The Campaign for Maryland Brief, Great Expectations, University of Maryland

May-June 2007

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June 4: Ralph Friedgen Invitational
10:30 a.m., Lowes Island Club, Sterling, Va.
Head Football Coach Ralph Friedgen ’70, ’72 and the Maryland Gridiron Network host this annual golf outing at the beautiful 36-hole, award-winning Lowes course. For more information visit mdgridiron.umd.edu or call 301.314.9057.

June 7: Portrait Unveiling and Reception
6:00 p.m., Samuel Riggs IV Alumni Center
Join family and friends as the Maryland Alumni Association unveils a portrait of Samuel Riggs IV to be hung at the entrance to the Hall of Friendship. Meet the artist, Simmie Knox. For more information call 301.405.4677.

June 7: School of Journalism Panel Discussion
6:00 p.m., National Press Club, Washington, D.C.
Come learn about "Politics 2008: New Media, Old Media and the Presidential Election Campaign," with panelists Haynes Johnson, Susan Page, Jim Brady and Jim VanDerHei. For more information call 301.405.2420.

June 14: Terps Take Manhattan
6:00 p.m., Americas Society, New York, N.Y.
Join New York City area alumni for this annual networking reception featuring Head Basketball Coach Gary Williams '68 and alumni Len Elmore '78 and Bonnie Bernstein '92. For more information call 301.405.4677.

July 10—21: William Kapell International Piano Competition and Festival
Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center
Celebrate the piano, pianists and piano music in its many forms with competition, performances and other events. For more information visit claricesmithcenter.umd.edu or call 301.405.ARTS.

Helping Students Reach for the Stars
Alumni Passionate About Farming and Giving to Alma Mater

t's getting expensive for students to go to college," says Charles Iager '65, and "I just wanted to help somebody in the agriculture field." This graduate of the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources and his wife, Judy Iager '67, an education major, are equally passionate about two things—farming and the University of Maryland. Besides attending nearly every major event sponsored by the agriculture college over the past 40 years, the couple believes it's important to financially support the university. "Whenever Charlie gets some money, he likes to give it away," says Judy.

Avian Sciences Center

For the Iagers, $50,000 donated to scholarships for students in animal and avian sciences and another $50,000 to name the Maryland flagpole at Riggs Alumni Center, are as important as cultivating livestock at Maple Lawn, their expansive 1,200-acre farm in Fulton, Md. In addition to the scholarships and flagpole naming gifts, the Iagers added $5,000 to support his fraternity, Alpha Gamma Rho, one of several Greek organizations providing naming gifts for a pillar in the Moxley Gardens at the Riggs Center.

Ag Day, circa 1930

Agriculture has been a way of life for Iager since childhood on his family's dairy farm. At Maryland, he felt a tremendous sense of camaraderie with students and faculty at the agriculture college, a place that became his second home. The college's annual AG Day was always a big highlight, during his student years and following graduation. He was honored to win trophies and to serve on the 4-H and Maryland college dairy judging teams.

Judy Iager wanted to be a teacher, but she also knew that she would marry a farmer. "I dated several boys who were farmers, and I got drawn in," she says. The average farming day begins at 3:00 a.m. Given the long hours, Judy says, "the guys didn't have time to explain things to me. I had to watch, listen and learn while getting my farming education the hard way." She and Charles wed, and before long, the Iagers had three sons—Michael, Matthew and Mark.

Creating an agriculture college dynasty, their oldest and youngest sons, Michael and Mark, both attended Maryland. Wanting to help their parents with the arduous work farming required, both left the university before graduating to work on the farm full time.

Of his own student years, Charles recalls starting as a pre-vet major, but changing to animal science because he was juggling 19 credit hours and working from dawn until dusk every weekend on the farm.

Although Charles did not become a veterinarian, Matthew, their middle son, attended the VA-MD Regional College of Veterinary Medicine and is considered one of Maryland's top bovine veterinarians.

For the Iagers, philanthropy is one way of thanking the university for investing in them. "College is your home away from home," says Charles. "You're learning how to learn the rest of your life. And we're very proud to be Maryland graduates."

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Published by the University of Maryland 2007