Elizabeth Cole Beck

Liz Beck in her role as Honors Program Coordinator has touched the lives of many students. Their fondness for Liz is demonstrated weekly by the correspondence and phone calls she receives from around the world and the visits alums make to Osborn Cottage. They tell her how much they learned from her while they were undergraduates in the Honors Program. Liz's message to students is that they have many choices that they can make. If they don't take chances they won't know what they might have accomplished. Liz has been a leader within her community and at Iowa State. She served as an active member of the YWCA in Mason City; as an officer of the Iowa Arthritis Foundation; and a member of the planning committee for the Iowa Special Olympics. Liz is currently a member of the ACCESS board and of the board of the Center for Child Care Resources. She was the founder of the Ames Women's Deli Potluck. Liz served on the University Committee on Women and the University Child Care Committee during their formative years. She was president of the board of the ISU Memorial Union and she is once again a member of the University Child Care Committee. Liz has served as a member of the executive committee of the Program for Women in Science and Engineering since its inception in 1986 and as the chair of the PWSE scholarship committee since 1988. Liz's integrity knowledge common sense thoughtfulness great sense of humor and energy make her a wonderful colleague. Many of the organizations listed above deal with the concerns of individuals who are particularly vulnerable or who face great barriers in their daily lives. Liz's concern for those who are less fortunate than she is evidenced by her active participation in these organizations and by her daily personal actions. Liz's commitment to promoting equity has been one of her life-long endeavors. As a mother she raised her two sons - Chris and Allan - to understand that women are equal participants in life. She looks forward to serving as a role model for her granddaughter Kassandra - so that Kassandra will mature into a strong and independent woman like her grandmother. Liz values long-term friendships. She has maintained her friendship with Fran a childhood friend from Atlantic Iowa - for 48 years. Compared to Fran my sixteen year friendship with Liz seems short. However during these short sixteen years Liz has supported me as only a very good friend can. She has shared my joys and sorrows and has been my confidant advisor and role model. It is for all of these reasons that I have chosen to honor my friend Liz Beck by purchasing a brick in her name for the Plaza of Heroines. Mary Ann Evans February 14 1995