Joy Corning

Joy Corning wasn’t just a leader — she was a force for change across Iowa, from the classroom to the Capitol. 

Corning served as the 44th lieutenant governor of Iowa from 1991 to 1999, completing two terms under Gov. Terry Branstad. Before being asked to be lieutenant governor, she served in the Iowa Senate, winning a seat in 1985.

Corning graduated from Iowa State Teachers College, now the University of Northern Iowa, in 1954, earning a bachelor’s degree in elementary education. In 1951, she received the Purple and Old Gold Award from UNI. 

After completing her degree, she remained in the area, teaching in both Waterloo and Greenfield, Iowa. Corning lived in the Cedar Falls area for 35 years, where she was involved in many organizations and held several positions. In 1973, she joined the Cedar Falls Community Schools Board of Education and served as board president for eight of those years until 1984. She was also the director of the Iowa Housing Authority from 1981 to 1984.

Corning was an instrumental part in setting up Iowa’s first statewide Talented and Gifted programs. In a 1984 edition of “The Northern Iowan,” she said, “Education is second only to the economy on the agenda of legislators, and we know that over half of our state budget is spent on education. I feel that my expertise in both the areas of education and finance would be valuable in the legislature.”

While in the Senate, Corning introduced legislation to outlaw physical punishment in schools and to extend the statute of limitations on sexual abuse. 

As lieutenant governor, Corning advocated for better foster care systems and overall rights for women. She chaired the state’s first STOP Violence Against Women Coordinating Council and oversaw many projects, including Family Foster Care, the Diversity Committee, the Adoption Initiative and the Women’s Health Initiative. 

Corning was an advocate for the community outside of public office as well. She served two six-year terms on Planned Parenthood of the Heartland board and led the organization’s fundraising drive in 2002, surpassing its initial target. She was also an advocate for LGBTQ rights and co-wrote a letter to the editor of “The Des Moines Register” with Lt. Gov. Sally Pederson in support of same-sex marriage. Because of this, the Interfaith Alliance later presented her with the Interfaith Award in May of 2009. 

Corning received several honors, including the 1985 UNI Alumni Achievement Award, induction into the Iowa Women’s Hall of Fame in 2004 and the 2017 Edward S. Allen Award. 

In 2001, she donated $1 million to the UNI Foundation’s “Students First” campaign, which then established the UNI Joy Cole Corning Distinguished Lecture Series. The series brings nationally and internationally renowned leaders in the arts, business, education, government and the judiciary to campus. 

“I greatly appreciate the education I received here and am happy to have the opportunity to give back to the university,” Corning said in UNI’s Winter 2001 alumni magazine, “Northern Iowa Today.”