Historic figures

George Washington Carver

Born a slave, George Washington Carver developed a keen interest in plants at an early age. In 1891, Carver became the first African American to enroll at Iowa State, and following his graduation, became the first African American faculty member at the university. Carver is most famous for his creation of 325 products from peanuts.

Carrie Chapman Catt

Carrie Chapman Catt was a suffragist, feminist and political activist. Following her graduation from Iowa State in 1877, she went on to campaign for the 19th amendment, which granted women the right to vote, and was featured on the cover of Time magazine in 1926.

Henry A. Wallace

Henry A. Wallace, who graduated from Iowa State in 1910, went on to become U.S. Secretary of Agriculture in 1933 and Franklin D. Roosevelt's third-term vice president in 1940.

Christian Petersen

Sculptor-in-residence Christian Petersen's works are featured around campus. The "Four Seasons" fountain in front of the Memorial Union was created by Petersen, as was the "Gentle Doctor" scuplture at the College of Veterinary Medicine.

John Vincent Atanasoff

In the late 1930s, frustrated by the time it took to solve algebraic equations, Iowa State alumnus and professor John Vincent Atanasoff began to work on what became the first digital electronic computer. A working replica of the computer is in the lobby of the Durham Center on campus.

Griffith Buck

Iowa State alumnus and horticulture professor Griffith Buck dedicated his life to developing roses that could survive cruel winter temperatures and resist most common diseases. He is best known for his "Blue Skies" rose. More about the roses.

Carver legacy

George Washington Carver was a gifted painter. While he was a student at Iowa State, two of his works were shown at the World's Fair in Chicago. Fellow students were proud of the artist among them. When Carver refused to enter his paintings in a Cedar Rapids exhibit because he couldn't afford to travel, a group of students bought him a new suit and a train ticket.