George Drake

Mentor George Drake

What usually struck people about Joe Rosenfield was his wit and unwavering love for Grinnell College. In fact, Rosenfield once said about the college: "After about my third week in the place I'd fallen in love with it. A team of horses couldn't have dragged me away." His passion for the college and its success shined in his dedication to the Grinnell Board of Trustees, where he served from 1941 until his death in 2008. Rosenfield's favorite sport, even counting his 5 percent stake in the Chicago Cubs, was making money for Grinnell. His own out-of-the-box thinking and close friendship with famous investor Warren Buffett helped grow Grinnell College's endowment from $78,000 at the beginning of Rosenfield's board service to just over $1 billion more than a half-century later.
"Mentor" will take you on a journey through Rosenfield's life, from his days as a Grinnell student in the early 1920s to serving as the chairman at Younkers to becoming an instrumental figure in Grinnell College history. The stories inside display Rosenfield's steadfast desire to make a positive impact, one of the many reasons he was beloved by so many.- KAY BUCKSBAUM
George Drake first came to Grinnell as an undergraduate in the class of 1956. After a sojourn at the University of Chicago to receive his Ph. D., Mr. Drake began his career as a historian and dean atColorado College. He returned to Grinnell in 1979as President, serving in that capacity until 1991. During his presidential tenure, he taught British history several times. From 1991-93, he served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Lesotho, teaching English in a Catholic mission school. Since his return to Grinnell, he has pursued his interests in British and Southern African history.