The largest endowed chair ever at Iowa State is being created with the estate of a former dean.

Helen LeBaron Hilton, former dean of the College of Home Economics (now the College of Family and Consumer Sciences) from 1952-75, died in 1993, but her name will not be forgotten at ISU.

Hilton’s estate has given more than $1.3 million to establish an endowed chair in the College of Family and Consumer Sciences. The chair was unveiled Aug. 17 in MacKay Auditorium.

It is the first endowed chair in the college and the largest ever at

ISU.

The Dean Helen LeBaron Hilton Chair was created to meet the changing needs of the college.

Each year, the position will be filled by a new recipient whose qualifications match the year’s specific priorities.

This year’s endowed chair is Allison Engel, a journalist who will be working with outreach for the college.

“The interesting thing about it is that every year, someone else will be chosen to be the chair,” she said. “My position is for outreach. I will make sure the good works of the college reaches a larger audience.”

Engel said an endowed chair is normally a life-long position.

Engel will be urging faculty members to write opinion pieces and will encourage them to send story ideas to journalists around the country.

Engel is not new to ISU. She is a university alumnus who graduated with honors in 1973 in home economics journalism with a concentration in textiles and clothing.

She served under Hilton, was awarded the national Fleishmann Scholarship for home economics journalism and created and edited the special edition Monday ISU Daily. She was named Outstanding Alumnus of ISU in 1985.

Engel has also been a free lance writer and has appeared on “60 Minutes,” “The Today Show,” the “Home Show,” “Larry King Live,” CNN and “Live with Regis and Kathie Lee.”

“I was lucky enough to be at ISU when [Hilton] was dean,” Engel said.” he was a ground breaker in a lot of ways and the first to do a lot of community [based work].

“I was truly speechless when Dean Crabtree informed me that I was chosen. It’s both a privilege and a challenge,” she added. “I plan to showcase the strengths of this college. I am thrilled by this honor and eager to get to work to help make a difference.”

Beverly Crabtree is the dean of the College of Family and Consumer Sciences.

Several members of Hilton’s family, from North Carolina, South Carolina and Georgia, were present when the endowed chair recipient was announced.

Robert Parks, former ISU president, was also in attendance.