ISU alumni from seven different decades returned to campus last week to reminisce about their days at Iowa State.

“Campus is a lot different now; there were only 3,800 people here when I graduated, and it was called Iowa State College, not Iowa State University,” said Robert Mericle of the class of 1929.

Alumni Days 2004 featured the 50-year reunion of the class of 1954, with 200 graduates returning. More than 400 alumni celebrating 50-year to 75-year reunions returned for the event.

“This is the most 50-year graduates we have ever had attend,” said Julie Larson, Alumni Days program director.

A highlight of this year’s festivities was the performance of Piersol’s Nifty Fiftieth.

This group of musicians, directed by Frank Piersol, was comprised of 13 Class of ’54 members and Ames Community Band members, said Pat Thiede, Alumni Days support specialist.

Thiede said Piersol is the same director Class of ’54 band members played for 50 years ago.

Mericle, of West Des Moines, attended Alumni Days this year as he has for many years.

The 96-year-old said he is a loyal supporter of Iowa State and has fond memories of his time here.

“I was the only one there from the Class of ’29 five years ago, and I was the only one this year,” Mericle said. “I am an old-timer there.”

Things have changed a great deal since Mericle studied at Iowa State.

“I rode the train from Blue Earth, Minn., to get to Ames when I started at Iowa State,” Mericle said.

Blue Earth is a moderately sized town in rural southern Minnesota. Today, no passenger train routes run between Blue Earth and Ames.

“I lived with some other guys in downtown Ames, and we walked to class everyday,” Mericle said.

“It cost about $2,000 for me to go to Iowa State back then.”

Mericle said he paid for most of his education through the ROTC program.

With only 3,800 people at the college, life at Iowa State was much different, Mericle said.

“About three-quarters of those were men, so women were pretty much in the driver’s seat,” he said.

Mericle said he graduated Iowa State in 1929 with a degree in veterinary medicine, and went on to spend his career working for the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

In June 1970, Mericle received the Stange Award from Iowa State. He said he is especially proud of this award, because it was the first year the award was given, and it was given to only three outstanding veterinarians.

Mericle retired in 1971. He said he had three sons that graduated Iowa State.

“I have a grandson that I tried to convince to go to Iowa State, but he wanted to play baseball, so he went to Iowa,” he said.

Mericle said he enjoyed attending Alumni Days this year and plans to continue going.

“It was good to get together and talk about the old college days,” he said.