VEISHEA Torch

One of the symbols of VEISHEA, the torch, did not start until more than 25 years after the 1^st VEISHEA. In 1949, Charles Cownie '26, a Des Moines businessman, lit the first torch, which was relayed to Iowa State by over 150 runners and placed in ceremonial platform on central campus.

VEISHEA Torch, n.d.

 

Over the years several well-known people have lit the torch, including Harry S. Truman in Ottumwa, Iowa (1950), Cecil B. DeMille (1952), Alan Shephard in Huston, Texas (1966) and John Wayne in California (1967). The tradition was suspended in 1973, but reemerged nine years later in 1982.

VEISHEA Torch, 1951

 

Today the torch remains a symbol of VEISHEA as a crucial part of VEISHEA Voyage, a run through various towns in Iowa that invites the state's citizens to visit the university during the VEISHEA celebration.

VEISHEA Voyage, 1994

 

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