Leonard G. Howell, 1915
B.S., Denison University
Des Moines, Iowa
Citation awarded on Saturday, June 11, 1955
In recognition of an eminent leader in government service, Denison University confers upon Mr. Howell an Alumni Citation.
A constant inspiration to those who see in government service an opportunity to make a major contribution to human welfare, he has distinguished both himself and his alma mater.
In municipal government for 35 years, Mr. Howell began his career as a city engineer and later city manager in Ironton, Ohio, eventually moving to the city managership of Port Huron, Mich., and in 1947 to the managership of Madison, Wis. In 1950, he was named the first city manager of Des Moines, Iowa, where his diligence, insights, and devotion to the public good have been outstanding. His accomplishments at Des Moines include: inauguration of a one-way street plan, construction of off-street parking structures, the greatest pavement resurfacing program in the city’s history, construction of a $5.5 million auditorium, enactment of new building codes and zoning ordinances, reduced property tax rates, and public health education programs. He led and organized a successful fight against the highest flood in the history of the city, built up high morale among municipal employees, and developed new confidence in the honesty, integrity, and effectiveness of city government.
