Acker, Duane

Duane Calvin Acker was born in Atlantic, Iowa on March 13, 1931. He graduated from Iowa State University with an M.S. in 1953. He then moved to Oklahoma State University where he instructed in Animal Husbandry until 1955 when he returned to Iowa State University as an Assistant Professor of Animal Science. In 1957 he received his Ph.D. in animal nutrition from Oklahoma State University. Acker was hired as the Associate Dean of the College of Agriculture at Kansas State University from 1962-1966. From 1974 to 1975 he became Vice Chancellor for Agriculture and Natural Resources at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Then he returned to KSU filling the office of president until 1986. During Acker’s term construction on campus was a major focus and many new buildings were built on campus. He supported the building of Bramlage and constructed halls like Durland and Bluemont. A controversial point in Acker’s presidency lies in his support of razing Nichols Gym, which now stands as the rededicated Nichols Hall. Acker received status as President Emeritus before departing the K-State presidency. After leaving KSU he moved to many state positions until settling down near his hometown in 1993. Acker later published a novel in 2010 about his life in the KSU presidency, “Two at a Time”.