Posted on June 17, 2019 at 4:22 PM by Betsy Grabinski
Spanning 117 years of Agronomy history at Iowa State, the past department chair portrait hall is now complete. The three-year project included nine paintings; they are located on the 2nd floor of Agronomy Hall, outside the main office. The two latest installations were Dr. Percy Brown (1932-1937) and Dr. William H. Pierre (1938-1964).
Artist Liza Amir, who has completed a number of portraits for Iowa State, brought the men to life. She started with the three living department chairs including Dr. John Pesek (1964-1990), Dr. Ronald Cantrell (1990-1998) and Dr. Steven Fales (2001-2006). Their three portraits were installed first and they were present for their unveiling in 2016. For the posthumous department chairs, Amir used historical photos. These included Dr. Perry Holden (1902-1906), M.L. Bowman (1906-1909) and William Stevenson (1909-1932).
"We are proud of our history and the impact Agronomy has had on Iowa and the world," said Dr. Kendall Lamkey, Department of Agronomy Chair. "These portraits not only bring that history to life, they also inspire the possibility of the future for our department and each individual that walks past."