On Wednesday, Sept. 12, countless people gathered out at the College of Veterinary Medicine to attend the dedication of the Hixson-Lied Small Animal Hospital. The new facility contains 22 exam rooms, five treatment rooms and 10 teaching rounds rooms for veterinarian students. Also included is an intensive care/emergency medicine unit, an anesthesia/surgery suite and a spacious client reception area which are species-specific.

Lisa K. Nolan, dean of the College of Veterinary Medicine, gave the opening speech and thanked multiple people including Christine Hixson, who provided the lead gift of $3 million dollars to the animal hospital project. 

In thanking Hixson, Nolan said: “You’re gift has made this day possible. It’s impact and benefits will keep Iowa State at the forefront of quality veterinarian health care and education for many years to come. It will enable us to recruit and retain the best faculty, doctors, specialists and students and provide a wonderful environment in which to learn and practice the highest quality veterinary medicine.”

Nolan also thanked Gene and Lisa Lloyd, saying: “Their lead gift got the whole hospital project rolling in 2006.” 

“What you see here today is a combination of countless hours of consultation, design and construction with a careful expenditure of $45 million in state and donor funding to bring together in the finest in technology and structure for caring for our pets and educating the next generation of veterinarians,” Nolan said.

Lastly, Nolan added, “This hospital is focused on improving the lives of our animal family members and making sure their future doctors have a world class education.”

ISU President Steven Leath spoke after Nolan saying he and his wife were  “delighted to be here and this great veterinary college is one of the reason we were attracted to Iowa State and the tremendous reputation and this dedication we’re doing today is more progress of a great school.”

“Not only is this a known college throughout the nation for what it has done, but these enhancements we’re seeing now, that we see almost regularly at the vet school, are making a huge difference to our national reputation both as a college and a university,” Leath said. 

“I’ve looked at the excellence that is happening in this college, you’ve recently created 11 endowed positions in chairs, professorships and, of course, the dean’s position. You’re grant funding is up 34 percent in the last four years alone, which is a tremendous testimony of your research capabilities in addition to your clinical capabilities. And enrollment continues to be extremely strong in this college,” Leath said.

Leath concluded saying: “I look at what the vet school does in contributing to Iowa State as a whole and it’s one of our strongest colleges. It contributes to our overall mission, and it really talks about what we are as a land grant university.”

Paul Thomas, a fourth-year veterinary student and 2005 Hixson Scholar, was the third speaker. Two of Paul’s older brothers received their veterinary degree from Iowa State, and his younger brother is a first year veterinary student in the college. Thomas shared how he met Hixson five years ago when he received the Hixson scholarship.

“It’s wonderful for me to see Hixson again, so that she can see in part thanks to her I will graduate with my veterinary degree. And it’s also a very special honor to me to be able to thank Hixson for her gift to the hospital,” Thomas said.

“Now, thanks again to her generosity, all those who supported the renovation of the hospital, the rest of my peers, will get to experience this support in their professional training,” Thomas said. 

In conclusion, Thomas stated: “As we rotate through each service, we encounter amazing facilities that allow Iowa State’s clinicians to provide a new, higher standard of care. This all translates to better learning opportunities for us students.”

At the end of the dedication, a ceremonial ribbon crossing was held. Crossing the ribbon were six dogs, all of different breeds, shapes and colors including Leath’s two dogs, Quill and Dixie.