Notice of the death of Richard O. Jacobson

Dear UNI Family,

We are deeply saddened to share with you the loss of a member of the Panther family: Richard (Dick) O. Jacobson, a Des Moines businessman whose generous contributions to UNI over the years have had an enormous impact on this university.

Dick Jacobson was an outstanding businessman and an even better human being. His generous contributions over the years have been an instrumental part of our pursuit of academic excellence here at UNI, and the enormous impact of his gifts will be felt on this campus for years to come. I am deeply grateful to Dick for his extraordinary generosity, and for his remarkable commitment to ensuring the success of this university.

Dick was a key contributor to the development and construction of the Human Performance Complex and the Center for Comprehensive Literacy here at UNI, both of which were dedicated to him. He also funded the Benjamin J. Allen Endowed Teacher Education Scholarship, in addition to endowments for College of Education Faculty Support and the College of Education Strategic Program.

His commitment to helping UNI achieve academic excellence and improve the student experience will have a lasting impact on students, faculty and staff both now and in the years to come.

Visitation and funeral arrangements have yet to be finalized.

Please keep Dick's loved ones in your thoughts during this difficult time.

President Bill Ruud