This 187,000-square-foot facility was completed in 1994. One of the largest academic buildings on campus, its design complements the classic architecture of the Pentacrest. Founded as the College of Commerce, the Tippie College of Business has outgrown a succession of homes, most recently Phillips Hall. Pappajohn Business Building also houses several related endeavors, including the Pappajohn Entrepreneurial Center and the Small Business Development Center. These affiliated bodies work locally and regionally to assist Iowa-based businesses.
John Pappajohn
1928-2023
Achievements
- John Pappajohn graduated with a BSC degree in business from the University of Iowa in 1952
- He established an insurance agency after graduation from college and subsequently organized and became Chairman of the Board of Guardsman Insurance Investors
- In 1969, Mr. Pappajohn organized Equity Dynamics, Inc., a financial consulting entity and Pappajohn Capital Resources, a venture capital firm in Des Moines, Iowa
- Since this time, Mr. Pappajohn has been involved in over 100 start ups, over 50 IPOs and has served as a Director in over 40 public companies
- He and Mary Pappajohn— who received her bachelor’s degree in related art from the University of Minnesota and serves as a trustee of both the Des Moines Art Center and the Walker Art Center in Minneapolis—are among the University of Iowa’s most generous supporters
- Mr. Pappajohn and his wife, Mary, have gifted more than $100 million to various philanthropic causes including the John Pappajohn Business Building at the University of Iowa Business School, the John and Mary Pappajohn Clinical Cancer Center, the Pappajohn Education Center in Des Moines and the Pappajohn Biomedical Discovery Building at the University of Iowa.
- He and Mary contributed to the state of Iowa through entrepreneurship, philanthropy, art, and education.
Building Information
Street Address
21 East Market Street
Year built
1993
Additional building information