Thursday Doors – ISU Part-I

I spent a really long weekend in Ames, Iowa, visiting family. We aren’t from Iowa, but my brother and mother now live there. My brother graduated from Iowa State University (ISU) and never left. A few years ago, when my mother needed to be closer to family, we moved her from Pittsburgh to Iowa. So, it’s pretty easy to visit both of them, as well as my niece and her husband, with one flight.

My brother is a good sport, doesn’t mind driving, and is familiar with the phenomenon that is Thursday Doors.

Thursday Doors, if you’re not familiar, is a weekly tribute to doors around the world, organized and supported by Norm Frampton. How does it work? I’m glad you asked. Take your one flight over to Norm’s place. Oooh and Aaaaah over his doors – they’re always awesome. Then, look for the blue button with the frog on it. That’s right, blue button, frog. Press that button and you will be invited to add your door to the collection. If you don’t have a door photo, you can substitute a painting, a poem, a description or just about anything that seems like a door. If you don’t have any of those things, you can still see all the other doors.

As for me, I have photos of doors. I have photos of a lot of doors. What I don’t have is a lot of time to prepare this post. So, I’m going to share some doors today, including the ones behind that photoshopped sign – that’s right, the sign is a hoax – sorry, but I couldn’t resist.

Those doors are on the home of the President of ISU. Pretty nice digs, nice doors and, at least he didn’t release the hounds while I was taking pictures. Actually, my brother told me that, back in the 70s, he was part of a crowd outside this residence, protesting a tuition increase. For you younger folks, I shouldn’t tell you that the tuition increase was probably something like increasing from $600 to $650 a semester.

Another group of doors in the gallery are from State Gym. This building opened in 1913 and was built at the staggering cost of $150,000. It was supposed to be an armory and field house. 1913, is too early for what strikes me as an Art Deco feel. Let me know if you see that, maybe there was a precursor movement we don’t know about.

Across the street from State Gym is the new gym. It was built in the 60s and it looks like it. I’m including it to illustrate why I love buildings that were build when form and function were important.

I also included doors from the Chemistry Building. My undergraduate degree is in chemistry, so I liked seeing this building.

I’ve tried to describe the doors as best I can in the captions. I hope you enjoy today’s doors.

The University President lives here

Door to the president’s residence. No protestors please.

The real sign is not so friendly.

This is a storage building near the fire training area

This house is at a fire training center. They periodically set it on fire for training.

One of the side entrances to the State Gym

This is the main entrance to the State Gym. Looks like you’d get some exercise just getting in the door.

This is the new gym. There are people riding bikes and walking on treadmills in the part the spans the highway.

The Chemistry building

Chemistry building doors

Pi Kappi Phi – my brother’s fraternity.

Pi Kappa Phi

This is the entrance that gives me an art deco impression

Walking up to that, then up those stairs, I think you’d be ready to workout.

I couldn’t resist taking a picture of this random door.

I wanted to knock and ask the people if they would mind moving their car.