It would be impossible to talk about the history of the University of Northern Iowa without bringing music into the equation. From the renowned School of Music to the beautiful chimes of the Campanile’s carillon, joyful and sometimes somber songs have helped shape UNI’s history.

Since 1950, UNI’s “Alma Mater” has been one cherished piece of music, played at formal occasions and enjoyed by campus and community alike. Fittingly, two alums who were once next door neighbors crafted this traditional song: Bill Kloster, ’51, composed the music and Arnold “Arnie” Grummer, ’49, wrote the lyrics.

A music major, Kloster was very active with the campus music scene. He heard about a contest in the music department to write the lyrics and music for an alma mater. Kloster was sure Grummer was an acceptable lyricist for the contest. So they wrote, created, discussed, changed things, wrote and discussed. They produced an alma mater they both liked. Kloster submitted their entry to the contest.

They waited, and waited, and waited. When they finally heard from the committee, they were thrilled to learn they had the winning entry. But one of the judges, a music professor, was withholding their vote until one note in the music was changed. Kloster, the gifted student, did not want to change his music, so he had the entry copyrighted. Since the committee had no other choice, and since they did want an alma mater, the judge gave in to their entry. Now the college had a hymn to inspire their graduates.

At the time, Grummer was working at the Iowa State Teachers College radio department with Herb Hake. Grummer and his wife, Mabel, who had earned her two-year teaching certificate from ISTC in 1945, had just welcomed their first child. The couple had met on campus when Grummer was acting in a play, and Mabel was helping with makeup for the actors.

The Iowa State Teachers College launched both of their careers — Arnold’s in writing scripts for plays and radio and Mabel’s in teaching — as well as their family.

“They both spoke of their time there and their training there with great pride,” Kim Grummer recalls of her late parents.

Their careers blossomed, but the story of the “Alma Mater” wasn’t quite finished.

Decades later, someone from the university called Grummer and asked him if he could rewrite the lyrics of the “Alma Mater” to fit the institution’s name change from ISTC to UNI. The music (including the unwanted note) would stay the same. Grummer was happy he had the opportunity to change the lyrics. He found it a challenge to work with the lyrics the second time when he had to write such a different name to fit with the music.

He submitted the revised copy of the “Alma Mater” to the committee. As in the past, he didn’t hear from anyone for some time. But later that same year, he received a lovely plaque naming him lyricist for the University of Northern Iowa’s “Alma Mater.” He was so pleased.

Mabel was so proud of her husband’s role in crafting the lyrics she wrote the UNI Alumni Association and told them this story before she passed away at the age of 99 in 2025.