Generous benefactors

Here is a more personal look at just a few of the faces behind these gifts.

It is no coincidence that the official naming of the Holden Comprehensive Cancer Center and the Roland and Ruby Holden Cancer Research Laboratories took place on Roland’s birthday. The family wanted a celebration in his memory and the opportunity to publicly thank those who gave him good care.

It is also no coincidence that the family chose to give this gift to University of Iowa Health Care. "They wanted to make sure their funds would support research that would make a difference," said Carol Jefferson, the University of Iowa Foundation’s development director at the Holden Comprehensive Cancer Center. "The fact that our Cancer Center received a National Cancer Institute designation was very important to the Holden family. It signified the excellence they required."

Well known in Williamsburg, the Holden family has helped fund local school projects, athletic facilities, and college scholarships. They have given other gifts to The University of Iowa as well.

Roland and his father Carl launched their seed corn business with a $400 loan. After 60 years, it became one of the largest seed corn research operations in the world. It is estimated that nearly 40 percent of all the corn acres in the United States are planted with hybrids of Holden parent seeds. In 1997, the company was sold to Monsanto Corporation.

This landmark donation is described as "a tribute to the researchers and physicians who cared for Roland Holden during his 10-year fight with leukemia, which ultimately took his life in 1995."

It is the latest gift from a family with a long tradition of compassion and generosity.

John and Mary Pappajohn — Des Moines, IA What is a venture capitalist? In the case of John Pappajohn, it is a man who came to Iowa as a nine-month-old baby born in St. Luke’s, Greece. In 1935, his mother Maria joined her husband George Pappajohn in Mason City, Iowa. George had passed through the gates of Ellis Island earlier, and already was an American citizen.

John Pappajohn (left) and Marvin Pomerantz (right)

A self-made millionaire with a passion for business and health care, venture capitalist John Pappajohn is the product of Iowa public schools, including The University of Iowa. He secured his future through hard work and a spirit of entrepreneurship.

When he was six years old, Pappajohn went to work in his father’s grocery store, despite the fact that he spoke very little English. His natural curiosity led him to the town dump, where he collected copper, iron, brass, and rags.

"By scavenging, I could make 50 cents or a dollar a day during the depression," he said. "Those were my first days as an entrepreneur. They taught me a lot."

When he was 16 years old, his father died, leaving John to take over the store. His mother spoke no English, and his brothers Socrates and Aristotle were too young. "I had to mature very quickly," Pappajohn said.

After college, Pappajohn and a partner raised $1.5 million, and in 1961 started the Guardsman Life Insurance Company. Eight years later, he sold the company in order to dedicate all of his time to venture capital investments.

With a strong dedication to giving, John and his wife Mary have made philanthropy an integral part of their personal partnership. Among other important gifts, they have contributed more than $10 million to the University of Iowa to help fund the Pappajohn Business Building, the Pappajohn Pavilion, and the John and Mary Pappajohn Clinical Cancer Center, both at University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics.

Well known nationally for their philanthropy and love of the arts, John and Mary Pappajohn have friends all across the country. They could live anywhere, but have chosen to remain in Iowa because they value their quality of life here.

The Pomerantz Family — Des Moines, IA
Ten years ago, former President George Bush addressed a Republican audience and said about his friend Marvin Pomerantz, "Gosh–everybody knows him. Ask somebody to get some money raised? Get Marv to head it up."

Republican activist and well-known Iowa businessman, Marvin Pomerantz loves politics, education, and making money–not just for himself, but for others as well.

For the past 40 years, Iowa native Pomerantz, founder of the Mid-America Group, a regional real estate investment and development company, and chairman of Gaylord Container Corporation, has raised millions of dollars for local and national political campaigns, for various educational programs and community projects.

His value as a civic leader in the state of Iowa is well documented. A 1952 graduate of The University of Iowa, Pomerantz is a former president of the Board of Regents, State of Iowa, and has served on numerous statewide commissions related to education.

Marvin and his wife Rose Lee Pomerantz are generous donors to various colleges and departments throughout The University of Iowa and are members of the UI Foundation’s President’s Club.

Several years ago, when John Colloton, former director of UI Hospitals and Clinics, approached them about helping to complete the hospital’s 20 year rebuilding cycle, the Pomerantz family reached deep into their pockets and into their religious heritage.

In the spirit of "tzedaka," which means "charity" in Hebrew, Marvin and Rose Lee Pomerantz, and family members Dorothy and Harry Pomerantz, graciously helped fund the six-level primary care pavilion that bears their name.

At the dedication ceremony, Colloton recognized this philanthropic family for their "willingness to share with others what God has given them."

Roy Carver — Muscatine, IA In Iowa, the name Roy Carver is so closely linked to The University of Iowa, many people naturally think he was a Hawkeye. Not so. Roy Carver was born in 1910 and raised in Illinois. As one of four children, he had a paper route and worked at Ford Motor Company after school.

After college, Carver worked for the State of Illinois, where he had the opportunity to evaluate a type of self-priming pump. He believed he had a better idea for engineering this product and eventually quit his job and invested all his savings into his own business.

The Carver Pump Company was first located in Illinois, but later moved across the Mississippi to Muscatine, Iowa. When World War II began, the company’s first large order came in from England. After the United States entered the war, the U.S. bought Carver’s pumps as well.

In 1957, Carver began another company, Bandag, Inc., after gaining the North American rights to a system of tire retreading from Bernard Anton Nowak in Darmstadt, Germany.

Through the years, Carver cultivated his passions for aviation and world travel. He spoke five languages fluently.

In 1982, Carver died suddenly in Spain, and through his will, established the Roy J. Carver Charitable Trust that has contributed generously to many areas of The University of Iowa, including UI Health Care.

Savoring his humble beginnings, Carver once said, "Mindful of all that I have received from society, it has been my long cherished aim to devote a significant portion of my estate to charitable, educational and scientific purposes."