Iowa State University Alumni Association| online edition | spring 1999

SPRING 1999
Home

Cover Story:
The Bells of Iowa State

Feature:
Driving Dr. Carver

Departments:
Getting Started
Letters
On Campus
Alumni Profile
College Focus
Discovery
Association News
Giving
Sports

LETTERS

I am writing to congratulate you on the VISIONS magazine I recently received. It was interesting, informative, and enjoyable. At the same time, it rekindled many memories of my Iowa State degree. Well done!

— Leonard Neidig, ’46
Naples, Florida

The mail yesterday brought the current issue of VISIONS, and when I opened it there was the story about Sam Massie (Jan/Feb 1999). I had failed to continue my contact with Sam after he received the appointment to the Naval Academy. I think Karol Crosbie has written a most interesting story and I salute her.

You continue to publish an excellent paper. Thank you.

— Sam Hamilton, ’29
Austin, Texas

It was a treat to receive VISIONS! Perhaps it’s time to reconsider membership in the Alumni Association.

— Carol Lease Morgan ’58
Lancaster, Pennsylvania

Thanks for a good update on ISU activities through the latest VISIONS. With regard to the profile of Megan Taylor (Jan/Feb 1999), I’m curious as to why her height and major were not mentioned in the story. As a basketball talent and student at ISU, these two facts would seem worth reporting. Also, how did she approach the transition to college play? The article mentioned there were tremendous adjustments that had to be made in the move from playing in high school to Division I games, but no more details were given. Lastly, why was the stellar performance of the women’s basketball team overall relatively buried in the story? A little more current detail in the personal profiles of our student athletes would be interesting in the future.

— Susan Anderson, ’87
Mountain View, California

I find it absurd that you devote two pages to distance learning (Jan/Feb 1999) – eight stories – and manage to include only one website address.

— Mike Firth, ’65
Dallas, Texas

The Smithsonian
We enjoyed reading “The Smithsonian” (Jan/Feb 1999), particularly since our daughter, Kay Newton Peterson, also works at the Smithsonian one day a week as a volunteer. Kay is a 1978 ISU textiles and clothing graduate and works in the Department of Social History’s Costume Division.

— Helen Newton, ’62
Newton, Iowa

I enjoyed your issue on Iowa State’s connection with the Smithsonian. You have, however, another one.

For ten years I have been study leader-lecturer for a Mexican Folk Art-Day of the Dead trip that Smithsonian International Study Tours offers every year.

I have moved over the years from extension home economist in Iowa and Hawaii, and teaching home economics for a couple of years in New York and New Jersey, to the world of Mexican folk art as folk art curator and professor at the National Autonomous University of Mexico. I helped Dr. Mary Littrell set up the Iowa State Textiles and Clothing Department’s Study Abroad Program in Mexico and was their Dorothy Austin guest lecturer in 1987.

People are always saying to me, “How far removed you are from the world of home economics,” and my answer always is, “Not at all. In folk art, women weave to make clothing for their families, whole families work together to make the pottery they need for cooking, storing water and serving the family food, and men carve wood to make furniture for the family and toys for their children.” So you see, Iowa State stood me in good stead for what I’ve been doing for over 25 years.

— Elizabeth Snoddy Cuéllar, ’52
San Angel, Mexico

Baywatch blues
The son of ISU faculty members marries a former Baywatch star and VISIONS reports the event to ISU alumni (Jan/Feb 1999). WHY? Even if he were an alumnus, and even if she were a current Baywatch star, I wouldn’t care to know that their wedding was apparently big news in Ames. Please stop sending me the magazine. Call me a killjoy, but I’d rather not suffer the embarrassment of having my spouse – not an ISU grad – read another such story to me.

— Mike Meshek ’85
Boulder, Colorado

You put out a great quality magazine with wonderful graphics and layout. I was very disappointed to see the Baywatch wedding photo and article. I consider it cheap and in poor taste for a high-quality magazine representing an institution of higher learning to have printed this. First of all, the photo was quite risqué. Secondly, if ISU has to resort to tagging on to the coattails of Hollywood celebrities, then I say ISU is in pretty sad shape.

— Maureen Stohlmeyer, ’75
Ames, Iowa

Family Ties
We read the article “Family Ties” (Jan/Feb 1999) with interest. We still think we may hold a record for family time at Iowa State University.

Currently both of our sons, Jason and Jared, are attending ISU. My husband Jim and I are both ISU graduates, and both of Jim’s parents (George and Dotha Eckles Willis) have degrees from Iowa State. Two of Jim’s grandparents (Raymond and Ena Burnham Eckles) graduated from Iowa State in the late 1890s. In addition, Jim and I have a total of six brothers and sisters who are ISU graduates. We think there are probably very few other students who have two parents, two grandparents, and two great-grandparents who are all Iowa State graduates.

Also, our son Jason married Brenda Klaassen last May. She will receive her degree in 1999. They are the fourth generation of our family to have met their spouses at Iowa State.

We are VERY proud to be Cyclones and have always followed “our” teams. Our boys have been loyal fans since they were old enough to watch the games.

— Janelle Patton Willis, ’70
Aplington, Iowa

You may be interested in the loyalty of the Lyon family to ISU. There are 64 members of the family (including in-laws) who have attended Iowa State. My generation includes one brother, four cousins, and a foster brother. Three spouses graduated and two had at least one year at ISU.

Four couples (in my generation) sent 29 children to Iowa State. Twenty-six graduated. Fourteen spouses are graduates. The third generation has one graduate and eight current students.

Yes, there are more to come!

— Russell Lyon, ’41
Toledo, Iowa