky the dog moved into the Knoll, they probably didn’t suspect that their presence signaled the end of one era and the beginning of another. The first floor became almost exclusively a space to be shared with the public. An average of 8,000 people were entertained every year, and for the first time, a full-time special events director was hired to manage the Knoll and its activities. New furniture and table china enhanced the many events that now graced the old home. The first family’s upstairs living quarters, however, were in dire need of refurbishment. There was no kitchen, and attractive living space was limited.

Read on | A daughter's memories