Thanks to the construction of the new Jacobson Building, Iowa State Athletics finally has a place to recognize the achievements of those who have played sports for the cardinal and gold.

The Louis Menze Hall of Fame and the Gary Thompson Hall of Honor will recognize Iowa State athletes. These collections will be housed in the atrium level of the Jacobson Building.

The Louis Menze Hall of Fame is named after the late Cyclone coach and athletic director. Contribution from Menze’s sons, Bob and Keith, along with Waldo Wegner, Iowa State’s first basketball All-American and player coached by Menze, have made the Hall of Fame a reality.

“The Hall of Fame is something that has been needed here at Iowa State. I don’t think most fans and athletes know about Iowa State’s rich heritage. It is my job to start making people more aware of what we have accomplished,” said Thad Dohrn, an intern in the media relations office of the athletic department.

The Hall of Fame selection committee is currently debating the inaugural class. The committee is made up of letter winners and other distinguished members. The selection committee will choose from the list of nominees submitted by the letter winners and coaches.

The Letterwinners Club will be responsible for the financial operation of the Hall of Fame in the future and will select those to be enshrined therein, said Tom Kroeschell, director of media relations for the athletic department.

The inaugural class will be inducted at a ceremony during the weekend of Oct. 17-19, 1997, in conjunction with the football game against Oklahoma State.

“This has been a long time in coming. We are doing this the right way, not rushing into it. Instead, we have taken a deliberate step-by-step process that will culminate one year from now when we induct our initial Hall of Fame class,” Kroeschell said.

Julie Manning, ISU’s women’s golf coach, is both a letter winner and member of the selection committee.

“I am extremely confident that the necessary research, investigating and interviewing legwork is being handled with the utmost care and respect. We consider this to be the highest honor of all for the Iowa State student-athletes who have competed for the cardinal and gold,” she said.

The Louis Menze Hall of Fame will feature three types of displays, permanent collection, the seasonal exhibits and the trophy collection. The exhibits will be evenly split between football and the rest of the athletic programs. The west side of the hall will feature football collections while the east side will be devoted to the other sports.

Another collection will exhibit Iowa Staters that have participated in Olympic competition.

“We have already received a couple of uniforms and other memorabilia. Efforts are currently underway to get more items from the Olympians,” Dohrn said.

The remaining permanent exhibits in the Hall of Fame will honor Iowa State’s national champions and All-Americans from 1995. The national champion exhibit will list all the national champions and will highlight ISU’s most decorated champions with biographies.

Trophy cases will line the center of the atrium to display some of Iowa State’s best awards. The centerpiece the collection will be the display of Iowa State’s 14 national championships. As well as trophies and memorabilia from Iowa State’s bowl appearances.

The second type of display is seasonal exhibits that will be housed in shadowboxes that will line the staircase. These will feature a collection that will rotate seasonally. The exhibits will focus on individual team accomplishments as well as some of Iowa State’s premier athletes.

Gary Thompson Hall of Honor

In addition to the Hall of Fame, there is going to be a Hall of Honor named after All-American Gary Thompson.

The Gary Thompson Hall of Honor honors athletes for their achievements outside of sports. Jack Trice is one of the athletes featured in the hall.

Thompson held every Iowa State scoring record on his graduation including 40 points in one game. One of the most unforgettable games was a stunning upset against Kansas in 1957. Thompson played a major role in the game leading the Cyclones to a 39-37 victory, out-scoring Wilt Chamberlain.

After he graduated his jersey, No. 20, was retired. Thompson was also Iowa State’s baseball’s All-American shortstop in 1957.

“The development of the Gary Thompson Hall of Honor is still underway. The Hall of Honor will recognize the unique accomplishments of Iowa State athletes on and off the field. One example will be the creation of an exhibit to honor the athletics that were war veterans,” Dohrn said.

The Hall of Fame and Hall of Honor will not be fully completed until October 1997. The Jacobson Building is open to the public.