Citation of Merit
College of Liberal Arts & Sciences
Established in 1976 to honor distinguished alumni who have demonstrated outstanding achievement and received national or international recognition

Robert F. Baur

BS Mathematics ’67
PhD Economics ’92
Des Moines, Iowa

After graduating from Iowa State with a degree in mathematics, Robert Baur returned home to Madison County (Iowa) to run the 4,000-acre family farm. As the farm prospered Baur began to spend more time in voluntary activities, including the Iowa Republican Party. In 1984, he became the party’s state finance chair and two years later directed the reelection campaign for Sen. Charles Grassley. He has also served on numerous boards, including Living History Farms and the Benton Bank and Trust in Adel. He has served as chair of the Iowa Communications Network and is a member of Gov. Chet Culver’s Council of Economic Advisors.

In 1995 Baur moved to Principal Financial in Des Moines, where he remains to this day. His responsibilities have grown from research analysis to serving as managing director of an international portfolio to heading global trading with a portfolio currently valued at $265 billion and a client list that includes half of the 25 largest pension funds in the country.

Just last February Baur was promoted to chief global economist of Principal Global Investors. His job now encompasses responsibility for all economic analysis at Principal, including forecasts, reports, and presentations to client groups.