Marvin Anderson

BS 1939, Agronomy
MS 1949, Soil Management
PhD 1955, Soil Management & Agricultural Economics
Ames, Iowa

When president W. Robert Parks named Marvin Anderson dean of Iowa State University Extension in 1966, he was choosing a leader whose vision would continue to guide Extension 40 years later. A soil conservation expert who had worked in the field in southern Iowa before serving as associate director of the Cooperative Extension Service, Anderson was met with the task of bringing together four of Iowa State’s top outreach programs—Cooperative Extension, University Extension, the Center for Industrial Research and Service, and the Office of Short Courses and Conferences—and, due to a federal mandate, restructuring Extension’s funding model. Anderson proved to be an innovator. The funding model developed under his leadership continues today, and his establishment of area Extension offices in Iowa catapulted ISU’s Extension program into the role of an elite, if not the nation’s premier, program. Friends and colleagues say Anderson had a genuine passion for educating the state’s farmers and making the world a better place, which helped him achieve the highest level of success throughout his career.

After his retirement from Iowa State in 1974, Anderson served as executive director of the 1976 World Food Conference and as executive director of the Midamerica International Agricultural Consortium from 1977-1981. He also served on the board of regents—including a stint as chair—for Waldorf Junior College, from which he earned a degree in 1934. A member of the Order of the Knoll and the Founder’s Club, a past recipient of the ISU Faculty Citation, Distinguished Achievement Citation, and Alumni Medal, Anderson is a lifetime member of the ISU Alumni Association with his wife, Julia (’41 home ec education). The Andersons are well known among Ames’ senior community for their work with Heartland Senior Services and the establishment of the popular College for Seniors continuing education program.