| Honored by: | Dr. and Mrs. N.L. Burkhalter |
| Brick location: | PAVER:8 map |
Holly Burkhalter graduated from Ames High School in 1972 and from Iowa State University in 1978. She majored in history with a minor in music. She was elected to Phi Beta Kappa.
Holly is an ardent feminist, and during her college years she was involved in a number of womns' rights activities. In 1979 she moved to Washington D.C. to work for Congressman, now Senator, Tom Harkin as a legislative assistant, specializing in defense, foreign policy, and human rights issues. She later worked for the House Committee on Foreign Affairs. This provided the experience and the exposure which lead to an invitation to head the Washington office of Americas' Watch, later to become Human Rights Watch, a privately funded monitoring and advocacy organization. Holly accepted this position and has continued in it to the present.
In 1984 Holly received ISU's Outstanding Young Alunmus Award. Holly is strongly motivated in championing the oppressed. An extremely articulate speaker and writer, she has been effective as a lobbyist and essayist. She enjoys strong family ties with her parents Dr. and Mrs. Laurence Burkhalter of Ames, her brother Gary, and her three sisters Kathlynn Lockard, Karol Crosbie, and Ruth Bosley. She is married to Dr. John Fitzpatrick, a former member of the ISU Political Science faculty. Holly is in accomplished pianist.
7/1/96
Paver Inscription:
"Holly Joanne
Burkhalter
Director Human
Rights Watch
Washington, DC"