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On Campus
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September 12, 2003 Vol. 56, No. 12
Dr. John L. Sawyers,
great-grandson of General Francis Marion Drake, will visit the Drake campus
for the first time Wednesday, Sept. 17.
General Drake, a Civil War general, former Iowa governor, banker, railroad
builder and attorney, pledged $20,000 to finance the fledgling University in
1881. In
gratitude, the University's trustees named the institution after him.
On Wednesday, Sawyers, professor of surgery emeritus at Vanderbilt University,
will meet with President David Maxwell; John Willey, vice president for institutional
advancement; and Don Adams, special counsel for institutional advancement.
The group, joined by former Drake President and Iowa Gov. Robert D. Ray,
BN'52, LW'54,
will then have lunch. After lunch, Adams will give Sawyers a tour of the
campus.
Dr. Sawyers plans to bring with him two of General Drake's swords, which
he will donate to the University.
"We're delighted that Dr. Sawyers will be visiting Drake for the first time," Adams
said. "We're also honored to be receiving two valuable swords that belonged
to General Drake."
Drake was a native of Centerville, Iowa, which will celebrate the 100th birthday
of the Drake Public Library there on Monday, Sept. 15. Sawyers also will
be attending that event, which commemorates General Drake presenting the
keys to the library
to the city of Centerville in 1903.
Sawyers, a resident of Nashville, Tenn., will begin his visit to Centerville
by attending a breakfast, taking a trolley tour of the city and a trip to
Rathbun Lake. Monday afternoon, he will watch Brad McConville perform a reenactment
of
Drake's acceptance speech as governor. The Drake Public Library will then
be opened for tours and a Victorian tea.
The contributions
of Neal Smith to Iowa and Drake University will be both remembered and
continued
through the dedication of the Neal Smith Congressional
Archive
room (LL15) in Drake's Dwight D. Opperman Hall and Law Library.
The archives were donated by Smith in 1995 and since then, the documents
have been in the process of being inventoried, as more than 35 years
of information are contained in the boxes. The archives will become available
to the public
during regular law library hours following a dedication ceremony on Sept.
19
at 3 p.m in the law library. The ceremony is open to the public and Congressman
Smith will be in attendance.
"
There's quite a treasure trove of information here," said John Edwards,
director of the law library. "It will be a tremendous resource for
researchers interested in the legislative history and the history of Iowa.
The role of
Congress in the second half of the 20th century is chronicled with depth
that is not otherwise
available."
The documents were accumulated through the 36 years Smith served in Congress
representing Iowa. During his time in Washington, D.C., Smith accomplished
some major feats for the state, ranging from securing funds for relief
after the floods
of 1993 to aiding in the implementation of the bike trail around Saylorville
Lake. In 1994, Smith was defeated by Congressman Greg Ganske, but continues
to contribute to Iowa in ways such as the donation of his congressional
archives.
Included in this "treasure trove" are documents detailing legislation
that Smith had a major hand in during his time in Congress, such as the
Saylorville and Red Rock Lakes flood-control projects and the stricter
meat inspection
legislation. There are also a number of documents relating to Vietnam and
Watergate, as well
as speeches and news releases put out by Smith's office, photos of Smith
with major figures such as President John F. Kennedy, campaign buttons
from the
1950s, and much more.
Smith, a 1950 Drake Law School alumnus, has made many contributions to
Drake. He sponsored bills that appropriated $5.5 million dollars from
the federal
government to construct and endow the Drake Legal Clinic, which was dedicated
the "Neal
and Bea Smith Law Center" in 1987, and later, in 1994, would once
again appropriate money for its expansion. Additionally, he was instrumental
in the
establishment of the National Constitutional Law Resource Center with an
endowment of $800,000 to Drake Law School, one of only four in the country.
In 1989 Smith
was awarded an honorary doctor of law degree from Drake University.
Clarinetist
Clarence Padilla and pianist Chiu-Ling Lin will present a recital at
8 p.m. Tuesday, Sept.
16, on the Jordan Stage in Sheslow Auditorium.
Padilla
is associate professor of music and Lin is professor of piano and
chair of the music department.
The program's first half will feature the works of German composers,
Ludwig Spohr and Carl Maria von Weber. The second half of the recital
program will
feature
the works of America music icons George Gerswhin and Peter Shickele.
Misha Rosenker, assistant professor of violin, will join the duo
for the final work on the program, the "Serenade for Three" by
Peter Schickele (also known as P. D. Q. Bach). Commissioned by the
Verdehr Trio
at Michigan
State University,
the work was completed in 1993.
Padilla plays with the Des Moines Symphony, the Polaris Wind Quintet
and the Mozaiques Chamber Ensemble. During the summer months, Padilla
is principal
clarinet for the Laguna Arts Festival Orchestra, Long Beach Municipal
Band, and the American
Winds, all of which are in the Southern California area. Lin has
appeared as
soloist with the Atlanta Symphony, the Chicago Civic Orchestra, the
Singapore Symphony and the Des Moines Symphony. Padilla and Lin both
released solo
compact disc recordings last year. Padilla's recording, is titled "Playing Through" and
Lin's compact disc is titled "Portraits of China."
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