With the help of generations of ISU alumni, Reiman Gardens will soon become a year-round classroom.

A deferred gift of $1 million from the Hughes family of Cedar Rapids to the ISU Foundation will support the development of the new conservatory complex at Reiman Gardens, scheduled to open in the fall of 2002.

The Hughes family includes Hazel S. and Dwight W. Hughes, both graduates of Iowa State from the 1930s, Dwight Hughes Jr., ISU graduate from 1970, his wife Deb and their children, Tom, Judy and John. Tom currently attends Iowa State as a senior in horticulture, and John will be a freshman in engineering and business in the fall.

“Our family’s involvement has strengthened our bond with the university,” Dwight Hughes Jr. said.

But the donation was prompted by more than just the family’s loyalty to their alma mater. Hughes said they also chose to donate to Iowa State because it was a secure investment.

“Iowa State is a superior land-grant school,” he said. “It is going to be there forever. We’re investing in education, which is clearly the purest form of economic development, in my view.”

The complex will contain a conservatory featuring permanent plants and rotating plant displays, a butterfly wing and a growing greenhouse. It will also house a learning center, named for Dwight W. Hughes, featuring audio-visual equipment that will provide hands-on experience to students in horticulture, entomology and agricultural fields.

A hospitality center, named for Hazel S. Hughes, will offer food to visitors and give students in business and food management retail experience.

“This gift will create a state-of-the-art learning environment for undergraduate and graduate students at Iowa State that is one of a kind,” said Tom Mitchell, president of the ISU Foundation.

Teresa McLaughlin, Reiman Gardens program manager, said she hopes the gardens will become Iowa State’s newest classroom.

“We’re ecstatic. To have a family honor us in that fashion is quite remarkable,” she said.

Hughes said the family donated the money to benefit both the ISU community and the state of Iowa.

“There’s no question in my mind that Reiman Gardens will be a major destination point for people all across the country,” he said. “We want to bring joy to Iowans, Midwesterners and Americans who will visit Reiman Gardens in the future.”