Department of Civil, Construction, and Environmental Engineering

By Dean Hughes

In late December 2004, I received a notice from Iowa State reminding me that the Alumni Association would be including the class of 1940 in their plans for Alumni Days. Of course, the 50-year class is the main feature. My check is in the mail!

May 17
After making a leisurely trip from Colorado, I arrived in Ames and checked in at the Memorial Union on the Iowa State campus. As I picked up the cart to go get my luggage, one of the ladies at the desk came and helped me get the luggage to my room. That was particularly helpful because there is a set of steps at the entrance from the garage to the Union.

May 18
I took the guided bus tour of the campus, which ended at the Reiman Gardens for a box lunch. One of the garden's features is an almost complete group of Griffith Buck's roses. He had developed them while working on campus. They are the basis of my rose collection here at home.

When Alice and I had been on campus for her 50th class reunion, no one there could tell me where to obtain the roses. I eventually found a source in California to start the group around our patio. His roses have now been recognized by the American Rose Society and are available from several major sources.

At 5 o'clock we went into Great Hall to hear a one man, one act play on the life of George Washington Carver. It had been written and was put on by Paxton Williams, a former Iowa State graduate. The story covered Carver's life very well and was well worth attending.

May 19
After breakfast we attended receptions held by the colleges in which we had studied. All engineers met in the new Hoover Hall lobby, which had been opened during this past year. The landmark Marston water tower is just outside the large glass front on the building.

I remembered my time working just to the northwest of that tower as a student. New buildings have replaced the building I worked in.

From there I went to the civil engineering meeting in Town Engineering. I had a very good visit with Dr. Carl Ekberg who had been head of the civil engineering school when I was visiting the campus to interview seniors.

We also had a mutual friend in Kent Goodell. I had worked with Kent at American Bridge, and Carl had known Kent when they were in the Navy during World War II. Max Porter who had worked in my group in Chicago one summer also visited with me. A great deal of the time was spent with each of the visitors telling of his life and work.

Tales of summer surveying camp at Wirt, Minnesota, were also shared. Of course, most of them had been there much later than I had. I was in the first group that went to that site. It had been much more primitive then.

That evening was the dinner for all attending graduates, with members of the 50-year class marching across the stage as their names were announced to receive a medal commemorating the occasion.

May 20
I was up and ready to leave at an early hour.

I should add that all of the guides, drivers, and helpers were Iowa State students and were a very friendly and helpful group. Everyone appreciated having them around, and there was always one or more around every time one had a question.

May 22 I have arrived at home. To those of you in the habit of looking at the end to see how the story came out—all is well. Needless to say, tomorrow will be laundry day!