W. Robert Parks

1915-2003; president 1965-1986

Parks was ISU's 11th and longest-serving president, serving from 1965 to 1986. During his 21 years of leadership, Iowa State experienced the most dramatic growth in enrollment, academic programs and physical facilities in its history.

Parks, the first social scientist to head Iowa State, brought to campus a "new humanism," blending sciences and humanities.

During his administration, the university added three new colleges -- Education (1968), Design (1978) and Business Administration (1984). In addition, approximately 40 undergraduate and 30 graduate majors were added to the curriculum. Enrollment increased by almost 90 percent and approximately 88,000 degrees were awarded during his presidency.

Under Parks' leadership, Iowa State's research budget increased by 300 percent. Several new centers were started, including the Microelectronics Research Center, Center for Nondestructive Evaluation, Meat Export Research Center, the Center for Crops Utilization Research and the Center for Agricultural Trade and Policy.

Thirty-seven new buildings or major additions were built during the Parks administration and two additions were made to the original library building. In 1984, the library was renamed the William Robert Parks and Ellen Sorge Parks Library, in honor of Parks and his wife.

Parks was born Oct. 13, 1915, in Mulberry, Tenn. He received a B.A. degree from Berea College, Berea, Ky., in 1937, an M.A. from the University of Kentucky, Lexington, in 1938 and a Ph.D. from the University of Wisconsin, Madison, in 1948.

From 1940 to 1948, he served in a research and administrative position with the Bureau of Agricultural Economics in Washington, D.C., and served 30 months in the U.S. Navy during World War II. He also was consultant to the Secretary of the Interior in 1952.

Parks was a government professor at Iowa State from 1948 to 1956. He was with the University of Wisconsin, Madison, from 1956 to 1958, serving as associate director of the National Agricultural Extension Center for Advanced Study. He also taught political science, government and agriculture courses at Wisconsin.

He returned to Iowa State as dean of instruction in 1958. In 1961, he was appointed vice president in charge of academic affairs and in 1965, he was named president of the university.

During his presidency, Parks served as head of several national organizations, including the National Association of State Universities and Land Grant Colleges, the Association of American Universities, Council of Presidents, Mid-America State Universities Association and the Association of Iowa College Presidents.

He also served as a member of the board of trustees of the Teachers Insurance and Annuities-College Retirement Equities Fund and was on the board of directors of Northwestern Bell and Central Life Assurance.

Parks held four honorary degrees: doctor of laws from Berea College and Drake University, doctor of humane letters from Westmar College, Le Mars, and doctor of science from the University of Kentucky.

In 1969, he was named an honorary alumnus of ISU, the second person so honored. He also received the first Christian Petersen Design Award for his leadership in the establishment of ISU's College of Design.

He was the author of a book on soil conservation and several articles on education policy and agricultural economics and public policy.

ISU presidents index.

W. Robert Parks