Funeral set for former Grinnell College President

Visitation is tonight in Des Moines and the funeral is tomorrow (Wednesday) morning for former Grinnell College president Pamela Ferguson, who died over the weekend after a long battle with cancer. Ferguson was 60. Grinnell College’s current president, Russell Osgood, says it’s a sad week on campus.He says Ferguson was a wonderful person a fine faculty member, a thoughtful and effective president, who he says had some great accomplishments that moved the college forward. Ferguson was appointed president at Grinnell in 1991 and stepped down in ’97, staying on as a professor in math and computer science. Osgood says Ferguson laid the groundwork for his success as president. He says almost everything he’s done has built on what she initiated.Ferguson was instrumental in an 89-million dollar campaign which resulted in three major building projects and she oversaw Grinnell College’s sesquicentennial celebration. Osgood points to current construction projects as a monument to Ferguson. He says finishing off the science center is the best possible way to remember Ferguson, as he says it was a project he cared about alot.Ferguson died Saturday. A memorial fund has been set up for the Capital Hill Lutheran Church Outreach Ministries.