Family trips to Iowa State University 1958-1964

After Tom left for college in 1958 and Kent left in 1960, Dad, Mom, Kathy and Marita would take weekend trips to visit. Mom and Dad loved visiting Iowa State with all its agricultural connections. In the fall we would attend the Little International Livestock Show to watch the students compete showing livestock from the animal science dept. in the ag college. The most exciting and funniest part of the evening would be when the students rotated around the show rink to show the other students’ livestock. The sheep showman would have to show cattle, the cattle showman would have to show horses, etc. Then they would name a grand champion showman.

Tommy’s Graduation (1962)

In early May we would attend VEISHEA (the names represented the 5 colleges at ISU in 1922 - Vet med., Engineering, Industrial Science, Home Economics, and Agriculture). This was (and still is) the largest student run festival in the U.S. There would be open houses in various departments, a parade, and a student musical. In 1963 the musical was “The Music Man” and Meredith Wilson himself led the marching band in the Veishea parade. During the intermission of the musical one evening he came on the stage and the audience gave him a 10 min. standing ovation (Kathy timed it!).

One of the most interesting open houses was always in the physics department. One year they were shining a special light beam over our heads from one side wall to the other. They said it was called a laser and they didn’t know what it would be used for, but they wanted us to see it.

Kent and Tom both lived in the AGR fraternity house. The house mother would graciously greet us and the fraternity guys would give us a tour of the house. We would sometimes get to eat a meal in their dining room too. What most impressed Kathy was the big sleeping dorm room where there were lots of bunk beds and the windows were left open year around. The guys claimed they could get by with an hour less of sleep per night from breathing all that cold, fresh air. The guys on the bottom bunk would hang their alarm clock by a shoe string from the bottom of the spring of the top bunk.

We attended football games in the old stadium near the west side of campus just off old LIncoln Highway. The stadium was like a high school football field with bleachers. Kathy and Marita sat in the bleachers in the end zone where the seats were less expensive for kids. The games seemed to last forever compared to high school football games. Kathy was most impressed with the drum majorette of the ISU marching band at halftime. The girl who had amazing twirling skills with her baton would have a full scholarship to ISU because of this ability.

Kent’s Graduation (1964)




The ISU campus was beautifully landscaped and looked good every season of the year. But it especially shone at the time of Veishea in the spring. Lake LaVerne by the student union would have the two swans Lancelot and Elaine, and concerts would chime out from the tall, slender campanile (bell tower) in the middle of campus. -Kathy

Footnote:
Kent and Debi’s son Mark Ringkob was the co-chair of Veishea in 2002!