The largest cash gift ever to be given to an Iowa public education institution was awarded to Iowa State University last Thursday when a $7 million donation was announced.

The gift, which is the second million-dollar donation announced last week, was donated by Stanley M. and Helen Howe of Muscatine. Their $6 million dollar cash gift will be supplemented by an additional $1 million in furniture from HON Industries in Muscatine, Stanley Howe’s place of business for nearly 50 years.

The donations will go to the Engineering Teaching and Research Complex, a set of buildings being constructed to propel engineering education at ISU into the future. The new complex will replace Engineering Hall, the Engineering Research Institute and the Engineering Annex.

“It is the largest project in Iowa State history,” said ISU President Martin Jischke. “This project will literally reshape parts of Iowa State University. This complex is the centerpiece of Iowa State’s vision of the future of Iowa State Engineering.”

The Howes are both former students of ISU. Stanley Howe is a 1946 engineering graduate, and he earned an M.B.A. degree from Harvard Business School in 1948. Upon graduation, he returned to Muscatine to help turn HON Industries into a Fortune 1000 company.

Helen Howe, who attended Iowa State for two years, received her bachelor’s degree from Iowa Wesleyan College in 1981. Both said they are committed to giving back to their community.

“It was here at Iowa State that I was introduced to the idea,” said Stanley Howe. “I’ve been very fortunate and have received a lot, and maybe that idea planted here at Iowa State a long time ago had something to do with giving this gift.”

The Howes’ generosity will be commemorated by the naming of Stanley and Helen Howe Hall, part of the Engineering Teaching and Research Complex.

Another large donation was given to the university last week, when Enlow and Melena Ose of Sacramento, Calif., contributed $1 million to the ISU Presidential Scholarship Campaign.

The projected $26 million campaign has accumulated a total of $24 million. A portion of the funds is used to offer scholarships to National Merit Scholars.

More than 100 Merit Scholars will attend ISU this fall, ranking ISU among the top four public universities in the nation for National Merit Scholar enrollment.

Melena Adams Ose graduated from ISU in 1946 in dietetics and has served as a governor of the ISU Foundation since 1983. Enlow Ose received a degree in mechanical engineering from Iowa State in 1947.