University of Northern Iowa
Encyclopedia
Cedar Falls, Iowa
Cedar Falls is a city in Black Hawk County, Iowa, United States, and it is home to one of Iowa's three public universities, the University of Northern Iowa. The population was 39,260 in the 2010 census, an increase from the 36,145 population in the 2000 census...
, Iowa
Iowa
Iowa is a state located in the Midwestern United States, an area often referred to as the "American Heartland". It derives its name from the Ioway people, one of the many American Indian tribes that occupied the state at the time of European exploration. Iowa was a part of the French colony of New...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. UNI offers more than 120 majors across the colleges of Business Administration, Education
Education
Education in its broadest, general sense is the means through which the aims and habits of a group of people lives on from one generation to the next. Generally, it occurs through any experience that has a formative effect on the way one thinks, feels, or acts...
, Humanities
Humanities
The humanities are academic disciplines that study the human condition, using methods that are primarily analytical, critical, or speculative, as distinguished from the mainly empirical approaches of the natural sciences....
and Fine Art
Fine art
Fine art or the fine arts encompass art forms developed primarily for aesthetics and/or concept rather than practical application. Art is often a synonym for fine art, as employed in the term "art gallery"....
s, Natural Science
Natural science
The natural sciences are branches of science that seek to elucidate the rules that govern the natural world by using empirical and scientific methods...
s, and Social
Social
The term social refers to a characteristic of living organisms...
and Behavioral sciences, and graduate college.
UNI has consistently been named one of the "Best in the Midwest" in the Princeton Review Best 351 College Rankings guide, and has ranked second in Midwest top public comprehensive universities by U.S. News and World Report for twelve consecutive years. UNI's accounting program has consistently ranked in the top 10 universities in the nation for the pass rate of first-time candidates on the CPA Exam.
Class sizes at UNI average around 32 students; they are mostly taught by faculty, not teaching assistants. Tenured and tenure-track faculty teach 75 percent of UNI's classes. The Fall 2009 enrollment is 13,080, including 11,147 undergraduate students and 1,933 graduate students. Ninety-two percent of its students are from the State of Iowa
Iowa
Iowa is a state located in the Midwestern United States, an area often referred to as the "American Heartland". It derives its name from the Ioway people, one of the many American Indian tribes that occupied the state at the time of European exploration. Iowa was a part of the French colony of New...
, in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
.
For students interested in studying abroad, UNI is ranked fourth in the nation for the total number of students who study abroad among master's degree institutions, according to Open Doors 2002, the annual report on international education published by the Institute of International Education.
History
The University of Northern Iowa was founded as a result of two influential forces of the nineteenth century. First, Iowa wanted to care for orphans of its Civil War veterans, and secondly, Iowa needed a public teacher training institution. In 1876, when Iowa no longer needed an orphan home, legislators Edward G. Miller and H. C. Hemenway started the Iowa State Normal School.The school's first building opened in 1869 and was known as Central Hall. The building contained classrooms, common areas, and a living facility for most of the students. It was also a home to the college's first principal, James Cleland Gilchrist. The building was the heart and soul of the school, allowing students to study courses of two-year, three-year, and four-year degrees. In 1965, a fire destroyed Central Hall, and school faculty and Cedar Falls citizens donated over $5000 to start building Gilchrist Hall.
The school has been known under the following names:
- Iowa State Normal School, 1876–1909
- Iowa State Teachers College, 1909–1961
- State College of Iowa, 1961–1967
- University of Northern Iowa, 1967–present
Student newspapers:
- Students Offering, 1888–1889
- Normal Eye, 1892–1911
- College Eye, 1911–1967
- Northern Iowan, 1967– present
Academics
University of Northern Iowa Colleges include:- Business
- Education
- Humanities and Fine Arts
- Natural Sciences
- Social and Behavioral Sciences
- Graduate College
Educational Opportunities
The University of Northern Iowa has a very active program of allowing students to pursue educational opportunities outside the state of Iowa and also the country,Liberal Arts
UNI has implemented a Liberal Arts Core (LAC) in order to provide a common liberal-arts foundation for all undergraduate students.| LAC | Categories |
|---|---|
| Category 1 | Core Competencies |
| Category 2 | Civilizations and Cultures |
| Category 3 | Fine Arts, Literature, Philosophy and Religion |
| Category 4 | Natural Science and technology |
| Category 5 | Social Science |
| Category 6 | Capstone Experience |
Study Abroad Center
UNI provides an opportunity for the students to study in 80+ countries and select from over 1,000 programs. In addition to semester and academic year programs students may choose to take part in summer, faculty-led, and short-term programs abroad. Over 50 study abroad programs are exchanges in which students continue to pay UNI tuition to attend international partner schools. UNI also offers research, internship, and student teaching opportunities abroad. All exchange programs offer courses in English as well as training in the local language, if desired. Students interested in improving foreign language skills have many program choices available to them through UNI Study Abroad programs. UNI Study Abroad Center also offers scholarships to qualified students studying overseas.Study Abroad participation is rapidly increasing at UNI as more financial support is being offered by individual campus colleges. Internationalization has been integrated into the most recent draft of UNI's Strategic Plan.
The UNI Study Abroad Center homepage can be found by clicking HERE.
Culture and Intensive English Program
The Culture and Intensive English Program (CIEP) is an intensive program in English for non-native speakers. It is designed to prepare students for academic work at the undergraduate or graduate degree levelNorth American Review
The university is the publisher of The North American ReviewNorth American Review
The North American Review was the first literary magazine in the United States. Founded in Boston in 1815 by journalist Nathan Hale and others, it was published continuously until 1940, when publication was suspended due to J. H. Smyth, who had purchased the magazine, being unmasked as a Japanese...
(called the NAR), a celebrated literary magazine that began originally in Boston in 1815. Its past editors have included James Russell Lowell
James Russell Lowell
James Russell Lowell was an American Romantic poet, critic, editor, and diplomat. He is associated with the Fireside Poets, a group of New England writers who were among the first American poets who rivaled the popularity of British poets...
, Charles Eliot Norton
Charles Eliot Norton
Charles Eliot Norton, was a leading American author, social critic, and professor of art. He was a militant idealist, a progressive social reformer, and a liberal activist whom many of his contemporaries considered the most cultivated man in the United States.-Biography:Norton was born at...
, and Henry Adams; while among its past contributors are Mark Twain
Mark Twain
Samuel Langhorne Clemens , better known by his pen name Mark Twain, was an American author and humorist...
, Henry James
Henry James
Henry James, OM was an American-born writer, regarded as one of the key figures of 19th-century literary realism. He was the son of Henry James, Sr., a clergyman, and the brother of philosopher and psychologist William James and diarist Alice James....
, Joseph Conrad
Joseph Conrad
Joseph Conrad was a Polish-born English novelist.Conrad is regarded as one of the great novelists in English, although he did not speak the language fluently until he was in his twenties...
, Walt Whitman
Walt Whitman
Walter "Walt" Whitman was an American poet, essayist and journalist. A humanist, he was a part of the transition between transcendentalism and realism, incorporating both views in his works. Whitman is among the most influential poets in the American canon, often called the father of free verse...
, Kurt Vonnegut
Kurt Vonnegut
Kurt Vonnegut, Jr. was a 20th century American writer. His works such as Cat's Cradle , Slaughterhouse-Five and Breakfast of Champions blend satire, gallows humor and science fiction. He was known for his humanist beliefs and was honorary president of the American Humanist Association.-Early...
, Joyce Carol Oates
Joyce Carol Oates
Joyce Carol Oates is an American author. Oates published her first book in 1963 and has since published over fifty novels, as well as many volumes of short stories, poetry, and nonfiction...
, Guy Davenport
Guy Davenport
Guy Mattison Davenport was an American writer, translator, illustrator, painter, intellectual, and teacher.-Life:...
and Margaret Atwood
Margaret Atwood
Margaret Eleanor Atwood, is a Canadian poet, novelist, literary critic, essayist, and environmental activist. She is among the most-honoured authors of fiction in recent history; she is a winner of the Arthur C...
. In 1968, when the magazine was purchased by UNI, Robley Wilson
Robley Wilson
Robley Wilson is an American poet, writer, and editor.-Life:He taught at Beloit College, the University of Iowa, Northwestern University, Pitzer College, and the University of Central Florida, and the University of Northern Iowa from 1963 to 1996.He was editor of The North American Review from...
was appointed editor, a position he continued in until his retirement in 2000. The current editors are Grant Tracey and Vince Gotera.
In S. Duperray and R. Vidaling, Front Page: Covers of the Twentieth Century (London: Weidenfeld and Nicolson, 2003) the NAR is featured with Paris Match
Paris Match
Paris Match is a French weekly magazine. It covers major national and international news along with celebrity lifestyle features. It was founded in 1949 by the industrialist Jean Prouvost....
, The New Yorker
The New Yorker
The New Yorker is an American magazine of reportage, commentary, criticism, essays, fiction, satire, cartoons and poetry published by Condé Nast...
, Vogue
Vogue (magazine)
Vogue is a fashion and lifestyle magazine that is published monthly in 18 national and one regional edition by Condé Nast.-History:In 1892 Arthur Turnure founded Vogue as a weekly publication in the United States. When he died in 1909, Condé Montrose Nast picked up the magazine and slowly began...
and twenty-four other famous magazines, and is described as being "a real institution in the United States, as much for its quality as its longevity." Since its acquisition by UNI, that book continues, the magazine has "distinguished itself" by winning a long list of prizes, both in literature and design. It has twice won the National Magazine Award for Fiction and was a finalist for that award five times; placed stories in the annual O. Henry anthologies four times, in the Pushcart Prize annuals nine times, in Best American Short Stories eight times, in Best American Essays twice, in Best American Sports Writing and Best American Travel Writing. As for its graphics, the NAR has three times been represented in Communication Arts illustration annual, twice in the Society of Publication Designers' annual, four times in the Print regional design annual, and twice won the "Ozzie" gold award for best cover among consumer magazines with a circulation of less than 100,000.
Teaching and Research Greenhouse
The University of Northern Iowa Teaching and Research Greenhouse is a greenhouseGreenhouse
A greenhouse is a building in which plants are grown. These structures range in size from small sheds to very large buildings...
complex incorporating botanical garden
Botanical garden
A botanical garden The terms botanic and botanical, and garden or gardens are used more-or-less interchangeably, although the word botanic is generally reserved for the earlier, more traditional gardens. is a well-tended area displaying a wide range of plants labelled with their botanical names...
s for research and education. It is located on the campus of the University of Northern Iowa in Cedar Falls, Iowa
Cedar Falls, Iowa
Cedar Falls is a city in Black Hawk County, Iowa, United States, and it is home to one of Iowa's three public universities, the University of Northern Iowa. The population was 39,260 in the 2010 census, an increase from the 36,145 population in the 2000 census...
.
The greenhouse contains plants from many ecotypes, including 250 tropical plants, an extensive collection of arid climate plants, and the 1200 square feet (111.5 m²) Aquatic Learning Center
Athletics
The school's nicknameNickname
A nickname is "a usually familiar or humorous but sometimes pointed or cruel name given to a person or place, as a supposedly appropriate replacement for or addition to the proper name.", or a name similar in origin and pronunciation from the original name....
is the Panther
Panthera
Panthera is a genus of the family Felidae , which contains four well-known living species: the tiger, the lion, the jaguar, and the leopard. The genus comprises about half of the Pantherinae subfamily, the big cats...
. They participate in the NCAA
National Collegiate Athletic Association
The National Collegiate Athletic Association is a semi-voluntary association of 1,281 institutions, conferences, organizations and individuals that organizes the athletic programs of many colleges and universities in the United States...
's Division I (I-FCS for football) in the Missouri Valley Football Conference and in the Missouri Valley Conference
Missouri Valley Conference
The Missouri Valley Conference is a college athletic conference whose members are located in the midwestern United States...
for Women's and Men's Basketball and all other sports. The major arena on campus is the UNI-Dome
UNI-Dome
UNI-Dome is a multi-purpose stadium, on the campus of the University of Northern Iowa, in Cedar Falls, Iowa, United States. It opened in 1976, as the home of the UNI Panthers basketball and football teams. The facility's capacity, for football, is 16,324...
currently the home of the football team. The Dome also serves as a venue for many local concerts, high school football playoffs, trade shows, and other events. In 2006, the University opened a new arena, the McLeod Center
McLeod Center
McLeod Center is a 7,018-seat multi-purpose arena on the campus of the University of Northern Iowa in Cedar Falls, Iowa, currently housing the school's teams in men's and women's basketball, women's volleyball, and wrestling. The arena opened November 18, 2006 with a volleyball game against Bradley...
, to serve as the home for several athletic programs, including men's and women's basketball.
UNI Athletics has enjoyed great success lately with the Men's basketball team competing in the NCAA tournament three consecutive times in 2004, 2005, 2006, and again in 2009 and 2010. On March 20, 2010, the men's basketball team defeated the heavily favored, top-seeded Kansas Jayhawks
Kansas Jayhawks
The sports teams at the University of Kansas are known as the Jayhawks. They are one of three schools in the state of Kansas that participate in NCAA Division I. The Jayhawks are also a member of the Big 12 Conference...
to advance to the NCAA Sweet Sixteen. It was the school's first ever appearance in the Sweet Sixteen. The Jayhawks were favored to win the NCAA championship. Their Cinderella (sports)
Cinderella (sports)
In American and Canadian sports, a Cinderella or "Cinderella Story" refers to a team or player who advances much further in a tournament or career than originally anticipated. Cinderellas tend to gain much media and fan attention as they move closer to the championship game at the end of the...
potential ended with a loss to the Michigan State Spartans
Michigan State Spartans
The Michigan State Spartans are the athletic team that represent Michigan State University. The school's athletic program includes 25 varsity sports teams. Their mascot is a Spartan warrior named Sparty, and the school colors are green and white...
in the Sweet Sixteen 59-52. The win over Kansas earned them the 2010 Espy Award from ESPN for Best Upset.
The football team has been ranked in the I-AA (FCS) top 25 almost every year for the last two decades. The team appeared in the I-AA championship game in 2005, only to lose a close game to the Appalachian State Mountaineers. During 2007, the team was ranked #1 in the country by the TSN FCS poll for several weeks. The football team went undefeated in 2007 with an 11-0 record, a first for any school in the 23 year history of the Gateway conference. In 2001 and 2002 the volleyball team reached the NCAA Sweet 16 round, and in 2006 made it to the second round, and has competed in the tournament numerous times. The track team is also very successful (usually ranked in the top 25), as are the wrestling and volleyball teams.
The University of Northern Iowa wrestling team won the NCAA Division I national championship as ISTC in 1949 and NCAA Division II national championships in 1975 and 1978. They compete in the Western Wrestling Conference. In 1977 the women's softball team won the AIAW national championship.
The University of Northern Iowa is one of only two schools in the history of college football to have both an Offensive and Defensive MVP in the NFL. UNI alumni Bryce Paup
Bryce Paup
Bryce Eric Paup is a former American football defensive end and linebacker, who played professionally for the Green Bay Packers , the Buffalo Bills , the Jacksonville Jaguars , and the Minnesota Vikings .-Biography:Paup grew up on a farm in Scranton, Iowa, where he played football at Scranton...
and Kurt Warner
Kurt Warner
Kurtis Eugene "Kurt" Warner is a retired American football player. He played quarterback for three National Football League teams: the St. Louis Rams, the New York Giants, and the Arizona Cardinals. He was originally signed by the Green Bay Packers as an undrafted free agent in 1994 after playing...
have each won the MVP award.
Traditions
There are many traditions at UNI, but perhaps none as popular as campaniling. The UNI campanile comes alive Friday night of Homecoming week each year. At the stroke of midnight, students flock around the tower to steal a kiss from a long-time lover or new acquaintance. This tradition began shortly after the tower was constructed in the 1920s. At that time, there were many more women on campus than men. It is said that a male student would call a random female student to meet him at the campanile. The male student would hide in the bushes and if he did not like what he saw, he would leave the girl waiting and go back and call another one instead. It was also "common knowledge" at one time that if a female student was never kissed during campaniling, she was not a true female. The campaniling tradition faded out over the decades but has since been revived with the efforts of the Alumni Association.There is also a tradition of wearing purple on the Friday of Homecoming. The entire city of Cedar Falls is encouraged to show support for UNI, along with wearing "UNI: Purple For Life" buttons, or any others they have. It promotes a sense of unity and school pride in the community.
UNI Presidents
| # | President | Start of term | End of term |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | James Cleland Gilchrist | 1876 | 1886 |
| 2 | Homer Horatio Seerley | 1886 | 1928 |
| 3 | Orval Ray Latham | 1928 | 1940 |
| 4 | Malcolm Poyer Price | 1940 | 1950 |
| 5 | James William Maucker | 1951 | 1970 |
| 6 | John Joseph Kamerick | 1970 | 1983 |
| 7 | Constantine William Curris | 1983 | 1995 |
| 8 | Robert D. Koob | 1995 | 2006 |
| 9 | Benjamin Allen | 2006 | Present |
President Allen's Website UNI President
Campus Buildings
- Baker Hall - Faculty offices. Formerly an all male dormitory
- Bartlett Hall - Coed Dormitory.
- Bender Hall - Coed Dormitory(Towers Complex)
- Begeman Hall - Newly Renovated Physics Building - opened October 5, 2007
- Biology Research Complex
- Communication Arts Center - Location of radio station KUNI (FM)KUNI (FM)KUNI is a radio station owned and operated by the University of Northern Iowa in Cedar Falls. It is one of two NPR outlets for Eastern Iowa; the other being WSUI in Iowa City. KUNI's transmitter is in Walker, Iowa, with its primary signal covering Cedar Falls, Waterloo, Cedar Rapids and Iowa City...
's studios. - Campbell Hall - Coed (formerly female only) dormitory
- Curris Business Building
- Center for Energy & Environmental Education
- Center for Educational Technology
- Center for Urban Education - Located in Waterloo
- Dancer Hall - Coed Dormitory (Towers Complex)
- Gallagher-Bluedorn Performing Arts Center
- Gilchrist Hall - Administration building. Closed until 2008 due to arson fire during homecoming, Fall 2005, now reopened http://www.library.uni.edu/speccoll/bh/bhgilchn.html
- Greenhouse Annex - Part of the McCollum Science Hall
- Hagemann Hall - All Female Dormitory (Part of Quads Complex)
- Industrial Technology Center - Academic Building
- Innovative Teaching and Technology Center - Previously known as the East Gymnasium. Former Women's Gym. Remodeling was completed late Spring 2006
- Kamerick Art Building - Academic Building; houses the University of Northern Iowa Gallery of Art
- Latham Hall - Academic Building
- Lawther Hall - All female dormitory
- Lang Hall - Academic Building housing the communication departments.
- Maucker Student Union- home of UNI's student-run radio station, KULT 94.5 FM http://www.uni.edu/kult
- McLeod Center - Home of UNI Men's and Women's Basketball, Volleyball, and Wrestling
- McCollum Science Hall - Academic Building housing the science departments.
- Museum
- Native Roadside Vegetation Center
- Noehren Hall - Coed Dormitory (Part of Quads Complex)
- Price Laboratory School - K-12 School Run in Conjunction with the University
- Redeker Center - Center of Quads Complex. Houses UNI Department of Residence and Piazza Dining Center
- Residence on the Hill (ROTH) - Coed Suite Style Residence Hall for Upperclassmen
- Rider Hall - Coed (formerly male only) Dormitory (Part of the Quads Complex)
- Rod Library
- Russell Hall - Academic building and auditorium housing the Music departments
- Sabin Hall - Academic Building
- Schindler Education Center - Academic Building housing the education departments
- Seerley Hall - Home of the Office of the President. Also an Academic Building, home to the History department
- Shull Hall - Coed (formerly male only) Dormitory, recently remodeled for upperclassmen only (Part of Quads Complex)
- Student Health Center-Student Health Clinic, Counseling Center, Student Disability Services, Violence Intervention Services.
- Student Services Center - Attached to Bartlett Hall, formerly known as East Bartlett
- Strayer-Wood Theatre - Theatre that also houses the theatre department of UNI. Home of Theatre UNI
- Towers Center - Home of the Rialto Dining Center
- UNI-DomeUNI-DomeUNI-Dome is a multi-purpose stadium, on the campus of the University of Northern Iowa, in Cedar Falls, Iowa, United States. It opened in 1976, as the home of the UNI Panthers basketball and football teams. The facility's capacity, for football, is 16,324...
- Stadium with seating for 16,000+. Home of UNI Football. - Wellness Recreation Center
- Wright Hall - Academic Building housing the Mathematics and Computer Sciences Departments.
- West Gymnasium - Home of the UNI Military Science program (ROTC) and men's wrestling practice facility. Former home of UNI Women's Basketball, Women's Volleyball, and Men's Wrestling.
Notable alumni
- C. Edward McVaneyC. Edward McVaneyC. Edward McVaney was the co-founder and former CEO of the JD Edwards Corporation, a pioneering Enterprise Resource Planning company purchased by PeopleSoft in 2002. PeopleSoft, in turn was purchased by Oracle Corporation in January 2005.-Early life:McVaney was born in Omaha, Nebraska, December...
, Co-founder and former CEO of the JD Edwards Corporation, a pioneering Enterprise Resource Planning company purchased by PeopleSoft in 2002. - John R. DingerJohn R. DingerJohn R. Dinger currently serves as the Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary in the State Department's Bureau of Intelligence and Research. He was the United States ambassador to Mongolia from October 19, 2000 to June 15, 2003. He was nominated by President Clinton on February 9, 2000 and...
, U.S. Ambassador, Mongolia (2000-2003) - Bess Streeter AldrichBess Streeter AldrichBess Streeter Aldrich was an American author.Bess Streeter was born in Cedar Falls, Iowa. After graduating from Iowa State Normal School, she taught school at several locations in the west, later returning to Cedar Falls to earn an advanced degree in education...
, novelist - Terry Allen (football coach)Terry Allen (football coach)Terry Allen is the head football coach at Missouri State. He was the head coach at the University of Kansas from 1997 to 2001, where he compiled a 20–33 record. He also served as the head coach of the University of Northern Iowa, where his 75–26 record made him the winningest coach in...
, Missouri State head football coach - Eddie BerlinEddie BerlinEdward Walton Berlin , is an American football wide receiver. He was originally drafted by the Tennessee Titans in the fifth round of the 2001 NFL Draft out of the University of Northern Iowa...
, dominating football player in the Gateway Conference and the Tennessee TitansTennessee TitansThe Tennessee Titans are a professional American football team based in Nashville, Tennessee, United States. They are members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Previously known as the Houston Oilers, the team began play in 1960 as a charter...
. - Michael BoydMichael BoydMichael Boyd is a British theatre director, and current artistic director of the Royal Shakespeare Company. He has regularly collaborated with stage designer Tom Piper since they first worked together on a pantomime for the Tron Theatre in Glasgow.-Early years:Boyd was born in Belfast, Northern...
, painter - Bruce CharlesworthBruce CharlesworthBruce Charlesworth is a visual artist known primarily for his photographic, video and multimedia works. He is considered one of the pioneers of post-modern staged photography and an innovator in video installation and interactivity. He received his BA in Art from the University of Northern Iowa ...
, filmmaker and photographer - Joe FullerJoe FullerJoe Fuller is a former defensive back in the National Football League. He played with the San Diego Chargers and the Green Bay Packers.-References:...
, former NFL player - Mike FurreyMike FurreyMichael Thomas Furrey is an American football wide receiver for the Washington Redskins of the National Football League. He was signed by the Indianapolis Colts as an undrafted free agent in 2000. He played college football at Northern Iowa and Ohio State University.Furrey has also played for the...
, NFL wide receiver for the Cleveland BrownsCleveland BrownsThe Cleveland Browns are a professional football team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They are currently members of the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
, and one of the few players to have started a game on both the offensive and defensive side of the ball (as a free safety). - Charles Grassley, U.S. Senator
- Gil GutknechtGil GutknechtGilbert William "Gil" Gutknecht, Jr. is an American politician. Gutknecht was a Republican member of the United States House of Representatives first elected in 1994 to represent Minnesota's 1st congressional district, one of eight congressional districts in Minnesota...
, Former U.S. Congressman - Robert John HibbsRobert John HibbsRobert John Hibbs was a United States Army officer and a recipient of the United States military's highest decoration—the Medal of Honor—for his actions in the Vietnam War.-Biography:...
, Medal of HonorMedal of HonorThe Medal of Honor is the highest military decoration awarded by the United States government. It is bestowed by the President, in the name of Congress, upon members of the United States Armed Forces who distinguish themselves through "conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his or her...
recipient, 1966, Vietnam warVietnam WarThe Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
. - John HallJohn HallJohn Hall may refer to:American government:* John Hall , U.S. Representative from New York and former member of the band Orleans...
, Founder and President of Goose Island Beer Company, Chicago, IL - Roger JepsenRoger JepsenRoger William Jepsen is an American politician from the state of Iowa. A Republican, he served in the United States Senate.-Biography :...
, former U.S. Senator - Bonnie KolocBonnie KolocBonnie Koloc is an American folk music singer-songwriter, actress, and artist who was considered one of the three main Illinois-based folk singers in the 1970s, along with Steve Goodman and John Prine forming the "trinity of the Chicago folk scene."...
, vocalist, recording artist - Pamela LevyPamela LevyPamela Levy was an Israeli artist.Pamela Levy was born in Fairfield, Iowa. She completed a B.A. at the University of Northern Iowa .In 1976 she immigrated to Israel where she started exhibiting her work in solo shows soon after...
, American-Israeli artist - Jason LewisJason LewisJason Lewis is an American actor and former fashion model. He appeared on the May 2008 cover of Men's Fitness.-Early life:...
, nationally syndicated talk host - Greg McDermottGreg McDermott-External links:***...
(basketball coach), currently Creighton UniversityCreighton UniversityCreighton University is a private, coeducational, Jesuit, Roman Catholic university located in Omaha, Nebraska, United States. Founded by the Society of Jesus in 1878, the school is one of 28 member institutions of the Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities. The university is accredited by...
head men's basketball coach - Brad MeesterBrad MeesterBradley Ryan Meester is an American football center for the Jacksonville Jaguars of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Jaguars in the second round of the 2000 NFL Draft...
, NFL player - Abinadi MezaAbinadi MezaAbinadi Meza is a Mexican–American artist whose work has been presented widely across North America and Europe. Meza often uses ephemeral media such as sound to create transformative spaces and explore relationships regarding individuals and social context...
, performance artist - Brian Mitchell (kicker)Brian Mitchell (kicker)Brian Mitchell played college football for Marshall University in 1987 and the University of Northern Iowa from 1989-1991. He holds many UNI football records and NCAA records as well including the most accurate single season kicker in NCAA college football history . His longest field goal was 57...
, Arena Football drop kickDrop kickA drop kick is a type of kick in various codes of football. It involves a player dropping the ball and then kicking it when it bounces off the ground. It contrasts to a punt, wherein the player kicks the ball without letting it hit the ground first....
record holder. - Nick NurseNick NurseNick Nurse is an American basketball coach who is the head coach for the Rio Grande Valley Vipers of the NBA Development League ....
, basketball coach - Bryce PaupBryce PaupBryce Eric Paup is a former American football defensive end and linebacker, who played professionally for the Green Bay Packers , the Buffalo Bills , the Jacksonville Jaguars , and the Minnesota Vikings .-Biography:Paup grew up on a farm in Scranton, Iowa, where he played football at Scranton...
, 1995 NFL Defensive Player of the Year, 4-time Pro Bowler - Tom PettitTom PettitWilliam Thomas "Tom" Pettit was a television news correspondent for NBC from the 1960s through 1995...
, television news correspondent for NBC - Chris PirilloChris PirilloChristopher Joseph Pirillo is the founder and maintainer of Lockergnome, which is a network of blogs, web forums, mailing lists, and online communities. He spent two years hosting the TechTV television program Call for Help, where he also hosted the first annual Call-for-Help-a-Thon...
, former host of TechTV's "Call for Help" show, founder of Lockergnome - Steve ProffittSteve ProffittSteve Proffitt is an American radio journalist who is the former Senior Producer for the NPR newsmagazine, Day to Day.Proffitt began his public broadcasting career at KERA in Dallas. He joined NPR in 1980 and served as an editor and producer...
, senior producer, National Public Radio - Dorothy Jean RayDorothy Jean RayDorothy Jean Ray was an author and anthropologist best known for her study of Native Alaskan art and culture....
, anthropologist - William P. RobinsonWilliam P. RobinsonWilliam P. Robinson is president emeritus of Whitworth University in Spokane, Washington. He served as Whitworth's 17th president, from 1993 to 2010, after serving as president of Manchester College, in Indiana, from 1986 to 1993...
, President of Whitworth UniversityWhitworth UniversityWhitworth University is a private Christian liberal arts college located in Spokane, Washington, United States, that offers Bachelor's and Master's degrees in a variety of academic disciplines. It is affiliated with the Presbyterian Church... - Dean SchwarzDean SchwarzDean Schwarz is an American ceramic artist, painter, writer and teacher. He was also the co-founder and proprietor of South Bear School by which he imparted to students a tradition of functional studio pottery that originated as early as the Middle Ages, and of which an impassioned revival...
, ceramic artist - Warren Allen SmithWarren Allen SmithWarren Allen Smith is an American gay rights activist, writer and humanities humanist. In 1961, Smith started the Variety Recording Studio, a major independent company off Broadway, New York City, with his business partner and longtime companion Fernando Rodolfo de Jesus Vargas Zamora. Smith ran...
, writer - Mary Ellen SoltMary Ellen SoltMary Ellen Solt, née Bottom was an American concrete poet. Her work was most notably poems in the shape of flowers such as "Forsythia", "Lilac", and"Geranium"...
, poet - Phyllis SomervillePhyllis SomervillePhyllis Somerville, born 1944, is an American stage, screen, and television actress. Her most prominent role to date was in 2006 as the mother of the sexual predator played by Jackie Earle Haley in Todd Field's Little Children....
film, theatre and television actress - Mark SteinesMark SteinesMark Anthony Steines is an American broadcast journalist and host of the syndicated gossip and entertainment round-up program Entertainment Tonight since 2004. He joined the show on August 24, 1995.-Personal life:...
, co-host of Entertainment TonightEntertainment TonightEntertainment Tonight is a daily tabloid television entertainment television news show that is syndicated by CBS Television Distribution throughout the United States, Canada and in many countries around the world. Linda Bell Blue is currently the program's executive producer... - Bill StewartBill Stewart (musician)William Harris "Bill" Stewart is an American jazz drummer. Stewart is a versatile player who has performed with a broad array of musicians, from Maceo Parker to Jim Hall...
, jazz musician - Tyree TaltonTyree TaltonTyree Talton is a former American football defensive back in the National Football League and the XFL. He played for the NFL's Detroit Lions in 1999. In 2001, he played for the New York/New Jersey Hitmen. He played at the collegiate level at the University of Northern Iowa.-References:...
, former NFL player - Krista VodaKrista VodaKrista Voda is an American sportscaster who covers auto racing. Voda is a pit reporter for NASCAR on Fox and is the host of The Setup, the pre-race show for coverage of the Camping World Truck Series, as well as Trackside on Speed Channel.Voda was born and raised in Clinton, Iowa and attended the...
, NASCAR Camping World Truck Series announcer - Kurt WarnerKurt WarnerKurtis Eugene "Kurt" Warner is a retired American football player. He played quarterback for three National Football League teams: the St. Louis Rams, the New York Giants, and the Arizona Cardinals. He was originally signed by the Green Bay Packers as an undrafted free agent in 1994 after playing...
, two-time National Football LeagueNational Football LeagueThe National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
MVP, MVP of Super Bowl XXXIVSuper Bowl XXXIVSuper Bowl XXXIV featured the National Football Conference champion St. Louis Rams and the American Football Conference champion Tennessee Titans in an American football game to decide the National Football League champion for the 1999 regular season... - Joey WoodyJoey WoodyJoey Woody is an American track and field athlete in the 400 meter hurdles event.Woody attended the University of Northern Iowa, where he was the 1997 NCAA champion in the 400 m hurdles. Woody placed third in the USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships and qualified for the 1997 World...
, national champion U.S. hurdler - Will WilkinsonWill WilkinsonWill Wilkinson is a Canadian American libertarian writer. Until August 2010, he was a research fellow at the Cato Institute where he worked on a variety of issues including Social Security reform and, most notably, the policy implications of happiness research. He is currently working on a paper...
, political writer and policy analyst - Paul EmerickPaul EmerickPaul Emerick is a USA international rugby player. His position is centre or wing. He last played for Ulster Rugby before being released.-Club:...
, Member of USA Eagles (National Rugby Team)and International Professional Rugby Player
Notable faculty
- Donna AlvermannDonna AlvermannDonna Alvermann is a researcher and teacher educator whose work focuses on adolescents’ digital and media literacies and youth-initiated engagement with all kinds of texts both in and out of school. Currently she is University Appointed Distinguished Research Professor of Language and Literacy...
, former professor of education, now distinguished professor and researcher in education at the University of GeorgiaUniversity of GeorgiaThe University of Georgia is a public research university located in Athens, Georgia, United States. Founded in 1785, it is the oldest and largest of the state's institutions of higher learning and is one of multiple schools to claim the title of the oldest public university in the United States... - Jeremy BeckJeremy BeckJeremy Beck is a dramatic and lyrical American composer of works for varying orchestral, chamber and vocal forces. The critic Mark Sebastian Jordan has said that "Beck was committed to tonality and a recognizable musical vernacular long before that became the hip bandwagon it is today. Indeed, [he...
, composer, Associate Professor of Composition & Theory (1992–98) - Herb HakeHerb HakeHerb Hake was an American author, cartoonist, radio, and television personality; associated with the University of Northern Iowa. He was awarded several honorary doctoral degrees.-Biography:...
, television personality - James HearstJames HearstJames Hearst , born James Schell Hearst, was an American poet, philosopher and university professor, who was sometimes described as the “Robert Frost of the Midwest.” -Background:Hearst was born and raised on a farm just west...
, poet and former professor - Miguel Franz PintoMiguel Franz PintoMiguel Franz Pinto was a Cuban American vocal coach, conductor, and pianist. He studied piano at the Juilliard School of Music in New York City under Adele Marcus, earning both a Bachelor of Arts and Master of Science degrees...
, vocal coach, conductor, and pianist - Loree RackstrawLoree RackstrawLoree Rackstraw is an American literary critic and memoirist. She taught English at the University of Northern Iowa from 1966–1996, and she is the author of Love As Always, Kurt: Vonnegut As I Knew Him .-Biography:...
, literary critic and memoirist - Leland SageLeland SageLeland Livingston Sage was an American professor emeritus of history at the University of Northern Iowa. He was deeply interested in Iowa history, and wrote two books on it, both of which won national recognition from the American Association for State and Local History...
, former professor - Norm StewartNorm StewartNorman E. "Norm)" Stewart is a retired American college basketball coach. He coached at the University of Northern Iowa from 1961 to 1967, but is best known for his career with the University of Missouri from 1967 until 1999. He retired with an overall coaching record of 731-375 in 38 seasons...
, former men's basketball coach who went on to become a legendary coach at the University of MissouriUniversity of MissouriThe University of Missouri System is a state university system providing centralized administration for four universities, a health care system, an extension program, five research and technology parks, and a publishing press. More than 64,000 students are currently enrolled at its four campuses... - Robert James WallerRobert James WallerRobert James Waller is an American author, also known for his work as a photographer and musician.-Life:Waller received his B.A. and M.A. from University of Northern Iowa . He received his Ph.D...
, former professor of business, author of The Bridges of Madison CountyThe Bridges of Madison CountyThe Bridges of Madison County is a 1992 best-selling novel by Robert James Waller which tells the story of a married but lonely Italian woman, living in 1960s Madison County, Iowa, who engages in an affair with a National Geographic photographer from Bellingham, Washington who is visiting Madison...