Stan Straatsma was born in Sioux Center, Iowa and died at his winter home in Tampa, Florida on June 10, 1987 at the age of 59. At Sioux Center High School he was a standout in vocal music and basketball and was named to the All-State Basketball Team in both 1943 and 1944. Following his high school graduation Stan enrolled at the University of Iowa. Stan entered the United States Navy on March 25, 1945 serving in the South Pacific and later in Sasebo, Japan. He was discharged on August 19, 1946 and re-entered the University of Iowa where he was a four-year basketball letterman and graduated in 1948. Following his graduation in 1948, Stan and his wife, Sylvia, came to Iowa Falls where he taught and coached high school basketball for six years. Stan then entered the insurance business and was elected to the Banker’s Life Insurance Company’s Hall of Fame in 1981. He retired in 1985. Stan was actively involved in his community and also served as a director of the Pioneer Savings and Loan. He was a skilled tennis player and golfer, participating many times in the Highland Country Club championship. Stan Straatsma was a member of the Ellsworth College Board of Trustees for 22 years. He was consistently involved with the improvement of the physical plant most notably the restoration of Bullock Jones Hall. On January 24, 1981, Homer and Ruth Calkins donated 76 acres of land along the Iowa River southwest of Iowa Falls to the Ellsworth College Board of Trustees. Stan worked tirelessly on this project developing the Calkins Nature Area and setting the stage for what is known today as the Interpretive Center. Following Stan’s death, friends and family established this scholarship in honor of his many years of service to the college. Sylvia passed away October 16, 2008 in St. Petersburg, Florida. Stan and Sylvia have two sons, Tim and Steven, both of whom attended Ellsworth Community College, and now live in Florida.