A family connection: Wilsons gift $100K to Iowa State University museums

Editor’s Note: A previous version of this story included photos from the Iowa State Memorial Union, not the Iowa State University Museums.

A father inspired by his daughter's artistic journey has made a significant donation to a local institute.

Mike Wilson of Cedar Rapids gifted $100,000 to Iowa State University to boost educational opportunities and attract renowned exhibitions.

The endowment is from the Myron F. & Esther S. Wilson Fund, established by Wilson and his late wife Esther, a 1947 Iowa State graduate.

The Wilsons developed an appreciation for Iowa State University Museums through their daughter Joyce Barrett, who earned a B.S. in History at Iowa State in 1979 and worked as a museum intern.

She was one of the first students to work for the ISU museums and was employed at the Brunnier Art Museum.

The donation originated from a discussion between Wilson and his daughter and how much Iowa State impacted her. Barrett doubts she would've had such a successful career without her experience at the Brunnier Art Museum.

"I don't know what I would've done or where I would've been without Lynette (Pohlman) and the gallery," Barrett said. "It gave me such a launch, and over the years, I would still (reach out)."

Wilson was inspired to give back to a place that was so instrumental to his kin, motivated to give future students a chance to enjoy the support and mentoring his daughter did. Wilson also believes the University Museums have done well staying relevant.

"I’ve been impressed over the years reading (about them) in the news," Wilson said. "They’ve kept busy, kind of moved around and made a name for itself and Iowa State. To me, they sounded like an organization that knew what they were doing."

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A life built around art

Barrett remembers being bitten by the historic bug during a middle school trip, where she visited a house museum in Hannibal, Missouri. She was immediately attracted to the historic preservation of art and knew she wanted to turn that love into a career.

"I remember one of my girlfriend's mothers asked, 'Why would you want to work in a dusty old museum?' Barrett said. "I did not see a dusty old museum; I saw the connection through time. I saw that people in the past are connected to people in the future, because their lives have so many parallels, it's just the way you do things is a little bit different."

The connections between past and present have always fascinated Barrett. It enrichens culture a lot, she said, having historic buildings and other notable artifacts in the community. She was inspired to help link people with their history.

Barrett learned to organize and create collections and exhibits, give tours, and teach while at Iowa State. She enjoyed working at the museum and spent much of her time there.

"I remember one time they asked me, 'Don't you take classes or anything?' because I was there all the time," Barrett said. "I just loved going to work."

Joyce credits her career taking off the way it did to her mentor at University Museums, Director and Chief Curator Lynette Pohlman.

"Joyce was a hard-working, dedicated student with great passion," Pohlman said in the University Museums' press release. "Her passion for culture and preservation to benefit others never wavered. University Museums is honored to claim Joyce as one of our accomplished alumni, one of the first in what is now decades of student interns to go on to bright futures in the museum field."

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University museum training launched successful career

Barrett took a job with the Arizona Historical Society after graduating from Iowa State in 1979, working on contract before transitioning to 20 hours per week, where she was also studying for a master's degree in business at Arizona State University.

She started working at the Arizona Historical Society full-time after she completed her studies, and in 1985, was promoted to associate executive director.

Barrett eventually returned to Iowa and moved to Iowa City in 1988, where she began serving on the Iowa City Historic Design Review Board. Barrett's love for the review board led her to become the inaugural executive director of Preserve Iowa in 1995, which was then called the Iowa Historic Preservation Alliance.

She later moved to Ohio to work with Heritage Ohio, a statewide historic preservation non-profit. She was promoted to executive director in 2007 and held that position until she retired in 2022.

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Philanthropic donations continue

Mike and Esther Wilson first donated to the Iowa State University Museums in 2000 by supporting the scholarship and publication of the Permanent Collection Guide, a reference for thousands of ISU students and researchers.

Wilson and his wife have volunteered and supported many non-profit organizations in Cedar Rapids and beyond, such as the Greater Cedar Rapids Community Foundation, Indian Creek Nature Center, Linn County Trails Association, Orchestra Iowa, Camp Tanager, and Eastern Iowa Honor Flights. A World War II veteran, Wilson has flown on six Honor Flights and is scheduled for the 50th Eastern Iowa Honor Flight in late spring 2024, which will be named in his honor.

The couple also created the Cedar Rapids Opera’s Esther and Myron Wilson Vocal Competition, where more than $50,000 is awarded to the winners. Wilson also recently gave $1 million towards renovating of the Herbert Hoover Presidential Library and Museum in his and Esther’s names.

Celia Brocker is a government, crime, political and education reporter for the Ames Tribune. She can be reached at CBrocker@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Ames Tribune: How a father is honoring his daughter's love for art with a donation to ISU