Bill Ohde (’76 fisheries and wildlife biology, ’80 MS wildlife biology)
“I guess I took the inscription literally when it said Permanent Identification Card! I’ve been carrying it in my billfold ever since - 53 years and counting. Over the years I’ve had a lot of fun pulling it out and showing people what I looked like back then along with the keypunch technology. I’ve had the good fortune to return to Ames on a pretty regular basis all these years, and even though the university and the city have changed considerably, it still always feels like home.”
Linda (Huisman) Hunter (’67 bacteriology)
“Since I graduated from Iowa State in 1967, I have lived in 28 residences in seven states (I’ve lived in some states more than one time) and two foreign countries. This Cy and turtle (yes, it says Iowa State University on its back) have moved with me. They kept me grounded as to where I came from.”
Jennifer Lillo (’15 global resource systems, environmental studies)
“Today, in Wellington, New Zealand, where I now live, this drawstring backpack I received on my very first day at ISU orientation as a transfer student in 2013 holds my tennis shoes, which I lug from my office to the gym a couple times a week. In days past, this little drawstring backpack carried a little bit of, well, everything.
Living in New Zealand, this bag has come with me to climb mountains, ford streams and on heaps of other adventures. Although small and unassuming (a bit like me!), the backpack has been pushed to its limits and has countless stories to tell (also a bit like me!). It is a reminder of where I started and all the things I've done but also all the things that are still in store for the future. Hopefully it has many more years of life left in it! (I am seriously impressed at the durability, considering all the things I've put it through over the past decade.)”
Jean Saveraid (’89 MS professional studies in education)
“Many years of Homecoming pins…the felt Cy banner was a gift from my son, and the pins fit well on the banner.”
Sue Rabe (’82 agricultural business)
“This is a computer punch card that we used to create computations when I was a student in 1975 to 1976. After the cards were punched, they were then fed into a room-sized computer that created the desired calculation - that is, as long as there were no errors in the punch cards. One mistake when punching the holes in the card meant you had to start all over again. It took numerous cards to create one computation! I remember boxes of these cards sitting in the punch card room and used cards scattered all over the room. A horribly inefficient process leading to frustrations of constantly having to start over for one mis-punch. I liked to use them for notepads and bookmarks. Not sure why I kept a few, but they do bring back memories!”
Rod Williamson (’72 journalism – science and technical)
“Few Iowa State University football games receive the buildup of the 1977 game with Iowa. It required the state legislature to mandate the game be played after many decades of dormancy. I was on the sports information staff that helped promote the game. That 1977 game was very frustrating from an Iowa State standpoint. The Cyclones were coming off an upbeat 8-3 record in 1976, and Iowa was in the doldrums, yet the Hawkeyes managed to rain on our parade. We had to wait until 1978 to celebrate. Still a fun memory. I am also a member of the Delta Tau Delta fraternity, and I included the glass in case it helped the lonesome Pepsi bottle.”
Mark Johnson (’76 zoology, ’79 MS animal ecology)
“Here’s a T-shirt from 1979. These were proudly worn by members of the ISU Limnology Team, comprised of Roger W. Bachmann’s graduate students. Dr. Bachmann (The Boss), professor emeritus and former chair of the Department of Animal Ecology (now the Department of Natural Resource Ecology and Management), was/is a great mentor, scientist and leader. I consider myself fortunate to have worked in the presence of these remarkable individuals.”
Martin Cleveland (’78 agricultural engineering)
“ISU jacket I wore in 1976-1978 while attending college. If I recall correctly, the jacket color could be different than blue at the time. I believe I purchased the jacket at the campus bookstore near the Memorial Union. The Greek members would often have Greek symbols instead of ISU letters in yellow on the same jackets. I had an agricultural engineering jacket, as well, and it was yellow and had red lettering for ISU and Agricultural Engineering. Unfortunately, I didn’t keep that jacket over the years.”
Mary (Eick) Yungeberg (’77 animal science)
“You’ll need to go waaay back for this one. I bought this mug sometime during the four years I attended ISU at the Student Union. I still use it occasionally for my morning coffee. I loved my years at Iowa State and still consider it ‘home,’ although South Dakota has been my actual home for many years. We visit a couple times a year so I can wander around campus and soak in the memories.”
Amanda De Jong (’02 agricultural business)
“I don’t remember the year this shirt is from - maybe the late 1990s. Only good memories of Ag Business Club and Dr. Ron Deiter’s guidance. It’s the only CALS shirt I kept, and now I wear it to white out athletic events!”
Edwin Mickelson (’77 landscape architecture)
“The photo includes my toolbox with items from ‘back in the day,’ along with my T-square, a pencil sketch of Lake LaVerne and the Memorial Union, and a watercolor of a campus pathway located at the north side of Central Campus.
Computer generated drawings were not yet possible while I was in school, so the development of hand graphics was the focus of my design studios. I produced drawings using pencils, pens and markers. Students had a toolbox full of pencils, pens, erasers, triangles and other items that we would carry to class. The T-square was also an essential tool used in drafting plans, sections and perspectives. During my last year, I took art classes, which helped me improve my sketching abilities and introduced me to watercolor painting.”
Gerald Maschmann (’95 animal ecology)
“Tumbler from early 1990s. It became a pencil holder for my desk, and it’s been there ever since. It has survived multiple moves across three states.”
Jeff Graff (’93 agricultural systems technology)
“It's like my FFA jacket, just something you never let go of. Fun fact - they both still fit! I tell my kids stories from my college days all the time. I'd go back if I could.”
Joe Herring (’03 forestry, environmental studies, ’05 MS water resources)
“I've had this ISU Department of Forestry coffee cup since 2000. I carried it to classes all over campus during my sophomore year.”
Martin Cleveland (’78 agricultural engineering)
“Copy of 1978 graduation program and tassel from cap worn at the November 1978 graduation ceremony.”
John Vogel (’70 agricultural journalism)
“This 1970 sweatshirt is a precious memory of my ag journalism days on campus. While the blue is faded, the colors would look good on red, too.”
Rachel (Kamysz) Lichtfuss (’98 animal science)
“Here are my keepsakes from my years at ISU, 1994-98. My all-time favorite is my Iowa State University Equestrian Team sweatshirt and hat. I had so much fun hanging out at the horse barn and competing against other colleges. I also love the redesigned mascot flag! I was there when it was picked, and while it wasn’t that popular or lasting, I love this flag. Lastly, my friend gave me the old school mascot pillow, and it sits on the couch proudly showing my cyclone pride! I loved my time at Iowa State!”
Ted Peters ('74 forestry)
"These are three 'campaign-type' buttons that I have managed to hang on to over the many moves and winnowing down of stuff. The largest is a pep button for early in the Johnny Majors football coaching period. The Ski for Cancer was a fundraiser that my fraternity, Theta Chi, held on a small hill west of Ames. As I recall, we were able to contribute a few bucks to the American Cancer Society. The last button is from the 1974 Homecoming. My success in my studies during freshman year were at a level that I was forced to drop enough courses to avoid the letter from Iowa State administration suggesting I attend college somewhere else. The good news is that it set me up to need to attend an extra quarter past my 'normal' graduation date of spring 1974. The good news of the story is that during my super-senior quarter, I was part of the Homecoming Steering Committee for 1974. This was the first football season in what is now Jack Trice Stadium. The Committee chose the theme of 'Good-Bye Clyde' to honor the years that the old place served."
Dennis Haugen ('79 forestry, entomology, '85 PhD)
"The game that started 'Hilton Magic.' I was there!!! And I have the Des Moines Register paper from the next day - that is me, to the right of Ron Falenschek, on the front page of the Peach sport section!"