To the editor:

I would like to comment on the Feb. 22 letter to the editor written by the Director of University Relations, John McCarroll.

I agree that the issues Iowa State faces are no different than those faced by our peer public institutions of higher learning.

Faced with diminishing public funds, university administrators are forced to pay homage to genuine and supportive ($) alumni and corporations.

Without this assistance, much-needed expansion and growth would not be possible.

And yes, we as university staff and students do owe much to the generosity of such donors.

However, I do find some aspects of the present situation a bit unsettling.

Academic buildings used to be named after academics who were dedicated to, and excelled in, their respective fields.

These great individuals were evaluated by their peers and deemed exceptional. Examples include plant taxonomist Charles Bessey and organic chemist Henry Gilman, who each made great contributions to science.

Likewise, we honor the accomplishments of our previous administrators, whose service and dedication to the university were noteworthy.

Presidents William Beardshear and William Parks are members of this lot, and deserve the recognition that has been bestowed upon them.

While our alumni deserve our thanks and gratitude for their financial support, is it necessary that their names be attached to the buildings they help construct?

What is wrong with properly acknowledging the gifts in a plaque displayed in an atrium?

To me, our current system sends the wrong message: It is not academic, but monetary contributions that count.

If Larry Flynt were an ISU alumus and contributed $10 million, would his name appear in bright lights? Might we see the construction of the “Larry Flynt Center for Woman’s Studies?”

Often have we heard university officials proclaim with pride that Iowa State is the “Best Land Grant University.”

While I do not disagree with such a claim, I find that such a mantra reeks of hypocrisy when one looks at how this institution respects the vision of the progressively-minded Vermonter and U.S. Senator, Justin Smith Morrill, who introduced the ‘Land Grant Acts’ (1862 and 1890) that bear his name.

The beautiful building that bears his name, Morrill Hall, lies empty, vacant, its head upon the chopping block.

Where are the generous alumni now? Why will they not donate the needed funds for this building’s renovation? Is it because they cannot have their name attached to it? Is it because it is not a university priority?

A new building to house the honors program is set to be constructed but a hair’s breadth from central campus. Interesting how the university accepts a prestigious award for having a beautiful campus one minute, yet makes plans for bulldozers the next.

Why not renovate Morrill Hall, preserve green space in central campus, and situate our wonderful honors program in an equally wonderful and historic building?

Justin Morrill would be proud of such an act; instead he is likely looking at the current circumstances and turning in his grave.

Michael Dosmann

Graduate student

Horticulture