FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE March 6, 2001 CONTACT: Lisa Lacher, (515) 271-3119 DRAKE ANNOUNCES PLANS FOR HELMICK COMMONS Renowned landscape architect Tony Tyznik, who designed the Morton Arboretum near Chicago, has created a master plan to transform Drake University's barren field between Meredith Hall and Hubbell Dining Hall, and the adjoining areas, into a beautiful gathering place for the Drake community called Helmick Commons. Drake's Board of Trustees recently voted to name the field Helmick Commons in appreciation of the leadership and support for the revitalization provided by Drake alumnus Robert H. Helmick, a senior partner in the Dorsey and Whitney law firm. Helmick received his bachelor's degree from Drake in 1957, his law degree from Drake in 1960 and an honorary Doctor of Laws degree from Drake in 1986. Helmick is supporting Helmick Commons with a $500,000 gift and a $1.5 million endowment to ensure future maintenance. He made these contributions in memory of his father and mother, Paul S. Helmick and Dorothy H. Helmick, who taught at Drake for a combined 47 years, and his family, which collectively holds 14 Drake degrees. Paul S. Helmick, former head of the physics department, was a member of the Drake faculty from 1923 to 1964. Dorothy H. Helmick, who earned her bachelor's degree at Drake in 1927 and a master's degree at Drake in 1949, was a mathematics instructor at Drake from 1954 to 1960. Robert H. Helmick, who was born in 1937, grew up in a house where Meredith Hall now stands and has fond memories of the progression of the area now known as Helmick Commons, which extends from University Avenue to Forest Avenue and from 28th Street through 31st Street. "I remember it as a big, vacant field and marsh before World War II," recalled Helmick, who is a member of Drake's Board of Trustees. "During the war it was used as a training field for the military. After the war, Drake used the area for trailer housing for veterans such as Bob Ray and Dwight Opperman. Then, Harvey Ingham Hall of Science was built. I played nearby and watched while it was being constructed. That area has been part of my life since 1937." He views Helmick Commons as a redesign of the west campus, bringing together various common spaces and emphasizing Drake's architectural jewels designed by famous architects, such as Mies Van der Rohe's Meredith Hall and Eliel and Eero Saarinen's residence halls and Hubbell Dining Hall. "Drake has some wonderful architectural gems that will be showcased and tied together by Helmick Commons," Helmick said. "It will primarily be a space for students, a place where they can gather, study and play. The improvements will include a reflection pond, a wetland area, playing fields and sculpture. We envision adding some wonderful sculpture that would invite interaction with students, the type of sculpture that makes a space inviting and friendly, not just museum-like." Helmick Commons also will include the Kragie Newell Agora donated by Des Moines advertising executives Liz Newell, a 1969 Drake graduate, and Jack Kragie, a 1965 Drake graduate. The agora, which is Greek for gathering place or amphitheater, will be built on the north end of the commons. A ground-breaking ceremony for the agora, funded by a $200,000 gift from Kragie and Newell, has been set for Saturday, April 28. The agora and the first phase of Helmick Commons are scheduled to be completed by fall. Considering Drake's architectural treasures on the west side of campus, it is fitting that renowned landscape architect Tony Tyznik was selected to design the master plan for Helmick Commons. Tyznik has been a consultant to the Chicago Botanic Gardens in Glencoe, Ill.; the Brookfield Zoo in Brookfield, Ill.; and Cantigny, the McCormick Estate in Winfield, Ill. He's received the Governor's Award at the Chicago World Flower and Garden Show (seven out of 10 years) as well as the Chicago Mayor's Award for gardens. His botanical art exhibitions can be seen at the Smithsonian Institute in Washington, D.C., the Fermi Lab in Batavia, Ill., and the R.J. Arboretum at Ford World Headquarters in Dearborn, Mich. Tyznik has his own firm, the Planter's Palette, in Winfield, Ill. Helmick Commons won't be his first project in Iowa, however. He designed the master plan for the Brenton Arboretum in Dallas County. Assisting Tyznik with Helmick Commons are architects from the Des Moines firm of Herbert Lewis Kruse Blunck, which was recently named national Architectural Firm of the Year by the American Institute of Architects.