Jacobson Athletic Building honoree photo

Richard O. Jacobson

1936 - 2016
Achievements
  • Born in Greeley, Colorado, on October 18, 1936, died 2016
  • Moved to Belmond, Iowa, in 1941, attending high school and graduating in 1954
  • Earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration from the University of Iowa in 1957
  • Served in the U.S. Army for three years before joining Monsanto Chemical Co., where he worked from 1961 to 1966
  • Founded the Jacobson Warehouse Company in 1968, growing Jacobson Companies into one of the nation’s largest privately-owned warehouse organizations
  • Established the Richard O. Jacobson Foundation in 1976, focusing on supporting children, education, and community initiatives
  • Made significant contributions to the development of several buildings and facilities at the University of Iowa and other institutions, including Iowa State University, the University of Northern Iowa, Drake University, and Grand View University
  • Established the Richard O. Jacobson Institute for Youth Entrepreneurship, part of the Henry B. Tippie School of Business
  • Supported key University of Iowa projects, including the Jacobson Athletic Building, which honors his dedication to advancing athletics and education
  • Helped fund a program to fight cancerous tumors using proton beams at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., and at its facility in Arizona

Building Information

Street Address
992 Evashevski Drive
Year built
2012

The Jacobson Athletic Building is a 76,000-square-foot facility that is attached to the indoor practice facility, which rests immediately south of the Ron and Margaret Kenyon Outdoor Practice Facility.  The building, constructed in 2012, includes an exhibit space dedicated to the history and success of the Hawkeyes, a room honoring Iowa’s consensus All-Americans that doubles as a space for team activities, hospitality, and special events, a strength and conditioning area, team locker rooms, state-of-the-art technology for training, coaching, and recruiting, office space, an equipment room, and athletic training rooms.