UNI 150 Stories & News

Nearly 2,000 volunteers “Spring Into Service” at annual Pack the Dome event

Nearly 2,000 faculty, staff and students from UNI joined organizations and businesses from across the Cedar Valley to assemble more than 70,000 food bags during the 2026 Pack the Dome event.

Gary Kelley

An artistic journey beginning at UNI led to magazine covers, murals, book illustrations and professional sports.

David Sands Wright

When the Iowa State Normal School opened in 1876, David Sands Wright taught the first class ever at UNI, and continued to teach for more than 50 years.

James Hearst

An Iowa farmer turned acclaimed poet, “the Midwest’s Robert Frost” wove farm life into 600+ poems, taught at UNI for 34 years, and left a lasting legacy with the Hearst Center for the Arts.

Charles Grassley

The most senior member of the United States Senate started as a political science major at the Iowa State Teachers College.

Kurt Warner

A story shaped by perseverance and an unshakable belief in his own potential. From waiting on the sidelines to a Super Bowl win, Warner is one of football’s most inspiring success stories.

Irene Blum

Long before UNI was known for being “students first,” her connection with students made her a campus legend.

UNI celebrates “People You Should Know” as part of sesquicentennial celebration

As part of its sesquicentennial celebration, the University of Northern Iowa is launching “UNI 150: People You Should Know."

Bob Justis

“H-e-e-e-e-e-e-e-e-e-re come the Panthers!” was his iconic game-day line for five decades and over 900 football and men’s basketball games.

Frances Webster

Iowa State Normal School’s first female professor… inspiring students, implementing modern teaching and creating a space for students to thrive.