History of Iowa State: People of Distinction

Sponsored by the University Archives, Iowa State University Library

Copyright 2006

 

 

 

Gregory Geoffroy

Gregory L. Geoffroy was born July 8, 1946, in Honolulu, Hawaii. He grew up in Kentucky and received his B.S. (1968) in chemistry from the University of Louisville and his Ph.D. (1974) in chemistry from the California Institute of Technology. He was an officer in the United States Navy (1969-1970).

Geoffroy was a professor and administrator at Pennsylvania State University (1974-1997), serving briefly as Head of the Department of Chemistry (1988-1989) and then as Dean of Penn State's Eberly College of Science (1989-1997). Geoffroy was then hired by the University of Maryland as Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost (1997-2001). He also served as interim President (1998) for three months.

Geoffroy began his tenure as Iowa State University’s 14th President on July 1, 2001. During his administration Iowa State surpassed several milestones, including the completion of Campaign Iowa State, an $800 million fundraising effort. Iowa State also received record amounts in external grants and funding and welcomed the largest student enrollments up until that time. Geoffroy doubled the amount of endowed faculty positions on campus from 75 to 150 and he strongly supported research efforts into biorenewable energy as shown by the establishment of the Bioeconomy Institute and the BioCentury Research Farm.

A number of major building projects were completed under Geoffroy's administration. The Gerdin Business Building, the Bergstrom Indoor Training Facility, Hoover Hall, the Biorenewables Research Laboratory, Hach Hall, the Roy J. Carver Co-Lab, and the Union Drive Community Center were all constructed during his tenure. This decade also saw major additions to the Memorial Union and State Gymnasium.

Geoffroy stepped down from the presidency at Iowa State in January 2012. He remains on the teaching staff in the Department of Chemistry at Iowa State.

Geoffroy married Kathleen Carothers in 1968. They have four children: Susan, Janet, David, and Michael.

 

Resources available online

 

Gregory Geoffroy Papers    

RS 2/14
University Archives, Iowa State University Library