Excerpts VI - Who is Parks? (1966)

that's a fair question for some of the alumni and Friends of Iowa State University too he was born in Tennessee last of seven children took his BA degree in 1937 at Berea College in Kentucky his oldest brother was head of the history and political science department there the following year he received his MA from the University of Kentucky for eight years he worked in the Bureau of Agricultural Economics in Washington years that were interrupted by 30 months with the Navy as a communications officer he went to the University of Wisconsin for his doctorate finished in 1948 that same year he was persuaded to join the staff at Iowa State when we were looking for a man to develop a teaching and research program in government and agriculture in 1956 he went back to the University of Wisconsin as professor in charge of graduate programs of the newly established national agriculture extension center for advanced study but in 1958 he was prevailed upon to return to Iowa State as Dean of instruction a position which later in 1961 became that of vice president for academic affairs there are four members of the parks family Cynthia 12 is the youngest Andrea received her Bachelor of Science degree from Iowa State in June of 1965 and is now mrs. Douglas Van Hollen mrs. parks brings one unique qualification to her role as first lady on the Iowa State campus she received her doctorate degree from the University of Wisconsin in the field of political science that's a thumbnail sketch of our new president but you as alumni and Friends of Iowa State are looking for something more you're wondering how well he understands how well he appreciates our University Iowa State you're wondering about his plans for the institution and how he approaches his duties how he gets things done how could you gather information on these questions better than by listening directly to excerpts from tape recordings or filmed recordings of speeches which dr. parks is recently given what about his understanding of Iowa State University how well does he know its heritage been invented was already contributing to the economic development of Iowa or it is not just a romantic notion the general economic advance must first be grounded in agricultural advance the research of modern economists reveals that the industrial development of a nation is dependent upon a scientific and technological development of its agriculture which permits the release of agricultural manpower to the industrial sector of the economy we all know that the role which iowa state's agricultural college as a leading agricultural college in the nation has played in the scientific and technological advances of American agriculture and consequently in the general economic development not only a viola but of the nation as a whole so renowned in fact has been Iowa State's prowess in the field of Agriculture that it is sometimes tended to overshadow and obscure another parallel development which has been taking place at Iowa State this has been the development of Iowa State as one of the leading universities of science and technology in the nation this growth which has taken place in the fields of chemistry physics engineering the life sciences as well as in the social center jump ahead now to a point where dr. parks is speaking of one of Iowa State's roles in present-day Iowa however the concept of the university's role in economic growth as being merely that of a kind of scientific and technological knowledge machine which grinds out answers to waiting industries hovering outside the university's gates is too simple to fit the diversity of reality it does not comprehend the full magnitude or rich complexity of the role which a university can play in the economic and social progress of its state the role of Iowa State University in furthering the economic and social advancement of Iowa bills out in three concentric circles the most important of these roles centers around the individual for the prime purpose of a university indeed a University's very reason for being is the education of the individual for the fullest use of his capacities this is not only morally right and proper in a free democratic society such as ours but it is also good economics it is so often later in the same speech this fact brings us to the second large goal of the University and the economic development of Iowa this is a role which we have already considered the function of developing and making available to industry the scientific and technological knowledge which will attract new investment the third large role which a university can play in the economic and social development of its state is an extremely necessary one this is a function of helping the people of Iowa develop an understanding of their changing communities for many of the decisions which must be taken if I was to move forward cannot be made by individuals alone rather they must be made by a whole community or even by several communities acting together moving on to a look ahead here are excerpts from dr. parks remarks to his first faculty convocation in which he speaks of goals this morning I would like briefly to set before you what I consider to be the three large central goals of Iowa State goals which it will be my earnest purpose to achieve the first of these goals is excellence I put this goal first with all deliberation or I believe that the value and meaning of any other goals which iowa state may have can be no greater than its quality of excellence as an institution of higher education perhaps a single most important characteristic of Iowa State which is given a distinction among American universities has been its level of excellence today this characteristic of excellence is more important than ever before universities will also be large size can no longer be the distinguishing quality which makes for a strong and dominant university indeed the prediction has been made that within the next few years a sort of division among American colleges and universities will occur which will separate out the dominant universities of the country from the others and that a sort of dual system of higher educational institutions will be developing with the line of demarcation being the quality of excellence in other words the distinguishing characteristic which marks out the strong dominant universities of the nation will be excellence first however i would like to mark out what i believe to be the other two large goals of iowa state the second goal of iowa state then is to become a truly broad-based university the third goal of Iowa State has surely been set by its history this of course is a goal of service for Iowa State has always had the important purpose of helping the people of Iowa solve their problems no University today when our society needs educated talent is never before can remain aloof from world and its problems it cannot be content with self-contained programs of teaching and research however hi there excellent you have listened to extracts which bear on Iowa State's heritage in its role in Iowa today you've heard dr. Parkes present central goals at the faculty convocation one more item how will he approached the position of president of Iowa State University and this is how i view the work of a university it is a collegial enterprise there are many focal points for policy and decision making policy begins in the professor's study in the laboratory around the departmental conference table a collegial enterprise that in turn imposes certain restrictions upon the administration but I shall welcome this for an any healthy institution innovation and enthusiasm must outrun resources I also welcome the kind of unstable equilibrium which is created by forces and enthusiasms generated within the faculty for this too is a mark of a vigorous growing institution moreover it is I believe of this kind of unstable equilibrium that the institutional flexibility and adaptiveness is created which will enable Iowa State more fully to achieve its goals of excellence diversity and service he carries out his collegial concept of the role of a university president by reserving much of his office time for working with his colleagues at night at the know he does his planet his reading he has a little habit of writing asides and clips along the margins of reports and proposals it's part of his general good humor a trait admired by all who know it dr. w robert parks 11th president of Iowa State University the man who now guides the course of an institution dear to all of us Oh