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Herman Knapp was born in Poultney, Vermont, on Dec. 28, 1863, to Seaman A. and Maria Elizabeth Knapp. He received his B.S.A. (1883) in agriculture from the Iowa Agricultural College (Iowa State University). Knapp was hired by Iowa State as Deputy Treasurer (1883-1884) before he even graduated from college. His career at Iowa State continued for more than fifty years.
Knapp held several teaching jobs and numerous administrative positions at Iowa State. Following his time as deputy treasurer, he was named Assistant Professor (1885-1887) and placed in charge of agriculture. He then took on the jobs of Recorder (1887-1908), Treasurer...
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Herman Knapp was born in Poultney, Vermont, on Dec. 28, 1863, to Seaman A. and Maria Elizabeth Knapp. He received his B.S.A. (1883) in agriculture from the Iowa Agricultural College (Iowa State University). Knapp was hired by Iowa State as Deputy Treasurer (1883-1884) before he even graduated from college. His career at Iowa State continued for more than fifty years.
Knapp held several teaching jobs and numerous administrative positions at Iowa State. Following his time as deputy treasurer, he was named Assistant Professor (1885-1887) and placed in charge of agriculture. He then took on the jobs of Recorder (1887-1908), Treasurer (1887-1935), Registrar (1908-1920), and Business Manager (1920-1933). Knapp was named Acting President (1926-1927) of the college and later named Vice President for Business and Finance (1932-1935). Knapp also served in the Iowa National Guard and was commissioned as captain in Company "C" (Ames) in 1905. He received an honorary L.L.D. degree (1928) from the University of Iowa.
Knapp was heavily involved with expanding the campus carillon. The carillon, erected in 1899 to honor Knapp's sister-in-law, Margaret McDonald Stanton, originally held 10 bells. In 1928, Knapp ordered 26 additional bells for the carillon. The new bells were inaugurated with a concert in October 1929. The Iowa State carillon was considered one of the best in the country, and others contacted Knapp for advice on building similar structures elsewhere.
Herman Knapp married Mary McDonald in 1885. Mary was an 1883 graduate of Iowa State and also the sister of Margaret McDonald Stanton, Edgar Stanton's wife. The Knapps had four children: Seaman Arthur, Hermine, Jeannette, and Byron McDonald.
The following news account of Dr. Knapp's death was published in the Ames (Iowa) Daily Tribune and Times on March 23, 1935.
Services for Dr. Herman Knapp in Great Hall Sunday
Rev. W. Morgan Will Officiate, Others Assist
I.S.C. Vice President To Be Buried in College Lot
The bells of the campanile on the Iowa State college campus will sound the passing of the institution’s most distinguished servant, Dr. Herman Knapp, when his body is laid to rest in the college cemetery, Sunday afternoon.
Carillonneur Ira Schroeder will play hymns and classical music for half an hour prior to the public service which will be held at 3 p.m. in Great Hall, Memorial Union, and again during the procession from the union to the cemetery.
Dr. Knapp died at his home, 427 Ash Avenue, Friday at 3:05 p.m. He had been seriously ill since early February with a chronic heart malady that troubled him for many years. Members of the family were with him at the end.
Services for the family only will be held at the residence Sunday at 2 p.m. and for the public in the union at 3 p.m.
Rev. Morgan in Charge
The Rev. Walter A. Morgan, pastor of the First Methodist church, of which Dr. Knapp had been a trustee more than a quarter of a century, will be in charge of both services. The Rev. Nelson P. Horn, chaplain at Iowa State college, was away from the city Saturday and could not be reached. He is expected home Sunday afternoon, and should he return in time, will assist in the services. Mrs. Florence Young will sing at the service at the residence.
W. R. Boyd, member of the state board of education, and Dean Anson Marston of the college engineering department, life long friends of Dr. Knapp, will speak at the public service.
Active pall bearers will be officers of the student cad corps of Iowa State, personally selected by Col. H. R. Odell. There will be no honorary pall bearers. Taps will be sounded by a bugler at the grave at the conclusion of the interment service.
Col. Odell announced the pall bearers would include Marvin Baker, Charles Friley, Hanford Thayer, Harold Templeton, Roy Kline and Homer Batman.
Brother to Come
Seaman Knapp, Dr. Knapp’s son, stated Saturday that the family had been informed of the plans of two persons living at some distance who would be here for the services Sunday. Dr. Knapp’s brother, Dr. Bradford Knapp, president of Texas Technological college, Lubbox, Tex, has sent word he will come. It was not definitely known whether a son, Byron McDonald Knapp, would be able to reach here in time for the services.
Dr. E. McD. “Don” Stanton, son of the late Dean E. W. Stanton, sent word from Schenectady, N. Y., that he would fly here by plane for the services.
To Ames 55 Years Ago
Dr. Knapp, who came to Ames 55 years ago last month, was a member of a most distinguished family of educators.
His father, Dr. Seaman A. Knapp, second president of Iowa State college, attained fame as the founder of the rural adult education system that has since 1885 spread thruout the land. This was the agricultural extension service of agricultural colleges and the system of county agents which holds today such an effective position in American agriculture. Dr. Seaman Knapp served as president of Iowa State from December 1, 1883, to February 1, 1885.
An uncle of Dr. Herman Knapp, Benjamin K. Seaman, was principal of the first normal school in Iowa, founded at Iowa Falls in 1870.
Born in Vermont
Dr. Herman Knapp was born December 18, 1863, in Poultney, Rutland County, Vermont. His mother was Maria Hotchkiss Knapp. Progenitors were Nicholas Knapp who settled in America in 1630 and Abraham Doolittle, who came in 1644.
When Herman Knapp was three years old, his family moved to Vinton, Ia., where the elder Knapp came for his health which was impaired as the result of an injury to his knee suffered while teaching girl pupils in an eastern school to play baseball.
For a while, Dr. Seaman Knapp served as a Methodist minister at Vinton, then was appointed superintendent of the Iowa School for the Blind at that place. Later, he farmed, then established a connection with Iowa State college, where he outlined and taught the first courses in dairying, livestock and feeding. His services here terminated at the end of 14 months as president of the institution, and he was succeeded by President Leigh Hunt.
Early Education
Dr. Herman Knapp attended public schools at Vinton, and was the first student enrolled in Tilford academy in Vinton.
Coming to Ames with his parents, he arrived on the Iowa State college campus Feb. 5, 1880, entering the college on March 1 as a freshman, and continuing thereafter an active connection with Iowa Sate college, wholly uninterrupted during the 55 years since his arrival.
By 1883, Dr. Knapp had become treasurer of seven student activities, captain of the college cadet corps and president of the bachelor debating society.
In September 1883, on the eve of his graduation, he was made deputy treasurer of Iowa State college, and thus entered the employ of the school, remaining on the college administrative, executive and business staffs for more than half a century. He received his degree of bachelor of scientific agriculture in November 1883.
Early Responsibilities
Within four years after graduation, in 1887 he had become treasurer of the college, registrar and head of the department of agriculture. He also was made superintendent of the college book store. In 1891, he turned the agricultural department over to James (Tama Jim) Wilson and Dean Charles F. Curtiss.
During the Spanish-American war, Dr. Knapp had charge of all cadet corps recitations and drills in the absence of General James Rush Lincoln.
Dr. Knapp was in military service in the Iowa national guard as well as with the cadet corps at Iowa State. He was appointed Nov. 22, 1905, a captain of the infantry and placed in command of company “C,” 55th regiment, at Ames, his company having quarters in the armory building now occupied by the O’Neil dairy plant.
Promoted to Major
On September 3, 1909, he was advanced to the rank of major, and was appointed adjutant general for the First brigad, serving until he was honorably discharged on Dec. 31, 1913.
In 1908, Dr. Knapp was appointed purchasing agent of the college, made chairman of the purchasing committee, and also became general business manager. He remained as treasurer, but the duties of registrar were delegated to another because of the steadily increasing student enrollment.
Thus he continued for nearly two decades, when upon his shoulders fell the full responsibility for the management and conduct of the entire institution. From 1920 to 1926 he served as acting president during the absences of President R. A. Pearson. Following President Pearson’s resignation in 1926, Dr. Knapp continued as acting head of the college until the appointment of President R. H. Hughes in September 1927.
Became Vice President
Dr. Knapp was then made vice president and remained as active business manager and treasurer until July 1, 1933 when he relinquished the duties of business manager to H. C. Gregg. But he retained his other two offices.
In August, 1928 he was awarded the honorary degree of doctor of laws by the State University of Iowa.
Dr. Knapp was accorded an honor in November 1933, which few enjoy in life—public honor and recognition for a life’s work, his half century of unbroken service to Iowa State college. This was at a dinner given for him by alumni in Great hall, Memorial Union, celebrating the fiftieth anniversary of his entrance upon official college duties. At that time, a large portrait of Dr. Knapp was unveiled and [resented to the college, and he was given a merit award voted by the Chicago Alumni association.
Large Attendance
More than 300 persons attended the dinner, alumni, former professors and friends who came some from great distances to share with faculty members and townspeople in doing honor to this veteran of Iowa State college.
Despite the multiple duties and responsibilities that Dr. Knapp assumed and shared at Iowa State college during his lifetime, he also felt a strong personal duty of citizenship and was active in community affairs, as well as giving time in volunteer military service.
Both Dr. and Mrs. Knapp have boasted of their long unbroken record of voting, having never missed casting their ballots at an election from the time each became eligible voters. Dr. Knapp had not missed voting at an election in 50 years, regardless of weather or sickness, making use of absent voter privileges when necessary.
On Ames School Board
He was a member of the board of education of the Ames public schools for one term, 1904 to 1906. The board elected him chairman in 1905, but he declined to serve due to the press of other duties.
He was one of the group of organisers of the Ames council of the Boy Scouts of America, and served as the first local scout commissioner.
He served for many years on the election board in the fourth ward.
He was active in and devoted to the work of the First Methodist church, and served as a member of the board of trustees for at least 30 years, being a member at the time of his death.
Authority on Accounting
He was a member of a Midwestern association of college registrars, treasurers and business managers, and served four or five years as president. He was prominent in this group because of his work in developing some special phases of college accounting.
Dr. Knapp was united in marriage in Ames to Mary Woodruff McDonald, November 26, 1885. His wife and four children survive him. The children are: Seaman A. Knapp and Mrs. Jeanette Knapp Stoddard, both of Ames, Mrs. Hermine Knapp Pickford of Des Moines, and Byron McDonald Knapp of Los Angeles, Calif.
He also leaves a brother, Dr. Bradford Knapp, president of Texas Technological college, Lubbock, Tex., another brother, S. Arthur Knapp of Lake Charles, La., and two sisters, Mrs. Oliver J. Fay of Des Moines, and Mrs. Minnie Knapp Mayo of Lake Charles. |
