Duane Calvin Acker

1931 - 2024

Duane Acker, of Atlantic, IA, former President of Kansas State University, passed away December 13, after a long struggle with cancer.

Born on the family farm near Atlantic, Iowa, on March 13, 1931, he learned early the satisfaction of physical work and that both animals and people respond to personal attention and care. Graduating in a class of eighteen from the Consolidated High School in Wiota, Iowa, he won a county-wide examination that funded his education at Iowa State University.

Acker met his future wife, Shirley, at the county fair during high school. They married in March 1952 and moved into a Quonset on the edge of the Iowa State University campus, where he earned a Master's in animal nutrition. He received his PhD from Oklahoma State University, where he enjoyed advising students and teaching.

He accepted a faculty position in the Department of Agriculture at Iowa State. He wrote Animal Science and Industry, an introductory animal science course textbook, at night and weekends, working at the dining room table. Shirley drew the illustrations and chose the photographs. The textbook was translated into many languages and has served students for fifty years through seven editions.

Curriculum work and student advising led him to successive administrative positions, the first in 1962 at Kansas State University, as Associate Dean for instruction. In 1966 he became Dean of Agriculture and Biological Sciences at South Dakota State University. There he was responsible for the agricultural experiment station and cooperative extension service. In these roles, he developed strong relationships with industry groups and state legislators.

After eight years at South Dakota State, he was recruited to head the University of Nebraska's new Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources. In addition to the College of Agriculture, experiment station, and extension, the institute included the School for Technical Agriculture at Curtis, Nebraska, the university's Water Research Institute, and Nebraska's statewide geological survey, also a unit of the university.

While at Nebraska, he and his wife opened their home to faculty, students, townspeople, and university supporters, sometimes hosting two groups in an afternoon or evening.

He became president of Kansas State University in 1975. During his presidency, he established the provost position, combined the women's and men's athletic programs into one department, and restructured and staffed the K-State Foundation to initiate the university's first multimillion-dollar capital campaign for Bramlage Coliseum. During his tenure, K-State joined the National Merit Scholarship Program, K-State's football team was invited to play in their first postseason bowl game in 85 years, and the Konza Prairie and International Trade Institute were established. He was particularly proud that K-State students received as many Rhodes scholarships as Harvard and Yale students.

Twice during his presidency, with support by Governors Bennett and Carlin, two major K-State construction projects were approved within one legislative session. The first was for what became Bluemont and Throckmorton Halls, the second for Chemistry/Biochemistry and a major addition to Weber Hall.

He served on the Board of the Kansas City Federal Reserve and on many community and professional boards.

Dr. Acker is survived by his daughters, Diane and husband Terry Nygaard and their son, Eric, Overland Park, KS; and LuAnn Acker and husband Bill Tout, Ft. Myers, FL; brother-in-law John Rasmussen, Temecula, CA; and many cousins, nieces, and nephews. Preceding him in death were his parents William Clayton and Ruth Acker, wife Shirley, sister Virginia Lorraine Rasmussen, and grandson Clayton Nygaard.

The memorial service will be held at 2:00 p.m. on Wednesday, December 18, 2024, at the Schmidt Family Funeral Home in Atlantic, IA. A light luncheon will follow the service in the reception room of the Schmidt Family Funeral Home. The service will be livestreamed & recorded. It may be located on the funeral home's website below Duane's obituary.

In honor of Duane, memorials may be directed to the Heritage House, First Presbyterian Church of Atlantic, or the YMCA Atlantic. Memorials may also be mailed to the Schmidt Family Funeral Home, P.O. Box 523, Atlantic, IA 50022.

The staff of Schmidt Family Funeral Home in Atlantic is handling the services for the Acker Family.