Marvin Pomerantz

[JY07]

I didn't really follow ISU athletics/politics too much prior to the 2000's, so all of this on pomerantz is new to me. Does anyone have any links on the full story of what he did as regent? or how branstad was involved?

All I could find was this article on his death: Former Regent and GOP political adviser Marvin Pomerantz dies at 78 Iowa Independent

Which, from the 2nd paragraph, gives me an idea of why everyone on here is so fond of him:

In addition to serving two terms as president of the Iowa state Board of Regents, Pomerantz donated millions of dollars to the University of Iowa.

You're the president of the ISU board of regents, and you're donating all your money to UI?

 

[jdoggivjc]

I didn't really follow ISU athletics/politics too much prior to the 2000's, so all of this on pomerantz is new to me. Does anyone have any links on the full story of what he did as regent? or how branstad was involved?

All I could find was this article on his death: Former Regent and GOP political adviser Marvin Pomerantz dies at 78 Iowa Independent

Which, from the 2nd paragraph, gives me an idea of why everyone on here is so fond of him:


You're the president of the ISU board of regents, and you're donating all your money to UI?

First, ISU and Iowa are both part of the same board of regents. Doesn't change how "scummy" it is to donate millions to one.

I never even heard of the guy until this week, but apparently his grand vision was to create a "University of Iowa system" similar to that found in Wisconsin, such that you had University of Iowa-Iowa City, University of Iowa-Ames, University of Iowa-Cedar Falls, etc. Basically wanted to strip our identity from us to benefit the U of Iowa. Second, he attempted to eliminate dual programs between ISU and Iowa, attempting to give a clear advantage to U of Iowa. He basically forced ISU to sell WOI simply because it wasn't fair that ISU owned a TV station and U of Iowa didn't. Cut funding to ISU. Almost wonder if part of the reason why we fell behind the 8-ball on athletic facilities didn't have a lot to do with the guy as well. Worst of all, Terry Brandstadt empowered the guy to do all these things.

For all purposes, the guy raped ISU.

 

[SPOONER]

Though I'm not doubting that there isn't a lot of truth in what ISU fans have been claiming, I think it's been embellished. Considerably.

 

[DaddyMac]

Though I'm not doubting that there isn't a lot of truth in what ISU fans have been claiming, I think it's been embellished. Considerably.

I was at ISU when MP was on the BOR and all this went down. Too young to really get it at the time, but my recollection and the general feeling was that he was gutting ISU with WOI and more than a couple degree program, while enhancing Iowa's.

I believe there was even a thought that the funds from the WOI sale never really stayed in Ames. Suggested it went elsewhere, I'll let you guess where - couldn't tell you if that had any validity for sure.

He was pretty well despised on campus. The fact I even remember this is rather telling (for me anyway) as I didin't know who he was, or even who the BOR were, at the time.

 

[BillyClone]

Pretty much right on. The sale of WOI was a huge blow to the ISU community at the time. Lots of anger and Pomerantz was the Regent's President, so he took the brunt of the anger.

He also tried to create an "efficient" public university system for the state. His idea was that your choice of mjor should dictate which state school you attended. If you wanted to be an engineer, you went to ISU. A teacher - UNI. A chemist - U of I. Etc, etc, etc. Obviuosly, it causes problems with changing majors and creates "dead" departments if the school doesn't offer a major in the subject at that school. However, it was an interesting idea, just not a good time for him to bring it up after the WOI sale.

 

[jdoggivjc]

Pretty much right on. The sale of WOI was a huge blow to the ISU community at the time. Lots of anger and Pomerantz was the Regent's President, so he took the brunt of the anger.

He also tried to create an "efficient" public university system for the state. His idea was that your choice of mjor should dictate which state school you attended. If you wanted to be an engineer, you went to ISU. A teacher - UNI. A chemist - U of I. Etc, etc, etc. Obviuosly, it causes problems with changing majors and creates "dead" departments if the school doesn't offer a major in the subject at that school. However, it was an interesting idea, just not a good time for him to bring it up after the WOI sale.

What the moron didn't get is the fact you can't have a strong university without a strong Liberal Arts & Science college - as any major in every college at a university depends on the science, math, and English classes offered by the LAS college. If Pomerantz actually wanted to make the U of I the "science" school of the state, yet wanted ISU to be the "engineering" school of the state, either the guy was an idiot not realizing that engineering depends on a strong science department, or the guy literally was trying to destroy ISU.

 

[weR138]

What the moron didn't get is the fact you can't have a strong university without a strong Liberal Arts & Science college - as any major in every college at a university depends on the science, math, and English classes offered by the LAS college. If Pomerantz actually wanted to make the U of I the "science" school of the state, yet wanted ISU to be the "engineering" school of the state, either the guy was an idiot not realizing that engineering depends on a strong science department, or the guy literally was trying to destroy ISU.

Both?

 

[DaddyMac]

What the moron didn't get is the fact you can't have a strong university without a strong Liberal Arts & Science college - as any major in every college at a university depends on the science, math, and English classes offered by the LAS college. If Pomerantz actually wanted to make the U of I the "science" school of the state, yet wanted ISU to be the "engineering" school of the state, either the guy was an idiot not realizing that engineering depends on a strong science department, or the guy literally was trying to destroy ISU.

That was the other thing. Alot of people felt that since Iowa had one of the smaller enrollments in the Big 10, that "pushing" students to Iowa and upping enrollment, would enhance their position a bit. That could be rivalry banter, but it does have some truth to it.

 

[swarthmoreCY]

One of the reasons why ISU is in this position is inept leadership in the 80's and early 90's. Guess who hired those leaders?

And Branstad supported all of this.

 

[cyingreen]

If memory serves correct Pomerantz was infamous for his quote that "we can't afford a University of Iowa at Ames." Which Iowa Staters took to mean that he thought Iowa State should always be second class to the uofi. However, what he actually said was, "we can't afford a University of Iowa at Ames, nor an Iowa State University in Iowa City." Which meant I guess that there was room for both kinds of universities in the Regents' system.

Interestingly enough, in the also infamous Peat Marwick evaluation of the "overlapping programs" in the Regents' system which proposed stripping ISU of it's journalism school, and moving the entire 15 student Home Ec progam at the uofi to ISU, it never mentioned the logical thing of moving all the engineering to ISU. Yes, Pomerantz was a lightning rod of hatred at Iowa State. His huge donations to uofi didn't help. Most Iowa Staters will never forgive his insistence on selling WOI. Which since it was always making money for ISU, never made any sense.

 

[jdoggivjc]

If memory serves correct Pomerantz was infamous for his quote that "we can't afford a University of Iowa at Ames." Which Iowa Staters took to mean that he thought Iowa State should always be second class to the uofi. However, what he actually said was, "we can't afford a University of Iowa at Ames, nor an Iowa State University in Iowa City." Which meant I guess that there was room for both kinds of universities in the Regents' system.

Interestingly enough, in the also infamous Peat Marwick evaluation of the "overlapping programs" in the Regents' system which proposed stripping ISU of it's journalism school, and moving the entire 15 student Home Ec progam at the uofi to ISU, it never mentioned the logical thing of moving all the engineering to ISU. Yes, Pomerantz was a lightning rod of hatred at Iowa State. His huge donations to uofi didn't help.

True. That being said, biomedical engineering, or whatever it's called (including the engineering of prostheses and other artificial human parts) doesn't really fit in well at ISU, especially since the med school is at Iowa.

 

[Havs]

How did Pomerantz make his millions anyway??

 

[weR138]

If memory serves correct Pomerantz was infamous for his quote that "we can't afford a University of Iowa at Ames." Which Iowa Staters took to mean that he thought Iowa State should always be second class to the uofi. However, what he actually said was, "we can't afford a University of Iowa at Ames, nor an Iowa State University in Iowa City." Which meant I guess that there was room for both kinds of universities in the Regents' system.

Interestingly enough, in the also infamous Peat Marwick evaluation of the "overlapping programs" in the Regents' system which proposed stripping ISU of it's journalism school, and moving the entire 15 student Home Ec progam at the uofi to ISU, it never mentioned the logical thing of moving all the engineering to ISU. Yes, Pomerantz was a lightning rod of hatred at Iowa State. His huge donations to uofi didn't help.

My fear is that UNL and Missouri becoming CIC universities would cause Pomerantz's line of thinking to gain support with regard to ISU. Why not make U of I a system similar to Wisconsin's if ISU is about to be eclipsed by Nebraska and Missouri.

Branstad was an enabler before, one could argue he has even more reason to be now. He could use realignment and the current bad economy as cover.

 

[swarthmoreCY]

My fear is that UNL and Missouri becoming CIC universities would cause Pomerantz's line of thinking to gain support with regard to ISU. Why not make U of I a system similar to Wisconsin's if ISU is about to be eclipsed by Nebraska and Missouri.

Branstad was an enabler before, one could argue he has even more reason to be now. He could use realignment and the current bad economy as cover.

Watch out ISU alumni, the value of an ISU diploma may decrease.

 

[cyingreen]

True. That being said, biomedical engineering, or whatever it's called (including the engineering of prostheses and other artificial human parts) doesn't really fit in well at ISU, especially since the med school is at Iowa.

So move the med school to ISU!! Just kidding, obviously. A good point, and validates why programs that might seem to be overlapping are necessary for both schools to have.

I still like the comment that an ISU engineer grad gave when I asked him to compare the engineering programs at ISU and the uofi. He said, "If you want to dream up a plan to build a bridge to the moon, go to iowa. If you want to learn how to build a bridge across the Mississippi, go to ISU." I don't know how accurate that is today, but that was his take.

 

[jdoggivjc]

Watch out ISU alumni, the value of an ISU diploma may decrease.

Can we please stop with this ridiculous myth now? As long as ISU's colleges stay accredited (which the Big 12 conference blowing up around it will not affect), nothing is happening to the value of our diplomas...

 

[swarthmoreCY]

Can we please stop with this ridiculous myth now? As long as ISU's colleges stay accredited (which the Big 12 conference blowing up around it will not affect), nothing is happening to the value of our diplomas...

Strictly on appeal to future employers, would you choose an ISU diploma over one from Penn State?

 

[JY07]

Strictly on appeal to future employers, would you choose an ISU diploma over one from Penn State?

which ever one was more physically attractive

 

[jdoggivjc]

Strictly on appeal to future employers, would you choose an ISU diploma over one from Penn State?

Please. You're treating Penn State as if it were Harvard or Yale, or even Penn. Short of the prestige of an Ivy-league school (which the Big 10 as a whole will never reach), the name on the diploma were all that important, schools such as Luther or UM-Mankato or Indiana St would cease to exist because no one would be able to find a job with such educations and would instead only attend Iowa, Minnesota, or Indiana.

As long as a diploma has accreditation to back it, a potential employer will hire if the potential employee's resume qualifies them best for the position, REGARDLESS of the name of the school on it.

 

[CyFever]

I still like the comment that an ISU engineer grad gave when I asked him to compare the engineering programs at ISU and the uofi. He said, "If you want to dream up a plan to build a bridge to the moon, go to iowa. If you want to learn how to build a bridge across the Mississippi, go to ISU." I don't know how accurate that is today, but that was his take.

Here's my take on the same subject: I knew as a junior in high school that I wanted to study engineering. When asking around for potential schools I should look into, I heard a lot of different midwest names. ISU of course, Purdue, MO-Rolla, etc. Not once did I hear Iowa mentioned.

I was also a National Merit Scholar. I heard from a lot of schools I hadn't contacted and wasn't interested in. I even received full-ride scholarship offers. Some schools apparently offer them automatically to National Merit Scholar finalists, depending on degree interest. No sniff from Iowa, presumably because I had a known interest in engineering.

All of this happened while I was growing up 19 miles from Iowa City. I didn't even know Iowa had an engineering program of any kinds until graduating from ISU!