Richard E. Horton

BS Electrical Engineering ’62
MS Electrical Engineering ’63
PhD Electrical Engineering ’67
Ames, Iowa

Sandra Hart Horton

BS Child Development ’62
Ames, Iowa

Dick and Sandy Horton are trusted friends. They have been friends to Cyclone athletics. To the College of Engineering. To the College of Human Sciences. To Delta Zeta Sorority, Theta Delta Chi Fraternity, Mary Greeley Medical Center, and the Memorial Union. To all they meet. For their many contributions to the betterment of Iowa State University and the Ames community, the Hortons have received many honors. But this fall, we honor them for their outstanding and tremendously detailed commitment to supporting the Iowa State University Foundation and ISU Alumni Association in keeping alumni connected.

Whether it’s a birth, death, marriage, job change, or simply someone Iowa State “just has to meet,” the Hortons have provided more monthly alumni updates for the university’s records database than any other person or couple associated with the university. They speak passionately about the university and enthusiastically about our many outstanding alumni. The Hortons remind us all that it is not bricks and mortar, but people, that make Iowa State University great.

Longtime Ames residents, Sandy and Dick pioneered PC software solutions for Panhellenic and Interfraternity structured formal recruitment and bid matching through D&D Digital Systems. Dick retired as professor emeritus of electrical and computer engineering in December 2004. Both are loyal volunteers and avid Cyclone fans. (Dick has perfect attendance at all ISU home football games since 1958 and has been a volunteer running football message boards for more than 30 years and keeping official basketball statistics for more than 20 years). The Hortons were named “Cy’s Favorite Alum” by the Department of Athletics in 2003.

Dick and Sandy are lifetime members of the ISU Alumni Association and members of the Order of the Knoll. They have two children, Lisa Snyder and ISU head men’s golf coach Jay Horton, and two grandchildren.