S17-8
MEMORIAL RESOLUTIONS
William (Bill) Abraham
Wesley F. Buchele
Beverly J. Crabtree
Steven Fales
Charles V. Hall
Clinton F. Hodges
Riad Mahayni
Peter Peterson
John W. Schafer
Frank Schaller
Gerald W. Smith
Charles Thoen
Walter Wedin
Iowa State University Faculty Senate
December 12, 2017
William (Bill) Abraham, a former Iowa State University Department of Chemical
Engineering faculty member, passed away December 28 at the age of 84. He was a
resident of Ames, Iowa at the time of his passing. He graduated from Cornell
University with a B.S. in Chemical Engineering, and earned a Ph.D. in Chemical
Engineering from Purdue University. He was an Iowa State chemical engineering
professor from the early 1960s through the mid-1990s and was named Emeritus
Professor in 1994.
Bill and his family spent five years in the Philippines where he worked on a project
to develop a chemical engineering program at the University of the Philippines. He
also served for two years as a Lieutenant in the U.S. Air Force. After retiring from
Iowa State he pursued a lifelong interest in legal issues and obtained a law degree
from Drake University. He passed the Iowa Bar and volunteered with the Legal
Aid Society of Story County.
Dr. Wesley F. Buchele, March 18, 1920 – September 13, 2017
His inventions changed the landscape of America, and perhaps the world. Dr. Wesley F. Buchele, ISU
professor emeritus in agricultural engineering, died Sept. 13, peacefully at Israel Family Hospice House in
Ames. He was 97.
At ISU, Wes’ creativity blossomed working with students and faculty, he published hundreds of
technical articles and he was awarded 23 patents, the two most notable being the large round baler and
the axial-flow or helical-flow threshing cylinder for combines.
Wes had many sayings, laws and proverbs. Students and faculty could tell where he was in the teaching of a
certain field tillage course when “It’s a SIN TO PLOW!” echoed down the hall from his classroom. (He was
promoting minimum tillage, to dramatically reduce soil erosion.) Another was, “The educated mind resists
returning to its former state of ignorance,” and finally, “A college education is the one thing people will pay
good money for and be happy not to receive!”
Leading up to and after retirement in 1989, Mary and Wes traveled the world, teaching in China, Australia,
Tanzania, Nigeria and the Philippines before settling in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, and driving their RV
around the country to stay with their four children’s families. In 2000, his beloved Mary died unexpectedly
and Wes stopped traveling by RV, but still continued to visit his children. When Wes arrived, he would ask
for “the list,” a list of things that needed fixing around the house, promising to stay only as long as there
were things to do on that list. Then he would move on to the next child’s family and a new list.
In 2011, Marybeth returned to Ames to help care for Wes and together they built a house in west Ames.
They were active in the Ames and Iowa State community. During this time, Wes also authored two more
books, “Just Call Me Lucky,” a collection of stories co-written with his brother Luther, and “Who Really
Invented the Cotton Gin?” They join his previous book, “The Grain Harvesters.”
On Labor Day, as Wes was getting ready to mow the lawn — at age 97 — he had a major stroke and fell. At
Mary Greeley and Israel House, he was visited by a multitude of friends and family and died peacefully nine
days later.
“Wes and Mary were our godparents during my time at MSU working under him for my MS. That
convinced me I wanted to get back to Deere and design better machines for farmers. Wes touched many
lives and initiated new concept major farm machinery products throughout the industry.” – Ronald
Leonard, former student and John Deere retiree
Crabtree, Beverly J.
(June 22, 1937-December 7, 2016)
Dean Emerita of the College of Family and Consumer Sciences, leader,
enthusiastic advocate and mentor - these words describe Beverly J. Crabtree. From a
very young age, growing up on the family farm and actively involved in 4-H club work,
Beverly displayed characteristics of becoming a dynamic and articulate educator and
leader.
Beverly J. (Deles Dernier) Crabtree became the Dean of the College of Family
and Consumer Sciences at Iowa State University in July 1987. With the drive and
savvy of a “corporate president”, Dean Crabtree rolled up her sleeves to embark on her
vision to build upon a solid foundation of over 125 years and bring the college to the
next level of excellence. She challenged faculty, staff, students and alumni to boost
academic, scientific, administrative and legislative support for the college.
Dean Crabtree was the dean at Oklahoma State University (OSU) prior to
coming to ISU, and said the only other dean position in the country that could entice her
away from OSU was the College of Family and Consumer Sciences at Iowa State
University. Beverly received her Ph.D. in home economics education from ISU in 1965.
Dean Beverly Crabtree succeeded Dean Ruth Deacon. After arriving at Iowa
State, she often referred to college events and programs as A.D. (After Deacon) and/or
B.C. (Before Crabtree). Dean Crabtree often signed memos using her initials and was
affectionately referred to as “B.C.” by her office staff.
Dean Crabtree’s early challenge was to support the new name of the college –
from the College of Home Economics to the College of Family and Consumer Sciences.
She emphasized to “older” alumni that the college’s mission – advancing the well-being
of family and consumers across the life span – would remain intact.
Her goal for the college became focused: Top-of-mind awareness. “Today we
must be more assertive. We need to tell our successes,” said Crabtree. Her philosophy
was the college serves as a breeding ground for ideas, to develop social and human
capital and impact immediate economics needs. She spear-headed the 125
th
birthday
of the College with a yearlong celebration in 1996.
After receiving and defining a $1.4 million bequest from Dean Emeritus Helen
LeBaron Hilton, under Crabtree’s leadership, the college created its first endowed chair
in 1995. As the largest, fully-funded endowed faculty chair at ISU, Crabtree positioned
the college to annually seek an individual who could project an impact in a particular
area. Crabtree’s vision was to develop a chair which allowed flexibility to change focus
areas.
Dean Crabtree worked diligently to raise more than $5 million for the Palmer
Human Development and Family Studies Building, which opened in 1997. She pushed
to complete the $8.4 million Human Nutritional Sciences Building as a hub for research.
She was instrumental in raising private alumni support to restore the Christian Petersen
“Marriage Ring” sculpture, located in the foyer of MacKay Hall, and cast a new cement
likeness for the pool on the south side of MacKay Hall.
During her ten years as dean, she challenged faculty to boost research grants
from $587,000 to $10 million, helped develop The Great Plains Interactive Distance
Education Alliance (IDEA), formed the FACES student ambassadors organization, and
increased scholarship support from $60,000 to more than $266,000. Dean Crabtree
served as the senior dean at Iowa State University for six years.
Beverly Crabtree was born June 22, 1937 in Lincoln, NE. She graduated from
Hickman High School, Columbia, Missouri in 1955. She received her Bachelor’s and
Master’s degrees from the University of Missouri-Columbia in 1959 and 1962. She
began her career as a high school home economics teacher in southwest Missouri. In
1964 she became a faculty member at Michigan State University. In 1967 she became
the chair of the home economics education department at the University of Missouri-
Columbia and later served as the associate dean of Extension. In 1975 Beverly was
named dean of the College of Home Economics at Oklahoma State University, a
position she held for twelve years.
Service to professional and community organizations was critical to Crabtree’s
career. She served as president of the American Association of Family and Consumer
Sciences and on numerous United State Department of Agriculture committees and
councils. She was also involved in leadership positions with numerous other national,
regional and local civic boards.
Awards included: Ames Chamber of Commerce “Woman of the Year” 1991;
American Association of Family and Consumer Sciences Distinguished Service Award
1992; VEISHEA Professor of the Year 1994; and Carrie Chapman Catt Center for
Women in Politics, Strong-Minded Woman Award 1997; ISU Order of the Knoll Cardinal
and Gold award 2002.
To quote Dean Crabtree, “I would like to think in 33 years of higher education I
have encouraged others to think higher. My sincere hope is that, during my career, I
have served as a mentor and role model.” That she did.
Beverly often credited her involvement in 4-H as the beginning of her leadership
development experience, providing tremendous opportunities to gain valuable
competencies in working with people and facilitating groups. Her sheep project
spanned her ten year 4-H career and helped finance her college education.
Beverly married Dr. R. Jewell Crabtree (1964, M.S., agronomy) on June 1, 1958.
She is survived by her husband, Jewell, and their two children: Greg Crabtree (Ursula)
and Karen Crabtree Kunkel (Allen) and five grandchildren.
Dean Emerita Beverly Crabtree passed away December 7, 2016 in Springfield,
Missouri, after a lengthy battle with Alzheimer’s disease.
Submitted by Dynette Mosher, College of Human Sciences
Memorial Resolution for Dr. Steven Lewis Fales, 1947-2017
Dr. Steven Lewis Fales was born March 14, 1947, in Providence, R.I. He was
raised in Warwick, R.I., and graduated from Pilgrim High School.
Steve was passionate about many things, not least among them his
professional life in academia. He came to the profession in an unusual way.
After graduating from the University of Rhode Island with a bachelor’s of arts
degree in English, he joined the U.S. Coast Guard. After three years in the
service, he returned to the University of Rhode Island where he earned a
master’s degree in plant and soil science. He then attended Purdue
University on a David Ross Fellowship, earning a doctorate in agronomy.
After five years at the University of Georgia, first as a postdoc and then as an
assistant professor, he joined the faculty of Crop and Soil Sciences at Penn State University. There he
advanced through the ranks of associate professor and professor and became head of the department
after a decade of teaching and research. He made notable contributions in all of these areas. He was
recognized with the Innovative Collaborations in Teaching Award for engaging students in
interdisciplinary thinking and education. He was made fellow of both the Crop Science Society of
America and the American Society of Agronomy and received the Merit Award from the American
Forage and Grassland Council.
From Penn. State, he moved to Iowa State University, where he served as chair of the agronomy
department, and later as biomass research coordinator of the Bioeconomy Institute. After retiring from
academic life, he continued to pursue his lifelong passion for environmental conservation as a
commissioner of the Story County Soil and Water Conservation District. He was an active volunteer for
Food at First, a local organization dedicated to providing food to disadvantaged members of our
community. In all of his post-retirement endeavors, he strove to put his most fundamental beliefs into
action.
Steve was a visionary leader and excelled at bringing people together to think about issues and develop
innovative solutions to problems. His leadership had a profound impact on the profession of crop
science. He was the leader of a very impactful strategic assessment and visioning activity for the Crop
Science Society of America. Nearly all of the recommendations made by his team were implemented
and have had an enduring and positive impact on the society and profession. Based on his commitment
and contributions to CSSA, he was later elected president of the society, where he continued to exercise
the progressive leadership for which he was widely known.
Steve is survived by his wife, Dianne Haggarty Fales; his son, Alex Fales, of Carbondale, Colo.; and his
brother, Greg (Deborah) Fales, of West Greenwich, R.I. He was preceded in death by his parents, George
and Elizabeth Fales, of North Kingstown, R.I.
Charles V. Hall
Charles V. Hall (Charlie) was born to Dolphus Roland and Hester Lee (Frazier) Hall on June 18,
1923, near Kittle, a small Fulton County community in northern Arkansas. Charlie, 93, died of
natural causes on February 18, 2017. Charlie graduated from high school at Ash Flat, Ark., in
1942. During World War II, Charlie served in Europe as a member of the 373
rd
General Services
Engineers. Charlie married Elsie Regina Gray on April 14, 1949. Three children were born to
Charlie and Elsie: Kathy (Tom) Newton, Mary (Bill) Jenkins, and Marc (Ann) Hall. Charlie
received his B.S.A. from the University of Arkansas (1950), master’s degree from the University
of Arkansas (1953), and doctorate from Kansas State University (1960). Before beginning his
academic career at KSU, Charlie worked as a technical research assistant (1950-53) at the Fruit
and Truck Branch Experiment Station at the University of Arkansas (Hope, Ark.). Charlie was a
member of the Horticulture Department at Kansas State University from 1953-1974 where his
plant breeding research led to the development of several watermelon varieties. He is widely
known for the Crimson Sweet watermelons, a variety that is now grown and enjoyed in more
than 50 countries. In 1974, he began work in the Iowa State University Department of
Horticulture where he was Head of the department until his retirement in 1990. He continued
watermelon research during his tenure at ISU and led the effort to plan and build a new
horticulture building on campus. Charlie enjoyed golfing, hunting, fishing, and gardening. He
was a dedicated husband, father, grandfather, and great-grandfather, and loved gathering with
friends and family, especially at birthdays. Charlie was an inspiration to many and he will be
missed greatly by all who knew him.
Clinton F. Hodges
Clinton F. Hodges (Clint) was born on April 20, 1939 in Danville, Illinois to Paul and Vinita
(Delamater) Hodges, and passed away on May 4, 2017. Clint graduated from Parker High
School in Chicago, IL in 1957, and continued his education at the University of Illinois,
eventually receiving his Ph.D. in Plant Pathology. He then went on to become a Professor in the
Department of Horticulture at Iowa State University. Clint married Judy Bender of Chicago in
1960. They raised three children and enjoyed an active life together. Clint was an attentive and
caring family man, always proud and protective. He enjoyed Jazz music, time at the Izaak
Walton League, and family trips to the mountains in Colorado. He seemingly could fix just
about anything and always loved a good debate. Memorial contributions may be made in Clint’s
name to the Alzheimer’s Association – Greater Iowa Chapter, or to Bethany Manor in Story
City, IA.
Dr. Riad G. Mahayni passed away peacefully surrounded by his family on June 23 after a courageous
battle with cancer. Riad was born on May 6, 1942 in Damascus, Syria. He came to the United States in
1962 to study at Oregon State University where he earned his Civil Engineering degree in 1966. He
received his Master of Urban Planning from the University of Oregon in 1969 and his Ph.D. in Regional
Planning from the University of Washington in 1972. In 1973 he relocated to the east coast when he
began teaching at the University of Rhode Island.
Dr. Mahayni was recruited to Iowa State in 1979 to launch and chair the newly created Department of
Community and Regional Planning. Dr. Mahayni served as chair of the Department of Community &
Regional Planning twice, from 1979 to 1983 and from 1995 to 2002. Under Dr. Mahayni’s leadership
the department earned national recognition and accreditation of its undergraduate and graduate programs
by the Planning Accreditation Board, expanded the number of faculty and students, and increased
collaboration with communities throughout Iowa and around the world.
Dr. Mahayni was a devoted and compassionate teacher and most of his students referred to him as Riad.
During his thirty-one years at Iowa State he taught thousands of undergraduate and advised hundreds of
graduate students. In the process he formed long lasting professional relationships and friendships. Riad
retired from Iowa State in 2012. This past spring, the Riad Mahayni Civic Planning Award, a
scholarship to support students in his former department, was announced in his honor.
In addition to his dedication to Iowa State University and the Department of Community & Regional
Planning, Dr. Mahayni was also committed to the City of Ames. He spent over 20 years serving the
community including chairing the Historic Preservation Committee, serving on the Planning and Zoning
Committee and for nine years represented the 4
th
Ward on the Ames City Council. Riad was
instrumental in the establishment of the Darul Arqum Islamic Center and helped to forge a strong
relationship between the Ames community and the university. He was also actively involved in
numerous community organizations including Youth and Shelter Services, Story County United Way
and the Ames Rotary Club.
Dr. Mahayni is survived by his wife, Fatina, his sons, Basil (Amal) of Arlington, Virginia, and Tamim
(Danielle) of Ames and his granddaughter, Daliah.
Memorial Resolution for Dr. Peter A. Peterson, 1925 - 2017
Peter A. Peterson, passed away Thursday, September 9, 2017 in Sonoma, Calif., where he and Sally, his
wife of 69 years, had lived since moving there from their long-time residence in Ames, Iowa four years
ago.
He was born on March 17, 1925, in Bristol, Conn., to Andrew Peterson and Paschalia Economon, both
having come to the United States from Greece. They then moved to Portland, Conn., where Peter was
educated through high school.
He began his studies at Tufts University in 1942, where he competed on the school’s soccer team. He
left to enlist in the Navy and worked in a stateside medical facility during World War II. He credited his naval experience as
having fueled his interest in biology, which became his focus when he returned to Tufts, receiving his bachelor of science in
1947.
Upon graduation, he became a research assistant at the Carnegie Institute, in Cold Spring Harbor, N.Y., then an early hub of
exploration in the field of genetics. Working in the Bruce Wallace lab, he met another young scientist, Sara (Sally) L. Rohrer,
with whom he’d spend the rest of his life.
To continue his studies with Marcus Rhoades, in 1949 he moved to the University of Illinois where both he and Sally began
graduate studies. During their time in Champaign, their two daughters, Sara and Susan, were born.
Upon receipt of his Ph.D. in 1953, in genetics, botany and zoology, the family of four moved to University of California
Riverside’s Citrus Experiment Station, where Peter studied avocados and peppers.
In 1956 he joined Iowa State University to study corn as assistant professor of genetics and in 1968 became professor of
agronomy. His lifelong research has focused on transposable elements.
“Project objectives over the last four decades have been to learn more about the corn genome, both genetically and
molecularly. Teaching: The focus has been to relate current and advanced topics from genetics and molecular genetics that
will elucidate problems in plant breeding.”
Dr. Peterson published numerous articles during his career, including a book, Maize Genetics and Breeding in the 20th
Century, published in 1999. He served as editor of Maydica and associate editor of Genetics and Plant Breeding.
During his tenure, he was given several awards including Distinguished Iowa Scientist from the Iowa Academy of Science
(1988), the Burlington Northern Foundation Award for Career Achievement in Research (1992), and the National Council of
Commercial Plant Breeders Award for Genetics and Plant Breeding Award (1994). He became a Distinguished Fellow of the
Iowa Academy of Sciences (1997).
His career spanned the globe while doing various visiting professorships from Stanford University (1964), a National Health
Institute Research Fellow at the Karolinska Institute in Sweden (1968), as faculty of the Biochemistry Department at the
University of Vienna in Austria (1972), The Biochemical Section of the Plant Breeding Institute in Cambridge, England
(1973), and The University of Freiburg; The Max-Planck Institute and Technische Universitat, all in Germany (1977, 1980,
1994). He continued his research with double crops of maize each year in Iowa and in Hawaii.
Upon his retirement from Iowa State in July 2013, after 57 years of service, ISU established a scholarship in his name: Peter
A. Peterson Award for Research Excellence in Genetics and Genomics or Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology.
Dr. Peterson was active in many ways, riding his bike to campus daily, in sun or snow, playing handball regularly and, in the
winter, he and Sally enjoyed cross-country skiing. He lived a long and healthy life. He is survived by his wife of 69 years,
Sally, his daughters: Sara Peterson and Susan Peterson St. Francis, her husband, Raymond St. Francis, and their two sons,
Adrian and Theo St. Francis.
Memorial Resolution for Dr. John W. Schafer, 1937 – 2017
John Schafer, 79, of Osprey, Fl (formerly of Ames, IA), died at home under hospice care on April 9, 2017. He was
born May 18, 1937, in Mount Pleasant, MI and lived his early life in Saginaw, Mi.
Throughout his life, John had a strong desire to help others. It led him to study agriculture in order to better feed
the world. He received a BS from Michigan State University (1959), a MS from Kansas State (1960) and worked on
his PhD for several years at Cornell before deciding to spend time working with International Voluntary Services in
Cambodia and Laos. Upon his return to the US, he completed his PhD at Michigan State, graduating in 1968.
He married Grace Deuling in 1967 and they moved to Ames, Iowa. John was on the faculty in the Department of
Agronomy at Iowa State University until his retirement in 2001. During this time, John was an innovative and
respected teacher. He loved to start the year with a quote attributed to Socrates that the greatest learning takes
place on a log: with a teacher on one end and the student on the other. He wanted to engage a student in an
intense conversation about what they were learning. He developed an audio-tutorial course that later became
computer based and finally a distance learning class.
Dr. Schafer had a passion for undergraduate student education, as well as soils. This was clearly evident through
Agronomy 154: Introduction to Soil Science and subsequent parallel courses for horticulture and soils for urban
use, respectively. Dr. Schafer created a learning environment called the Student Oriented Individualized Learning
of Soils (SOILS) initially as a slide set with audio cassette companion and eventually as a computer-based learning
environment. Dr. Schafer leveraged his many pictures he took across the country and the world to share the story
of soils and their properties through an interactive student learning environment.
Not only did Dr. Schafer supply the content for the curriculum but he also was heavily involved in the
development. Dr. Schafer could be found most days of the week recording audio, building graphics, and
sequencing them in a way most effective for learning. Also, after all of the content was developed, Dr. Schafer
continued to improve the content by incorporating interactive activities and quizzes. He served as a mentor to
many teaching assistants over the years as well, many who have gone on to share the passion of soils through
teaching. Even in retirement, Dr. Schafer assisted Dr. Andrew Manu in continuing to improve the undergraduate
soil science courses. Dr. Schafer’s personal passion for soils and student learning will be greatly missed. However,
because of his impact on others, it will surely live on.
John loved his job and felt blest to be able to travel extensively, as part of it. After retirement John and Grace
continued to travel the US and spent 3 years as seasonal volunteers with the National Park Service, both at Casa
Grande National Monument in Coolidge, AZ and the National Historical Park in Natchez, MS. In 2007, they came
to Florida and made it their residence.
Survivors are his wife Grace; two sons, Ben (Amy) Schafer of Cedar Falls, IA, and Joe Schafer (partner Beth
Huebner) of Carbondale, IL; and one daughter, Katie (Greg) Schafer of Marshalltown, IA. He loved to spend time
with his seven grandchildren: Margaret, Patrick, Ellie, Caroline, Daniel, Andrew and James. He has two brothers,
Bert Schafer of Brasstown, NC, and Dennis (Sandy) Schafer of Falls Church, VA, and a sister, Mary (Kurt) Acton of
Chesterton, IN. His cremains will be placed in the memorial garden at Our Lady of Mt. Carmel.
Memorial Resolution: Frank W. Schaller, 1914-2017
Frank W. Schaller, 103, passed away on March 24, 2017, at Green Hills Retirement Center in Ames.
Burial will be in the Iowa State University Cemetery.
Frank was born in Holmen, Wisconsin on March 20, 1914. Following his father’s death at an early age,
Frank took responsibility for much of the farm work while attending elementary and high school. He
attended LaCrosse Teachers College and then transferred to the University of Wisconsin, graduating
with a bachelor’s degree in 1937. Frank then moved to Morgantown, West Virginia, to do graduate
work at West Virginia University. He served on the agronomy faculty from 1939-43 and, following the
war, went back to WVU to finish his PhD.
In December 1943, frank joined the U.S. Navy and served as a communications officer aboard a
destroyer escort in the Pacific. He was honorably discharged in April 1946. Following the war and upon
completing his PhD, he accepted an assignment at Iowa State University in Ames as an associate
professor of agronomy and research project leader for the Soil Conservation Society. In 1954, he joined
the ISU Extension Service in soil management and forage crop production. From then until retirement in
1980 as professor emeritus, he edited three books and authored or co-authored many research and
information publications. Frank did instruction and consulting work in Iowa, Costa Rica, and Botswana,
Africa.
Frank was a Fellow of the American Society of Agronomy, Soil science Society, and the Soil Conservation
Society. He served as president of the Soil Conservation Society, and in 1978, was awarded the Hugh
Hammond Bennett Award for distinguished service and accomplishments in the conservation of natural
resources. He also received merit awards for his work with the Iowa Department of Conservation, the
Iowa Conservation Educational Council, the Iowa Land Rehabilitation Advisory Board, and the American
Forage and Grassland Council. For over 25 years, he served as a judge for the Forage Crops
competitions and the Iowa State Fair.
Frank was a long-time member of St. Andrews Lutheran Church in Ames, American Legion and Ames
Noon Lions Club. He enjoyed participating in family activities, fishing, gardening, golfing, playing bridge
and travelling in his Scamp trailer.
Frank is survived by his daughter, Marie (Bruce) Johnson; his son, Carl (Barbara); his grandson, Erik
(Naomi); great-grandchildren, Claire and Connor; his grandson, Paul; and several nieces and nephews.
He was preceded in death by his parents; his beloved wife, Catherine; his sisters, Helen, Dorothy and
Lydia; his brother, Vincent; and an infant brother, Raymond.
Memorial contributions may be directed to St. Andrew’s Lutheran Church or the Memorial Fund at
Green Hills Retirement Community.
Gerald W. Smith
Gerald W. Smith, Emeritus Professor of Industrial and Manufacturing Systems Engineering (IMSE)
passed away August 5, 2017 at the age of 87. Funeral services were held on Friday, August 11, 2017 at
the Collegiate Presbyterian Church in Ames.
Survivors include his wife of 59 years, Phyllis, son Brian (Fazia Ali), sisters-in-law Lois Lorenz and
Barbara Seydel as well as several nieces, grandnieces, and a grandnephew. He was preceded in death by
his parents, brother Gene, brothers-in-law Lyle Lorenz and Kenneth Frey, and sisters-in-law Johnina
Smith, Joyce Seydel, and Marjorie Frey.
Gerald Wavern was born December 1, 1929 in Des Moines, Iowa to Anthony and Marie Sorenson Smith.
He lived in Fort Dodge and Sioux City where he graduated from Central High School. He earned his
bachelor's degree in General Engineering from Iowa State University (ISU) in 1952. He worked for
Collins Radio Company in Cedar Rapids from 1952 to 1954 and served in the U.S. Army at Fort Huachuca,
Arizona from 1954 to 1956.
Following his stint with the U.S. Army, Dr. Smith returned to Ames and joined the faculty in Industrial
Engineering at ISU while pursuing a Master of Science (1958) and Ph.D. (1961). He was a faculty member
in the Industrial Engineering Department at Iowa State University until his retirement in 1987. To many
of his students he was known as Dr. Engineering Economy. He authored an engineering textbook,
Engineering Economy: Analysis of Capital Expenditures that was published by the Iowa State University
press. Another publication of his, originating in 1970, Engineering Economy Abstracts, was recognized
as a valuable professional service by the Engineering Economy Division of the American Society for
Engineering Education (ASEE).
Dr. Smith’s career in the area of engineering economy made him nationally known for his pioneering
work in this area. He established a major commitment to continuing education and also was very
influential in organizing and offering extension courses. In 1963, Dr. Smith originated the Engineering
Economics program for the Bell Telephone System that continued for
20 years. He also annually taught a continuing education course and implemented the Management of
Capital Investments Program that involved more than 120 companies and organizations.
His work in the field was recognized both locally and nationally. In 1969, Dr. Smith was named an Alcoa
Professor, in 1974 he received the ISU Faculty Citation Award, and in 1981 he was given the Amoco
Outstanding Teacher Award from ISU’s College of Engineering. The Institute for Industrial Engineers (IIE)
honored Dr. Smith in 1986 with the Wellington Award for outstanding contributions in engineering
economy.
Editor's Note: It is with great sadness that we report the death of Dr. Charles Thoen, professor of
veterinary microbiology and preventive medicine, on Monday, May 8, 2017.
During his half-century- long career in veterinary medicine, Dr. Charles Thoen has worked with food-
producing animals, companion animals, nonhuman primates, elk, buffalo and even elephants. Early in his
career he was a veterinary medical epidemiologist for the United States Department of Agriculture
(USDA). He later chaired the department of Veterinary Microbiology and Preventive Medicine at Iowa
State University, International Union Against Tuberculosis and Lung Disease Scientific Committee on
Tuberculosis in Animals, and World Health Organization Committee on Animal Tuberculosis.
He’s been a consultant to the Smithsonian Institution, National Institutes of Health, Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention, Pan American Health Organization, National Aquarium in Baltimore, International
Elephant Foundation, and agricultural departments in the United States and countries including Egypt,
New Zealand, South Africa, Colombia and Serbia.
Dr. Thoen has served as president of the American Veterinary Epidemiology Society and was invited by
the World Veterinary Association to provide content for its educational portal on tuberculosis (TB) in
animals and humans. In 2014 he received the Distinguished Research Alumnus award from the
University of Minnesota College of Veterinary Medicine for his accomplishments on TB and clinically
significant pathogenic mycobacteria. He’s been an editor of seven textbooks on infectious disease that
are used by scientists worldwide.
He credits his training at Mayo Clinic for providing him with research skills, and a childhood pet for
sparking his lifelong interest in infectious diseases in animals and humans.
Dr. Thoen grew up on a farm in Harmony−Lanesboro, Minnesota. When his dog, Trixie, contracted an
infectious disease and died, the 10-year-old boy wanted to learn more about what killed his pet. He talked
to the local veterinarian and “was hooked,” he says.
Dr. Thoen recently edited the third edition of Zoonotic Tuberculosis: Mycobacterium bovis and Other
Pathogenic Mycobacteria, a comprehensive review of the state-of-the-art control and elimination of
infections caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex in animals and humans.
Reprinted from Mayo Clinic Alumni Magazine, Issue 3, pp 28 to 30. 2016.
Memorial Resolution: Walter Wedin, 1925 – 2017
Walter Wedin, 91, passed away on April 11, 2017, at his home in Golden Valley, Minnesota. He was born in
Frederic, Wisconsin on November 28, 1925. He led a life devoted to family, teaching, science and community.
His compassion, wisdom and humor will be greatly missed by his family, former students and colleagues.
He attended a one-room country school. Following high school, he served in the U.S. Army from 1945-46, and
was stationed with the occupation forces in Germany. After military service, he enrolled at the University of
Wisconsin, Madison, where he majored in agronomy and earned his bachelor’s, master’s and doctorate degrees.
He served on the UW horticulture faculty from 1953-57 and with the USDA’s Agricultural Research Service in St.
Paul, Minnesota from 1957-61. From 1961-91, he was on the agronomy faculty at Iowa State University in
Ames, were he also served as the first director of the World Food Institute from 1973-77. After retiring as full
professor in 1991, he moved to Minneapolis, where he served as adjunct professor of agronomy and plant
genetics at the University of Minnesota, and as an agricultural consultant for Land O’Lakes Inc.
During his academic career, he served as faculty advisor for more than 40 graduate students, many of whom
have had distinguished careers, both in the United States and internationally. His research, teaching, extension
and international technical assistance involved pasture and forage management in support of ruminant animal
production. He traveled widely, participating in conferences and consulting in Latin America, Asia, Europe, and
Australia.
Walt authored and co-authored more than 150 publications, recently editing the book, “Grassland: Quietness
and Strength for a New American Agriculture” and authoring his memoir, “A Foraging Journey: It Only Takes a
Seed.” His many awards included Fellow of the American Society of Agronomy and Distinguished Iowa Scientist
(Iowa Academy of Science).
He was active in community organizations such as his church, PTA, youth sports organizations and other civic
groups. He enjoyed singing and was a member of the American Swedish Institute’s Male Chorus for more than
15 years.
He is survived by his wife, Carol; two sons, Randy (Jeanette) and David (Nancy); one sister, Carolyn (Tony); seven
grandchildren; and four great-grandchildren.
Memorial may be made to the American Swedish Institute.
