|
||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Fall 2003 Prospectus | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
A
Tough Act to Follow...or Forget Had “Wild” Bill Schrampfer for a class? Think of the toughest professor you’ve ever had—you know, the one who makes brave men cry and strong women cringe at the mention of their name, one who inspires a sense of dread, and creates a hollow pit in your stomach. Think of the academic nightmare of a student only marginally prepared for class. You can open your eyes now. Despite what you might have heard, Bill Schrampfer was not that guy. Yes, he was tough—but he was caring in a way that many students appreciated only after they had left Iowa State and Dr. Schrampfer’s class on business law. Oh, he had a “rep.” Alumni of a certain age may remember the character of Professor Kingman created by the late John Houseman in the movie The Paper Chase, with a stony gaze and withering voice. “Dr. Schrampfer was a close parallel to Houseman,” recalls Ric Jurgens (’71 Industrial Administration), President and Chief Administrative Officer of Hy-Vee, Inc. “He had a unique style that set him apart not just from other business teachers, but teachers as a whole.” Jurgens’ son attended Harvard Law—the fictional Kingman’s academic torture chamber—so he knows of what he speaks when it comes to the legendary pedagogical “technique” used to pound knowledge and respect for the law into young minds. “Dr. Schrampfer would have students stand up to be grilled individually,” Jurgens continues. “He’d sucker you in, then put you on the spot. Same process as Harvard’s ‘old school’ teaching style.” If you think thirty years’ distance might color Jurgens’ memory a bit, consider the unprompted characterization of another grad, Denise Essman (’73 Industrial Administration), currently President and CEO of Essman/Companies, a Des Moines research and marketing firm. “He was like John Houseman in The Paper Chase,” Essman confirms. “He took attendance. He asked questions and walked up and down the aisles with a yardstick in his hand. I don’t know how, but he seemed to know who everyone was. Maybe he memorized the seating chart.” Ned Skinner, (’74 Industrial Adminstration) President of Skinner Agri-Products, Inc. and Wildwood Harvest Foods, Inc., remembers his business law cases vividly and the seating chart. “Bill Schrampfer had large classes with seating charts and he used to call on people, one after another down the row, so you knew when it was about to be your turn. I was called on and asked to approach the blackboard in the Carver 101 auditorium. When he asked me to write the answer to his question on the board, even though I knew it, I froze because I was so nervous. ‘Get off the fence, Mr. Skinner!’ and I retreated to my seat in disgrace.” Perhaps one reason Dr. Schrampfer drove them harder than others was that his classroom might be the only opportunity to instill in young people a respect for the law that would see them through the traps and temptations of an increasingly competitive business world. But at least as important was his simple dedication to undergraduate education at Iowa State. “Under the Schrampfer administration,” W. H. Thompson recalls in his history of the Department of Industrial Administration, “the emphasis [was] on building and strengthening the undergraduate program.” “Wild Bill” (see callout) demonstrated interest in his students that went far beyond what was required for even the most vigorous schooling in the law. “He enjoyed a good rapport with students, knew them individually, and was dedicated to their well-being,” Dr. Thompson says, remarking Dr. Schrampfer’s willingness to help his students with financial or legal problems as well as academic pursuits. “His methods may at times have been unorthodox, to a few even abrasive, but his devotion, spirit, and industry served to keep the Department together through troublesome periods.” “He was intimidating,” Jurgens admits, citing what he calls Dr. Schrampfer’s “bulldog mentality.” “He was not the kind of guy you’d approach and say, ‘Gee, Dr. Schrampfer, want to walk along and chat about class?’ You got the heck out of there when he cut you loose.” But, according to Dr. Thompson, it took someone with a “bulldog mentality” for the bare-knuckle fight to get the respect the business program deserved, noting Dr. Schrampfer “had a vision as to his goals for the Department and he pursued them relentlessly. He never relaxed his championing of the Departments’ place in the University hierarchy.” Dr. Schrampfer headed the Industrial Administration Department for 14 years and taught another 5 before retiring in 1973. And though he never taught in the “College,” he left his indelible mark on the future by the sheer dint of his intellect and personality. For more than bricks, boards, faculty, or curriculum, in the end the sum of the College is the students it produces—and those he marked for life. “Bill Schrampfer impacted thousands upon thousands of students with his tremendous understanding of the law and his energy for teaching it,” Jurgens acknowledges. “He would expect respect from students—and they would give him that respect,” adds Essman. “He loved the law.” |
|||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||
