Gerald E. and D. Eileen Klonglan Scholarship

Gerald Klonglan was born April 1, 1936 in Nevada, Iowa. He grew up on a farm and graduated from high school in Fernald, Iowa in 1954 as the valedictorian. He enrolled at Iowa State and received a B.S. in rural sociology in 1958, an M.S. in rural sociology with a minor in economics in 1962 and a Ph.D. in rural sociology with a minor in statistics in 1963. He married Donna Eileen Becvar in 1960. He became an assistant professor in the Department of Sociology in 1963, an Associate Professor in 1967 and a Full Professor in 1972. He served as Acting Chair of the Department of Sociology and Anthropology, 1973-1974 and 1976-1977 and as Chair, 1977-1990. He was then appointed Assistant Director of the Agriculture and Home Economics Experiment Station in the College of Agriculture and in 1995 became Associate Dean for National Programs and Research until his retirement in June, 2001.

Dr. Klonglan’s specialty areas were adoption/diffusion and communication of innovations, organizational effectiveness and interorganizational relations, social change and rural and community development, sociology methodology (theory construction), and domestic and international comparative studies.

 Dr. Klonglan was especially interested in international development. As the Sociology and Anthropology Department Chair, he encouraged faculty to participate in international activities which resulted in foreign exchange agreements. In 1982, he co-taught the first sociology course in Beijing, China since the 1949 takeover by the Communists. Several Sociology and Anthropology faculty were involved as leaders of or contributors to various international programs on campus—the World Food Institute, the Third World Cultures Program, the Development Assistance Training Program, the Technology and Social Change Program, the International Studies Program, the Center for Indigenous Knowledge for Agriculture and Rural Development, etc.

Dr. Klonglan was extensively involved with the research and extension programs created to solve Iowa issues: technological impacts on Iowa agriculture, environmental concerns (water, soil, air), community development issues, family concerns, food safety, nutrition and health, labor issues including new immigrants, both refugees from Europe and Africa and Hispanic people from Mexico.

During his years as an administrator in the College of Agriculture, Dr. Klonglan provided major leadership for diversity programs in the College. Iowa State has developed the best programs with the 1890 Black Land Grants than any other 1862 Land Grant universities. Similarly, ISU’s College of Agriculture has been more involved with the new 1994 Tribal College Land Grant universities across the U.S. than any other 1862 or 1890 Land Grants.

Requirements: 1. Graduate student majoring in Sociology or Rural Sociology. 2. Demonstrates financial need (US citizens must have submitted FAFSA by February 14, Non-US citizens, if being considered, will be asked to submit the Financial Need Certification Form for International Student Scholarship/Grant Application by March 3.) 3. Demonstrates academic achievement. 4. Demonstrates professional achievement. 5. Preference given to U.S. citizen student of color including African Americans, Hispanics/Latinos, American Indians, Asian Americans and others. If no U.S. citizen student of color applies or is qualified, award may be given to an American majority (Caucasian) or to an international (non-US) student. Submit: Nomination form If non-US citizen is being considered: Financial Need Certification Form for International Student Scholarship/Grant Application (If non-US citizen is being considered) Submit to: Dr. Lois Wright Morton, Chair Honors and Awards Committee 107 East Hall Please note: Acceptance of this award indicates that we have your permission to publish that information in department, college and university publications. For more information about this award, contact Dr. Lois Wright Morton (lwmorton@iastate.edu).