Martin Luther King Jr. Day was declared a federal holiday in 1983 to celebrate the civil rights leader’s birthday. In 1986, it was observed as a work holiday.

“Martin Luther King Jr. Day is one of ten legal paid public holidays in the collective bargaining agreement” said Laura Doering, university registrar.

The collective bargaining agreement and Iowa Code set legally paid holidays.

Iowa State University allots nine holidays without classes: New Year’s Day, Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day and the Friday after and two days for Christmas. New Year’s Day and the two days for Thanksgiving and Christmas fall during scheduled breaks.

“The holiday designation does allow people to attend events that are scheduled on that day without having to deal with what would be worker and class conflicts,” Doering said.

The tenth public holiday is considered Veterans Day, but classes are still held.

“There have been times at Iowa State when people raise the question on Veterans Day,” said Warren Madden, senior vice president for business and finance. “The Registrar’s Office and the group that sets the calendar have indicated they don’t want that to be a holiday.”

Doering said Veterans Day wasn’t part of the negotiated days off for class because of the collective bargaining contract.

“As registrar, I think of calendar principles,” Doering said. “I build that in compliance with contract and state code with input from the appropriate university partners.”

When the discussion of making Martin Luther King Jr. Day a holiday was occurring in the 1980s, Madden said that one of the conversations was that the designated day would allow people to take the day off and recognize and educate people about Martin Luther King Jr.

“Part of Martin Luther King is to encourage people in some of the education and programming activities that recognize the contributions that Dr. King made to Civil Rights,” Madden said.

Madden said there are about the same number of class days when comparing the fall and spring semesters. Doering said maybe Veterans Day was not scheduled as a class-free holiday because of the amount of class days needed to better balance the semesters, but again said it boils down to the collective bargaining contract.

The Iowa Department of Administrative Services, Human Resource Enterprise negotiates collective bargaining contracts with three union groups in the state of Iowa. The American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees group includes employees such as blue collar, clerical, fiscal and staff, security and technical: many of which Iowa State University employs.

Though holidays are scheduled, Madden said there will be some sort of employee working all the time, especially if the holiday doesn’t fall on fall, winter or spring breaks. Employees for areas such as dining centers, market places, technical and security are always needed, he said.

In observing Martin Luther King Jr. Day, dining centers were still open and presented a special Martin Luther King Jr. Day meal. The book store held hours, but university offices were closed.

Doering said Iowa State is working on a calendar that is already scheduled to 2021.

“These calendar principals were developed by a calendar committee a very long time ago and they continue to be ratified for future years,” Doering said.

The Ames Community held a celebration event at Ames Middle School where Dean of Students Pamela Anthony gave a keynote address.

Iowa Code states Martin Luther King Jr. Day a holiday as such:

“The third Monday of January of each year is designated as Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, which shall be a recognition day in honor of the late civil rights leader and Nobel Peace Prize recipient, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

The governor is authorized and requested to issue annually a proclamation designating such Monday as Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day and calling on the people and officials of the state of Iowa to commemorate the life and principles of Dr. King, to display the American flag, and to hold appropriate private services and ceremonies.”