Distinguished Alumni Award Winner Profile

David W. Day, 48MA, 51PhD, and Shirley Sindt Day, 48BSC, are longtime supporters of the University of Iowa, where they met nearly 50 years ago.

The couple's ties to the university began in the 1940's, when Shirley, a Walcott native, was studying accounting and David was completing his doctorate, both in the College of Commerce. David, originally from Brighton, came to Iowa in 1946 after earning his bachelor's degree in electrical engineering from the University of Minnesota.

The Days left Iowa City in 1952, and David spent the next 30 years as a corporate executive for General Electric, Rockwell Collins, the Pneumo Corporation, and other industrial firms. Shirley's career as a mother was also burgeoning, with the addition of four sons to the Day family. Regardless of where they lived, the couple maintained their interest in and support of the University of Iowa.

In 1982, the Days returned to Iowa City and the UI, where David embarked on a ten-year career doing what he had always dreamed of—teaching. As an adjunct professor in the College of Business Administration, he taught Business Policy, a capstone of the curriculum and a course taken each semester by about 300 seniors. David's considerable teaching skills, combined with perspective gained from 31 years in private industry, won him the respect of thousands of students, who recognized him with the Chester A. Phillips Award in 1986.

Members of the UI Alumni Association's Old Capitol Club and the Foundation's Presidents Club, the Days have been enthusiastic supporters of many areas of the UI campus, especially the College of Business and intercollegiate athletics. With funds donated by the Days and matched by General Electric, David was able to create a high-tech classroom that has been used as a prototype for all of the classrooms in the new Pappajohn College of Business Administration Building. A reception room in the new Hawkeye Horizon facility and a classroom in the new College of Business building will be named in honor of David W. and Shirley Sindt Day.