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Today's Featured Biography

David Peterson

Greetings to you all! I feel very blessed that God has allowed me to be alive for our 50th AHS Reunion!

After high school graduation I received a 5 year Bachelor of Architecture Degree from ISU.
I was then immediately drafted into the Army at Ft Polk, LA, for basic, and Ft Belvoir, MD, for drafting the “Army Way”. I returned to Ames on a delayed leave for my marriage to my beautiful wife, Mary Pascale (AHS Class of 1966). I was then sent to the road-building 46th Engineering Battalion Headquarter’s Company in Long Binh, Viet Nam, where I drafted roads, bridges, culverts, portable field hooches and special projects for company officers. Immediately after Thanksgiving, 1970, I had surgery to remove my almost-burst appendix after which I was flown home via Alaska to Ft Riley, KS. I was sent home for Christmas and then was delayed getting out 3 extra days because of high blood pressure.

The GI Bill allowed me to receive a Master of Architecture Degree. I was then hired as an assistant professor to be a student advisor and teach Architectural Technologies under the direction of Ken Dunker from 1973-1978. During this time our two wonderful daughters, Rebecca (1973) and Debra (1978) were born. Due to a change in administration, I resigned at the 5 year limit and used the money for home improvements. In 1975, we had moved from a small rental at 225 N Hyland to 712 Wilson where we live currently.

I eventually worked for Rudi-Lee-Dreyer Architects in Ames until March, 1981, when I was fired along with several others due to a down economy. My search for work mostly focused in Des Moines ended in a surprise offer from Facilities Planning and Management (FP&M) at ISU. I had no idea there would be a job opportunity at the east end of campus! The job was a one year grant to make fire safety improvements to campus buildings. Fortunately for me, the current architect at FP&M was not a popular guy, so he resigned and I was then assigned to take his place as an Architect in the Design Services group. I spent 11 years designing smaller campus projects and then 11 years as Manager of Design Services. Because the stress of new expectations and several employee’s personal problems affecting my health, I asked for a change in job description that would allow me to be responsible for updating design standards for campus buildings. I then added value to the position by learning current Building Science focused on US construction from the internet and sharing this new way of constructing buildings with my peers.

In 2009, I had my first surgery trying to remove a melanoma tumor from the bottom of my foot (from Agent Orange??). Other surgeries on the side of my foot followed in 2009 and 2011. Zelborath, my first oral chemo pill, reduced my melanoma tumors, but had terrible skin related side effects. I was then diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, which forced me to retire from FP&M March 25, 2013. Two days later, one of the best world renowned “Whipple” surgeons at Mayo Clinic could not remove the pancreatic cancer completely. My second oral chemo pill, Mekinist, also reduced my melanoma tumors, but also weakened my heart. Currently my oncologists are counting my remaining life in weeks and encouraging me to enter hospice. But I know God is in total control of my life and only he knows how long I will live!

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