History of the Corn Monument
The corn monument has been a long-standing tradition during Iowa Homecoming. Engineering students have built these monuments and have placed it various locations around campus over the years, mostly on the Pentacrest.
The first corn monument, shaped like an obelisk, was built in 1914 by a hydraulics engineering class. Starting in 1919, the responsibility for constructing the monument rotated annually among the various disciplines within the Engineering College. This practice continued until 1934, when the Associated Students of Engineering organization assumed responsibility for the project. The American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) Student Organization presently oversees the designing and constructing the monument.
Each monument offers interesting insight into the current events on campus and around the world at the time they were created. For instance, during the 1950s, you'll see several monuments depicting different elements of the space race. The 1940s saw several focusing on the war efforts during World War II. You can also see local history, including the use of the Tigerhawk in the 1980s and the Iowa Wave during football games in 2018.
**It has been noted that during the 1990s and 2000s the corn monument may have been created as homecoming parade floats. Unfortunately, the library has not been able to find any photos or information on these monuments. Please contact Kari Kozak if you have a copy that you would like to added to the University Archives or know more information on any of the missing monuments.