Distinguished Alumni Award Winner Profile

David W. Belin, a Des Moines attorney, has been the driving force behind the creation of the Connie Belin National Center for Gifted and Talented Education at the University of Iowa.

Ranked as one of the nation's 100 most influential lawyers by the National Law Review, Belin is perhaps best known for his work as counsel for the Warren Commission that investigated the assassination of President John F. Kennedy.

In 1978, Belin began working with the University of Iowa, formulation plans that led to the development of programs to meet the needs of gifted and talented students. His efforts culminated in 1988, when the Iowa Board of Regents established the Connie Belin National Center for Gifted and Talented Education. Named in honor of his late wife, Connie, a dedicated leader in education and former member of the Iowa Board of Regents, the Belin Center specialized in the educational needs of exceptionally talented children in just six years, the Center has earned national recognition for its innovative work in providing outstanding educational programs for gifted students and in training teachers to work more effectively to meet the needs of these students.

David Belin made these opportunities possible. A member of the UI Foundation's Presidents Club, he has contributed substantial funding for the center's support, as well as for a number of related UI programs, such as the Connie Belin Fellowship Program for Gifted Educations and the Invent, Iowa! Program. In addition to his own generosity, Belin has taken an active role in encouraging others to support the university and has assisted in attracting more than $2.5 million in external support for the UI, most of it for the benefit of gifted and talented education programs.