Craig E. Beer
BS Agricultural Engineering '50
MS Agricultural Engineering '57
PhD Agricultural Engineering and Civil Engineering '62
Ames, Iowa
Janet Beer
Ames, Iowa
Craig and Janet Beer truly epitomize the spirit of a Cyclone family. With five children who are graduates of Iowa State University, the Beers were named ISU’s Family of the Year in 1984. But with their boundless energy and heartfelt devotion to the university, this family has become an integral part of the university’s extended family.
Craig and Janet volunteer their time and talents to ISU through the Family of the Year Society. They both signed the charter formally initiating the society last spring. They are the chief organizers of the annual Family of the Year reunion, an event first held in 1987 thanks to the Beers’ vision and leadership. In 2005, Craig chaired a sub-committee to determine the feasibility of a gift from the Family of the Year Society to the ISU Alumni Center. The result is a $25,000 named space that recognizes the contributions of the families that have been honored annually since 1969.
Together the Beers are also active as Co-Horts with Reiman Gardens and Craig, a retired ISU faculty member, has also individually served the university through the College for Seniors and the Alumni Association’s Awards Review and Selection Committee. Among the Beers’ many awards and honors is the 2001 Iowa Governor’s Volunteer Award.
The Beers are lifetime members of the Alumni Association and members of the Order of the Knoll. Their children include Teresa (’73 speech communications; ’95 MS curriculum and instruction), Alice (’75 zoology), Stephen (’78 electrical engineering), James (’84 geology), and Bonnie (’88 biochemistry).
