Warren Madden, a leader at Iowa State University in Ames for over half a century, died Wednesday, Oct. 7, at his home in Ames.
Madden grew up in the Chicago suburb of Glen Ellyn, Ill. While in high school, he met his future wife, Beverly and they became high school sweethearts, enrolling at Iowa State where they were married. He graduated with a degree in Industrial Engineering in 1960 and worked for 3M as an engineer and manager at several locations around the country. He completed a graduate business degree at the University of Chicago. In 1966, he returned to Iowa State, where he became the university’s first contracts and grants officer.
For more than 50 years, he worked with seven ISU presidents in several business and administrative roles, becoming the first senior vice president for business and finance before retiring in 2016.
Over the last 55 years, he was professionally involved at the national and state levels, while also blending his Iowa State and local Ames community activities. He served in a number of professional and volunteer capacities, including the ISU Alumni Association, the ISU Foundation, Story County United Way, Mary Greely Foundation, various city boards and commissions, Ames Transit Board and was a past president of the Ames Economic Development Commission and Ames Chamber of Commerce.
He received the Order of the Knoll Faculty and Staff Award, the Alumni Medal and was named Ames Citizen of the Year in 2013. In addition to overseeing the university’s business and fiscal affairs, he oversaw University Museums, Iowa State Center, and Reiman Gardens, and was instrumental in developing the Highway 30/University Boulevard area, including the Gateway Hotel, Green Hills and the ISU Research Park.
During his time at Iowa State, the university’s enrollment more than doubled, the budget increased to over $1.4 billion and the campus grew to more than 14 million square feet of space with 11,500 acres of land under university oversight.
In 2019, he served as the interim president of the ISU Research Park and continued to serve on its board of directors. As a university administrator in the 1980’s he was involved in the initial planning and development of Green Hills and served as a nonresident member of the Green Hills Health Care Board. The Maddens became Green Hills residents in 2019.
In 2025, Iowa State named a building after him. At that time, Iowa State released a document entitled “Lessons to Live By” which stated, “When faced with a challenge or issue affecting Iowa State, be reminded how Madden approached it to benefit the university: First, simply listen; Respect everyone involved; Take time to recall history and lessons of the past and see Iowa State in the big picture, even when working on the smallest details.”
Madden was also a member of the group of volunteers that created the Iowa Media Wire and was one of its major financial contributors.
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