10/15/2026
FAYETTE, Iowa — Upper Iowa University officially launched its Brick by Brick: A Home for Every Peacock campaign during Homecoming Week, beginning a yearlong effort to commemorate UIU’s 170th anniversary by bringing generations of Peacocks together in one lasting place on the Fayette Campus.
In 2027, Upper Iowa University will celebrate 170 years since its first classes began. The Brick by Brick campaign will culminate during Homecoming in October 2027 with the unveiling of a new monument on the entrance lawn of the Fayette Campus.
The monument is being designed as a physical representation of UIU’s history, present and future — and an opportunity for Peacocks everywhere to become part of that story.
Elizabeth Alexander is known as the University’s founding mother.
The story begins with Elizabeth and Robert Alexander, who helped establish the foundation for what would become Upper Iowa University. In 1854, Elizabeth Alexander envisioned a college on the Iowa prairie. With the support of her husband, Robert, and a community that gathered around their shared vision, classes began in January 1857.
The University’s first building was constructed from native limestone, with each block cut and set by hand. That beginning serves as the inspiration for the Brick by Brick campaign.
“Our first building went up one hand-cut block of limestone at a time, set by people who believed something lasting could rise on this prairie,” said Ashley Gredys, vice president for advancement and alumni engagement at Upper Iowa University. “Brick by Brick carries that same spirit forward. Whether you walked this campus in Fayette, earned your degree at a center across the country or studied online while serving overseas, there is a place for your name here. Every brick is equal, and every Peacock belongs.”
The first brick in the new monument will carry the names of Elizabeth and Robert Alexander, honoring the people whose vision and determination helped establish the University 170 years ago. Every brick that follows will represent a Peacock who chooses to become part of UIU’s next chapter.
A home for every Peacock
While UIU began in Fayette, the University’s story now extends far beyond the original campus. Today, students and alumni are connected to UIU through education centers throughout the United States, online classrooms and military locations around the world.
Despite those distances, they remain part of one University and one Peacock family. The Brick by Brick monument is intended to create a physical place where that shared history comes together.
Located on the entrance lawn of the Fayette Campus, the monument will provide a place where Peacocks can permanently add their names to the story of Upper Iowa University, regardless of where their UIU experience began.
An early artist’s rendering of the monument to be built for the 170th anniversary project
“Upper Iowa University has been built by generations of people who believed in this place and believed in the difference it could make,” said Kathy Franken, president and chief financial officer of Upper Iowa University. “Our 170th anniversary gives us an opportunity to honor that history while looking ahead to the future. Brick by Brick reflects what has always been true about UIU: each generation builds on what came before, and each of us has an opportunity to add something to the story.”
