Best of CASE District VI Award
 

Institution: Iowa State University Foundation

Title of entry: Order of the Knoll: Becoming Iowa State University

About this entry: The 2022 event for our Order of the Knoll donor recognition society used the 150th anniversary of the first graduating class as its theme. As the first college to accept the terms of the Land-Grant Act of 1862, Iowa State University has an interesting history to tell. The college was officially established in 1858, but the first class didn't graduate until 1872. The video fills in this time gap, telling the story of the college's beginning and what life was like for its earliest students. It ends by highlighting several prominent members of the first class, including our earliest donor, bringing the video around to a donor-related message. An overarching theme ties together this early class with today's students: Then and now, Iowa State students have been characterized by their innovation, loyalty and generosity to the university. The Order of the Knoll event on the previous year was an elaborate campaign close celebration. This historic theme and video returned donors to the roots of Iowa State, creating a sense of loyalty, pride and connection through generations.