All in the Family

Chuck and Mary Kiester are proud of the education that Iowa State University has provided their family.

That pride runs three generations deep. Chuck was first to attend and graduated with a bachelor’s degree in 1958. Then, three of the Kiesters’ children chose to become Cyclones – and when it came time for their children to go to college, three grandchildren made Iowa State their home.

Chuck was born and raised in Fairmont, Minnesota, and was drawn to study at Iowa State because of its esteemed engineering program. He majored in sanitary engineering – now called the College of Engineering’s environmental engineering degree – and started working for the Minnesota Department of Health after graduation, which is where he met Mary.

From there, Chuck worked at 3M for 40 years.

“Iowa State had a major influence on what I did and how my career went,” he said.

Because of the couple’s belief in the significance of education, they expected their children to attend college as well.

“We thought it was important that they learned and developed beyond high school,” Chuck said.

That conviction also stems from Chuck and Mary’s parents. Both had mothers who were schoolteachers and instilled the value of education in their children at a young age.

In addition to passing on their love for Iowa State, the Kiesters also passed down a love and respect for the career fields that have shaped their lives: three family members became teachers, two of whom work in special education, and one is a mechanical engineering graduate.

Because of this and the high-quality education Chuck felt his entire family received at Iowa State, he and Mary have chosen to give back to the university by establishing such funds as the Charles and Mary Kiester Professorship in Environmental Engineering and the Chuck and Mary Kiester Professorship in Special Education, along with additional faculty support in special education and scholarships in environmental engineering. They are making this significant impact through a charitable remainder unitrust.

“We owe Iowa State a lot in terms of what it’s done for our family,” Chuck said. “It’s provided a base for our whole family. I think it’s just appropriate that we give back.”

They chose these areas, Chuck said, because “We can see the need in special education, and we can see the need for environmental engineering, especially now with all the discussions about the climate. So, philanthropy in those areas just seems like a natural fit.”

Ultimately, the Kiesters hope their support will have a long-lasting impact on the place where it all started.

“Iowa State is really the backbone of our family,” Chuck said. “We are Cyclones at heart.”

If you, like the Kiesters, feel that Iowa State has played a vital role in your life, consider paying it forward through a gift in your estate plan. Contact the office of gift planning at 800.621.8515 or giftplanning@foundation.iastate.edu to discuss your giving options and find the gift that matches your financial and philanthropic goals.