An ISU alumnus donated $500,000 to the department of aerospace engineering in the College of Engineering to provide an endowed professorship in the name of former ISU President Martin Jischke.

The donor, Roger Hanson of Fullerton, Calif., graduated from Iowa State with bachelor’s degrees in electrical and mechanical engineering in 1954. He also completed a doctorate in theoretical and applied mechanics at Iowa State in 1958 and earned a law degree from the University of Southern California in 1965. He also serves as an ISU Foundation Governor.

Typically, Foundation Governors are alumni of the university and have made substantial contributions to the university in terms of time and money. The group is highly active with Iowa State and affects the success of the ISU Foundation.

Hanson said he donated the money because he wanted to provide the college a gift that could last forever.

“[I want to provide] something that is perpetual.” Hanson said. “It’s the type of gift I like to sponsor.”

The endowed professorship is the only of its kind in aerospace engineering, said Tom Shih, professor and chairman of the department.

An endowed professorship will provide about $30,000 per year in interest, depending on market conditions. Some of this money is invested back into the endowment to ensure dividends remain at the same level. About $22,000 per year is given to the professor to use at his or her discretion. The professor is given access to the funds generated by the endowment, said Jason Menke, spokesman for the ISU Foundation.

Hanson said he expects the professorship to be used to support graduate research.

“The professor will be able to use the money for equipment and other things [needed for research],” he said.

Hanson said he chose to give the professorship in the name of the former president because he felt Jischke is someone who should be commemorated.

“I knew Jischke because of the Board of Directors,” he said.

“He was a good leader, and he raised a lot of money for the school.”

Individual donors are allowed to decide in whose name the donation is given in, Menke said. The donor can also choose how the money is allocated.

Hanson received his doctorate in mechanics, which is now a part of the aerospace engineering program. He said he chose aerospace engineering to receive the endowment because of his background.

The aerospace engineering program is currently looking for someone to take the professorship, Shih said. He said someone will be installed for the position next year.

“We are recruiting one of the best in the country,” he said.