PARADE GRAND MARSHAL
REFLECTS ON DAYS AT ISU

By MARIA GRENINGER

Don Mighell always knew that he wanted to help people, but he never expected it to be in the area of student life.

"The trigger was that I didn’t get accepted into medical school," said Mighell, who graduated from the University of Texas-Austin in 1956 with a degree in zoology.

Once he realized that his credentials weren’t up to snuff and that his military deferment was no longer valid, Mighell had to make a decision and make it fast.

As his older brother had done before him, Mighell enrolled in Navy Officer Candidate School that fall. After his four-year stint was up, he had yet another big decision to make. Would he remain in the service full time or stay active in the reserves and join the workforce?

Mighell chose the latter.

In fact, he recently retired from the Navy at the rank of captain, and he joined the emeriti ranks at ISU in January after 34 years in Student Life. He also has received the honor of serving as grand marshal of this year’s Blue-and-White Homecoming Parade Oct. 21.

Mighell, 65, was nominated by his own fraternity, Phi Gamma Delta — a fraternity for which he founded chapters both at ISU and at Rose-Hulman more than 30 years ago.

"I am very honored and surprised," Mighell said of his selection.

The selection of a parade marshal is decided each year by the Homecoming Steering Committee to honor an individual who has served the university above and beyond the call of duty. Dedication to students and the university and a willingness to help others are major factors considered during the selection process.

After the Navy and before joining the working class, Mighell did some homework on what the fastest growing industries were at the dawn of the ‘60s. Higher education was definitely a growing field at the time.

He was scheduled to go to UCLA for his master’s degree, but since it was January, he decided to contact a mentor of his older brother’s who worked in higher education at the University of Texas as dean of student life.

"I was in search of a place where I could get a job for awhile and take some education classes before beginning work on my master’s," Mighell said.

At his first meeting with the student life dean, Mighell was introduced to the dean of men. After visiting with Mighell, the dean hired him as his assistant, "right on the spot."

After finishing his master’s at the University of Texas, Mighell knew the time had come to move on to another institution for his Ph.D.

Prior to starting work on his terminal degree, however, Mighell attended the American College Personnel Association’s national conference in Minneapolis. While there, he received a message that the dean of men at Indiana State University wanted to speak with him.

"I had never heard of Indiana State University nor did I know where it was," said Mighell.

During the conference, Mighell met with ISU Dean of Men Alan Rodgers in his hotel room. Following the conference, Mighell received phone call after phone call from one ISU person after another, urging him to join their staff. The year was 1965 — the year that Mighell started as ISU’s new assistant dean of men.

"I started Aug. 1, 1965, the same day that Dr. (Alan) Rankin came as president," Mighell said.

Mighell continued on the road to getting a Ph.D. while at ISU but dropped out of the program in 1972 because of the time commitment.

"It took too much of my time away from being with students," he said.

Serving as mentors during his early years were Rodgers, Richard Melloh, then dean of Student Life, and Paul Edgerton, an assistant dean of men with Mighell. Others were Ann Eppert and Betty Jo Hudson, both assistant deans of women.

More recently, Mighell said he is very proud of ISU’s achievements in regard to the university’s Master Plan.

"When I interviewed here, it was a downtown campus with private homes and apartments located among university buildings," he said. "It was definitely the people who attracted me to ISU and who have kept me here all these years."

"It’s been a dream," said Mighell of his time at ISU. "It’s been a wonderful experience."

October 18, 2000