April 17, 2008
Of Chevrolets and Fords, Apples and Bananas
Dale A. and Marilyn J. Howard of Iowa Falls, Iowa, have made a gift commitment of $5 million to the University of Iowa Foundation to support UI athletics. The majority of the gift will help fund planned enhancements of Carver-Hawkeye Arena, which are pending approval by the Board of Regents, State of Iowa. The remainder of the gift will support the Iowa Hawkeye football program for football projects yet to be determined.
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“Our gift reflects our love for the University of Iowa and what it stands for, and the fact that basketball has always been a part of our whole family’s lives. Carver-Hawkeye Arena is a great facility, but it’s 25 years old and needs updating so that we can be on an even standard with the rest of the teams in the Big Ten.”
Dale Howard
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Gary Barta, the UI director of intercollegiate athletics, hailed the Howards’ generosity.
“This gift is an act of leadership,” Barta said. “With the Howards’ help, the UI will stay competitive at the highest levels in the Big Ten and nationally, not only in basketball and the other sports that train and compete in Carver-Hawkeye Arena, but also throughout our athletic program. Dale and Marilyn Howard have been longtime friends of the Iowa Hawkeyes, and we couldn’t be prouder to have their support.”
Dale Howard said he and Marilyn were motivated to make their gift by their respect for the UI and the Iowa Hawkeye athletics program.
“Our gift reflects our love for the University of Iowa and what it stands for, and the fact that basketball has always been a part of our whole family’s lives,” Howard said. “Carver-Hawkeye Arena is a great facility, but it’s 25 years old and needs updating so that we can be on an even standard with the rest of the teams in the Big Ten.”
Dale Howard, who earned a degree in physical education from the UI in 1955, is the owner and president of Dale Howard Inc., an automobile dealership in Iowa Falls. Dale Howard Inc. is a member of the Presidents Club Associates, which recognizes corporations, businesses, foundations and other organizations that support the UI at especially generous levels.
The Howards’ $5 million gift commitment is one of the three largest single gifts in UI athletics history. The other $5 million gifts were from Russell A. and Ann Gerdin of North Liberty, Iowa, in 2002; and from W. A. “Bill” and Nancy S. Krause of West Des Moines, Iowa, in 2004.
In December 2006, the Board of Regents, State of Iowa, approved the hiring of architects to develop and plan the Carver-Hawkeye Arena enhancements. The project includes new training and practice facilities for the women’s and men’s basketball, wrestling and volleyball teams; a state-of-the-art strength and conditioning center; premium-seating opportunities; hospitality facilities; and updated office and meeting spaces. The arena, which hosts UI commencement ceremonies, lectures, concerts and other events in addition to athletic events, opened in 1983 and requires updating to meet current needs. It was named in recognition of a gift from philanthropist and business leader Roy J. Carver of Muscatine, Iowa, who died in 1981.
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