Couple Extends Loyalty Through UNI Scholarship

Loyal alums Ron and Mary Bro gladly give back to UNI.

Ron ('55 B.A., '58 M.A.) and Mary ('54 teaching certificate, '83 B.A.) Bro belong to that special group of UNI alumni who, during their years in Cedar Falls, saw the university's transition from Iowa State Teachers College to State College of Iowa to finally the University of Northern Iowa. However, despite the name changes, the Bros say UNI has always felt like home.

Ron fondly recalls rooming in Stadium Hall, catching football games on O.R. Latham Field and sitting in classrooms in the Arts and Industries Building with drafting tables and T-squares. Despite UNI's evolution to state-of-the-art dormitories, athletic facilities and modern teaching facilities, the Bros still feel the same connection and loyalty to the university that launched their careers in education.

"UNI's outstanding faculty and curricula enabled us to excel as teachers," Ron says. "My teaching career has taken Mary and me from Iowa to Nebraska, Oregon, Egypt and Zimbabwe. I was thrilled to return to UNI for my final 25 years of teaching."

Ron was on the faculty in the Department of Industrial Technology and served as department head twice, while Mary taught preschool in Cedar Falls.

They decided to provide scholarship support for students going into technology education to help lessen the financial load of today's graduates. The couple has included UNI in their future giving plans by providing for the creation of the Ron and Mary Bro Scholarship Endowment.

"We thank UNI for its continuing role in preparing students for their chosen careers," Ron says, "and that's why we gladly give to UNI."