Inside Iowa State

March 14, 2008

See you in 25 years

A key card, some ISU Dailies and other news stories, a Cyclone men's basketball media guide, a couple of cell phones, a sesquicentennial T-shirt, a penny, a binder containing floor plans of all the buildings on campus, calendars ... what's this? The contents of someone's bottom desk drawer (or worse, back car seat)? No, it's some of what's in a sesquicentennial time capsule at the General Services Building.

In support of Iowa State's sesquicentennial, staff in Facilities Planning and Management built and are filling a time capsule, to be opened in July 2033. It was first displayed at the FP&M employee picnic last July.

FP&M staff were invited to place items of meaning to FP&M or the university, or with some societal significance in the capsule. They also had the opportunity to complete a personal narrative form, called Life at FP&M in 2007. All completed forms will be placed in the capsule, which will be closed at FP&M's spring picnic May 28. The time capsule will be stored above a display case in their building.

The materials used to make the capsule, which measures 30 inches by 17 inches by 12.5 inches, were taken from campus locations. The handles, made of red oak, were part of the picture rail molding in the former 209 Beardshear; the sides of the box (fir) are from bleacher benches in the Armory (seat numbers, gum and all); and the lid, made of white oak, came from a raised panel door that had been in Beardshear Hall. FP&M carpenter Randy Fiscus and painter Mark Mather did the handiwork. Photo by Bob Elbert.

Sesqui series

Inside is celebrating the sesquicentennial with a yearlong series of photos and articles that look back at Iowa State traditions, people and places.