AMES, Iowa — Iowa State University alum Roy Reiman, 90, who helped create "visionary landmarks" on ISU's campus died on Monday, Sept. 16, the school announced in a news release.
His and his wife Bobbi's generosity helped the university build the alumni center, Jack Trice Stadium endzone and his namesake, Reiman Gardens, the school said.
"Roy Reiman will be long remembered as a creative genius with innovative 'wild ideas' that created a publishing empire. His love for his wife Bobbi and his family was always apparent, as was his devotion to the state of Iowa and this university. We join his family and friends in remembering Roy's special light," Iowa State University President Wendy Wintersteen said.
An impromptu conversation between Reiman and then-President Martin Jischke, led to the Reiman Gardens coming to fruition.
Reiman was staring at the south entrance of campus and complained that the view was "bland," according to the Reiman Gardens' website.
Jischke showed a garden design plan that had been put together, and by 1995 the Reiman Gardens opened on five acres. It has since evolved into a sprawling 17-acre botanical center and in 2023 was named a "Top 10 Garden in North America Worth Traveling For" by the International Garden Tourism Awards.
Who was Roy Reiman?
Reiman grew up on a rented farm near Auburn, Iowa and attended a small rural high school with just 63 students, according to the Reiman Gardens website.
He graduated from Iowa State in 1957 with a degree in agricultural journalism. He met his wife while working at Capper's Farmer magazine, where she was the executive secretary to the editor.
He founded Reiman Publications, a magazine publishing company, in 1965 and was known for country-oriented publications like Taste of Home, Our Iowa and Our Wisconsin.
Reiman Publications grew to the the largest subscription-supported publishing company in the country with over 16 million subscribers.