Since 1847, The University of Iowa has awarded more than 315,000 degrees, from one “sanitary engineer” degree—a long-discontinued program—to some 90,000 Bachelor of Arts degrees and over 17,000 PhDs.

This spring, the University presents hundreds more degrees to future artists and entrepreneurs, engineers and physicians, teachers and attorneys, and representatives of countless other fields. One trait unites these individuals and the thousands who’ve come before them—they’re University of Iowa alumni.

Nearly as old as the University itself, the UI Alumni Association helps these Iowa graduates stay connected to the University and each other.

The first recorded Iowa alumni gathering took place in 1867, and two years later the Alumni Association was officially born. In 1872, membership dues were set at $1, and in 1903 the first UI alumni periodical appeared. 1912 saw the first Iowa Homecoming celebration and the creation of alumni clubs across the state.

By the 1950s, the Alumni Association had become a largely autonomous, membership-supported corporation with strong University ties. Today it shares the Levitt Center for University Advancement with the University of Iowa Foundation, another independent organization dedicated to raising private funds for University missions.

Today’s Alumni Association helps UI graduates find each other and keep in touch via the OnIowa online community, free to all UI grads. It offers an e-mail forwarding service, a secure alumni directory, an events calendar, and even a resumé bank.

This and other initiatives—including an award-winning bimonthly magazine, a network of Iowa Clubs across the country, and, of course, annual spring and Homecoming reunions—help alumni maintain Iowa ties, no matter where life takes them.

Commencement Information
UI Alumni Association
OnIowa Community
University of Iowa Foundation

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