Memorial services will be held today for S.J. Brownlee, a UI alumnus and former state Board of Regents president who died last week at his home in Emmetsburg, Iowa. He was 82.
Brownlee graduated Phi Beta Kappa from the UI in 1948 with a bachelor’s degree in economics. He later attended graduate school at the UI but left after two years to help operate a family business.
Former UI President Willard “Sandy” Boyd said Brownlee was a valuable asset to higher education in Iowa.
“He was a great graduate of the [UI] and a great citizen of our state,” Boyd said. “He served with distinction and provided a great service to the state’s education institutions.”
Boyd was university president at the same time Brownlee served as the state Board of Regents president.
His dedication to public education began when he was elected to the Emmetsburg Board of Education. Brownlee spent most of his seven years on the board as president.
In 1970, Brownlee began a term as a state senator representing the counties of Palo Alto, Pocahontas, and Buena Vista. During his two-year term, he served on many committees ranging from Higher Education to Commerce.
After his term as a senator, then-Gov. Robert Ray chose Brownlee to serve on the regents. Brownlee was a regent from 1973 to 1985, serving as president of the board for the last four years.
Current Board of Regents President David Miles said Brownlee contributed significantly to the board. Miles said he planned to publicly acknowledge Brownlee’s efforts at the regents’ meeting in Cedar Falls this week.
Brownlee gave copious amounts of time to bettering the UI, where he served on many steering committees, including the Hawkeye Arena/Recreation Campaign in 1981 and 1982.
In 1985, Brownlee was elected to the Board of Directors of the UI Foundation. His efforts at the UI and for public education earned Brownlee the Distinguished Alumni Award from the UI Alumni Association in 1986, of which he was a life-long member.
In addition, Brownlee was awarded the Finkbine Medallion for his distinguished service to the university and was also a member of the President’s Club.
“He was highly regarded in his line of work and served with tremendous distinction,” UI Alumni Association President Vince Nelson said. “He was a great friend of education.”
Brownlee had three children, Mark, Craig and Vicki. His wife Sherry died in 1993 after a long battle with cancer.
Brownlee’s grandson, Sam, played football for the Hawkeyes from 2002 to 2006.
A memorial service will be held at First United Methodist Church in Emmetsburg at 1:30 p.m. today, with a private family committal service after at Evergreen Cemetery.
Martin-Mattice Funeral Home is in charge of funeral arrangements.
