The 50th Anniversary Class Reunion Planning Committee is working closely with the Alumni Association to schedule activities that are worthwhile and meaningful to you…as well as provide plenty of time for you to catch up with your former classmates.
Keep checking back in the next couple of months as more and more activities are added to the schedule. Please keep in mind that the offerings listed are tentative; a final schedule will be given to you when you arrive on campus for Alumni Days.
Wednesday, May 13:
If you plan to arrive in Ames on Wednesday, stop by the ISU Alumni Center (420 Beach Avenue) to pick up your reunion packet.
5:30 – 8 p.m.
Early check-in, ISU Alumni Center
6 – 7 p.m.
Vet Med check-in, Holiday Inn
Thursday, May 14:
7:30 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Reunion check-in, ISU Alumni Center
7:30 a.m. – 10 a.m.
Breakfast, ISU Alumni Center
9 a.m. – 4 p.m.
Class lounge open, ISU Alumni Center
9 a.m. – 10 p.m.
Guided art and architecture walking tour of campus
10:20 a.m. – 11:20 a.m.
Guided campus bus tour
11:30 a.m. – 1 p.m.
Boxed lunches at Reiman Gardens
1 p.m. – 4 p.m.
Optional afternoon activities
5:15 p.m. – 6:15 p.m.
College-hosted pre-dinner socials for all classes, Memorial Union
6:30 p.m. – 8 p.m.
Class dinners, Memorial Union (view menu)
8 p.m. – 9 p.m.
Coffee, conversation, 50s music, Memorial Union
Friday, May 15:
7:30 a.m. – 4 p.m.
Registration/check-in, ISU Alumni Center
7:30 a.m. – 9 a.m.
Breakfast, ISU Alumni Center
9 a.m. – 2 p.m.
Class lounge open, ISU Alumni Center
9:30 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.
College open houses and tours
11:30 a.m. – 1 p.m.
Lunch at Union Drive Marketplace
1 p.m. – 4 p.m.
Optional afternoon activities
5 p.m.
1959 Class Photo, Gateway Hotel & Conference Center
5:30 p.m. – 6:30 p.m.
Pre-dinner social for all classes, Gateway Hotel & Conference Center
6:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.
Gold Medal Banquet, Gateway Hotel & Conference Center (view menu)
8:30 p.m.
Coffee and visiting, Gateway Hotel & Conference Center
Saturday, May 16:
9 a.m. – 11 a.m.
Brunch at the Knoll sponsored by the ISU Foundation
Optional Afternoon Activities
THURSDAY, MAY 14 AFTERNOON ACTIVITIES:
Those Fabulous Fifties! - 1:30-3 p.m.
Memorial Union, Gallery Room (3rd floor)
Join Tanya Zanish-Belcher, Head of Special Collections & University Archives at the ISU Library, as she describes the important decade of the 1950s—from WOI TV to VEISHEA, from the creation of Cy to your favorite food items served in the MU. Come take a trip down memory lane….
Farm House Museum Open House- 1-4 p.m.
Farm House Museum
The Farm House Museum collection consists of 19th and early 20th century decorative arts, furnishings and material culture reflecting Iowa State and Iowa. Entering the Farm House and viewing these works of art is like experiencing the history of Iowa State University firsthand.
Greek House Tours- 2-4 p.m.
(You will receive a list of participating Greek Houses at check-in.)
Don’t miss this opportunity to visit/tour your Greek House. Houses will be open from 2:00-4:00pmand we welcome you to stop by. Someone will be available to give you a tour and answer your questions.
Brunnier Art Museum Open House- 1-4 p.m.
2nd floor, Scheman Building
The Brunnier Art Museum is the state’s only accredited museum emphasizing a decorative arts collection. View paintings of “America in the Making” by N.C. Wyeth and the large collection of Japanese prints and decorative arts, including Boys’ and Girls’ Festival Dolls. University Museums staff will be available to educate visitors about what makes this collection so unique.
Transformations: Philanthropy's Impact on ISU - 1-2 p.m.
Hixson-Lied Student Success Center
Join Rich Bundy, Vice President for Development at the ISU Foundation, as he shares the major highlights of philanthropic support on the campus before and after 1959 with an emphasis on some of the exciting advances the university has made as a result of the current campaign.
Tornado Simulator Demonstration – 2-4 p.m.
(Advance reservations for this tour. Sign-up at the check-in packet pick-up desk when you arrive on campus.)
Howe Hall
The Tornado Simulator is one of Iowa State’s top state-of-the-art labs with capabilities for generating a microburst-like jet and a tornado-like vortex for model testing. This tour will include demonstrations of select equipment used for teaching and research purposes.
FRIDAY, MAY 15 AFTERNOON ACTIVITIES:
ISU Athletics in the 1950s presentation - 1:30-3 p.m.
Hixson-Lied Student Success Center
Iowa State associate athletics director Tom Kroeschell will review Cyclone athletics and campus life in the 1950s. Through video sources and personal histories of former student-athletes (including basketball great Gary Thompson, ’57), the presentation will be a window into a time when Eisenhower was president and a gallon of gas was 29 cents.
Morrill Hall Open House - 1-4 p.m.
Morrill Hall
Visit historic Morrill Hall and the home of the Art on Campus program, the University Museums’ Visual Literacy and Learning Program, and the Contemporary Changing Art Exhibitions Program. Enjoy a newly refurbished facility, the Anderson Sculpture Garden, and learn about current exhibitions in the Textiles and Clothing Museum.
Campanile Tours – 1-4 p.m.
(Advance reservations for this tour. Sign-up at the check-in packet pick-up desk when you arrive on campus.)
A one-of-a-kind experience to hear and see the “Bells of Iowa State” up close. Climb to the top of the Campanile and visit the 30,000 lb. musical instrument that rings across campus. For safety reasons, the size of the tour is limited to 9 people at one time. Children under 13 years of age are not permitted to take the tour.
Virtual Reality Demonstration – 2:20-4 p.m.
(Advance reservations for this tour. Sign-up at the check-in packet pick-up desk when you arrive on campus.)
Howe Hall
The C6 is the world’s highest immersive 3D virtual reality visualization facility. This unique facility consists of a 10ft x 10ft x 10ft room where all four walls, the floor and the ceiling are projection screens. Originally opened in 2000, the C6 was the first six-sided synthetic immersive environment in the world.
Special Collections Open House – 2-4 p.m.
Parks Library
Come and spend some time in the Special Collections Reading Room, reading through Green Ganders, the Bomb, and other memorabilia. Tours of the Special Collections Storage Area and Vault will be given upon request. Visitors will see a selection of artifacts from Iowa State’s history and examples from the photograph collection, numbering over 1 million images.
**Afternoon activities are subject to change. You will receive a finalized copy of these activities when you arrive on campus.
**Self-guided tours: Beardshear Hall, Catt Hall, Curtiss Hall, Gerdin Building, ISU Alumni Center, Memorial Union, and the Parks Library
