Stanleys

Mary Jo and Richard "Dick" Stanley

Dick: 1932—2017 Mary Jo: 1934—2017
Achievements
  • Born in Muscatine, Iowa, Richard "Dick" Stanley received Bachelor's degrees in Mechanical Engineering and Electrical Engineering from Iowa State University in 1955 and a Master of Science in Sanitary Engineering from the University of Iowa in 1963.
  • In 2001, Dick received the Hoover Medal for the advancement of engineering practice.
  • In 2009, Dick received the national Tau Beta Pi Distinguished Alumnus Award and the National Society of Professional Engineers most prestigious award for having made outstanding contributions to the engineering profession, the public welfare, or humankind. Previous recipients include former U.S. President Herbert Hoover.
  • Dick served as Past President of the American Council of Engineering Companies; Past President of the Iowa Engineering Society; Past President of the American Council of Engineering Companies of Iowa; Past Chair of the National Construction Industry Council.
  • Dick was a member of member of the National Society of Professional Engineers, American Society of Mechanical Engineers, American Society of Civil Engineers, Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, and the American Society for Engineering Education.
  • Until his death in 2017, he was a frequent chair, presenter, and participant at conferences on world affairs and global issues. He authored numerous articles and papers published in professional and technical journals and presented at professional and technical meetings.
  • Mary Jo Stanley was a long-time board member of the Stanley Foundation, who, through her dedicated work, welcomed diplomats, officials, and scholars from around the world to both the community and the foundation’s mission.
  • Dick and Mary Jo Stanley committed $10 million to support the building campaign for the University of Iowa Museum of Art in 2017.
  • Dick and Mary Jo were world citizens who were committed to understanding how they could further appreciate, and perhaps help, the furthest reaches of our globe.

Building Information

Street Address
160 West Burlington Street
Year built
2022

The new home of the University of Iowa Stanley Museum of Art is a beautiful, unique structure that complements the museum’s collections with its design and composition. In June 2008, the museum’s objects were permanently evacuated during major flooding of the Iowa River. In the fall of 2017, Muscatine, Iowa, natives Richard (Dick) and Mary Jo Stanley committed $10 million to support the building campaign for the University of Iowa Museum of Art. A portion of the gift comes from the estate of Dick Stanley’s parents, C. Maxwell and Elizabeth Stanley, who developed one of the country’s finest and most well-respected collections of African art, which they donated to the museum in 1985. Following approval by the Board of Regents, State of Iowa, the museum officially became the University of Iowa Stanley Museum of Art on April 1, 2018. The Stanleys’ lead gift promoted the $25 million My Museum capital campaign that would help with the construction costs of the new building. The UI Museum of Art has earned recognition as one of the nation's finest university art museums. Created as a timeless rectilinear structure, the building is punctuated by voids formed by two outdoor terraces and a three-story lightwell. Significant building spaces include the first-floor lobby and event space, the second-floor exhibition galleries, and the third-floor education suites for studying, teaching, and learning directly from works in the collection. This on-campus location ensures that the museum, and its notable collection, are fully accessible to guests from around the region and the world while remaining central to the student experience and allowing for collaboration with other campus entities.