Iowa State University
4-18-96

Contacts:
Martin Jischke, President, (515) 294-2042
Murray Blackwelder, External Affairs, (515) 294-7730
John Anderson, University Relations, (515) 294-6136


BLACKWELDER NAMED VICE PRESIDENT FOR EXTERNAL AFFAIRS

AMES, Iowa -- Murray Blackwelder has been named Iowa State University's vice president for external affairs. Blackwelder has been associate vice president for external affairs and president of the ISU Foundation since 1991, and has been serving as interim vice president since September 1995. The appointment, which is subject to approval by the State Board of Regents, is effective July 1.

Iowa State President Martin Jischke named Blackwelder to the position after a national search.

"Iowa State has made tremendous progress in private fund raising under Murray's leadership over the past five years. As president of the ISU Foundation and as interim vice president, he has shown that he has the vision and leadership skills necessary to bring the units of the external affairs division together and advance the university with its many important constituents," Jischke said.

The vice president for external affairs oversees the Alumni Association, intercollegiate athletics, the Iowa State Center, the ISU Foundation, University Museums, University Relations, and WOI-Radio.

Blackwelder said he is "excited about building a new marketing, communications and fund-raising plan that will support the new university strategic plan."

"Iowa State is definitely moving forward in these areas, as our progress in fund raising and athletics shows," Blackwelder said. "Our goal is to provide the kind of external support Iowa State needs to be successful in its quest to become the nation's best land-grant university."

As president of the ISU Foundation, Blackwelder led the university's largest-ever capital campaign, which generated $214.5 million. In the five years he has led the Foundation, annual private fund raising has more than doubled.

Prior to joining Iowa State, Blackwelder was executive director of development and executive secretary of the endowment association of Wichita State University, Wichita, Kan. He also was director of development at Rockhurst College, Kansas City.

At Baker University, Baldwin City, Kan., he held several positions including director of university relations, development, annual giving and alumni affairs. He also was president/owner of Arend-Miller Pharmacal Inc., and a line planner and merchandiser with Hallmark Cards, Kansas City.

He received a B.S. in business administration (1969) from Baker University and a master's of public administration (1975) from the University of Missouri, Kansas City.

Blackwelder succeeds Reid Crawford, who left Iowa State in September 1995 to become vice president for institutional advancement at the University of Maryland, College Park.

Ben Allen, dean of ISU's College of Business, chaired the search committee for a vice president for external affairs.

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