Steve Noah and Jane Schmidthuber met at Wartburg College — and were married before either had graduated. Their love for each other and their alma mater endures to this day.
After graduating in 1972 with a major in elementary education, Jane served as the “steady partner” with a career as a public school teacher in small northern Iowa communities. Steve, a 1971 graduate, took his political science and English majors and worked in fields from banking to real estate, politics, contracting, trade, economic development, and fundraising at organizations from the Jasper County Alliance for Economic Development to William Penn University. Along the way, he served on the board of Iowa Micro Loan and helped found Farmers for Free Trade, a national advocacy group. The Noahs are also sponsors of the World Food Prize.
The many connections Steve formed through his career led to consulting work and a fateful trip to Rwanda in 2008. Since then, Jane has returned to East Africa on five trips, while Steve has been back 37 times. The Noahs have sponsored numerous students for study in the United States while supporting local educational institutions in Rwanda. Passionate advocates for civil rights at home and abroad, Steve and Jane’s connections recently led to the college’s first May Term travel course focused on the Rwandan genocide and restorative justice.
Steve, a former Wartburg wrestling champion and Alumni Citation recipient, has served on the Transforming Tomorrow National Campaign Committee; the Commission Wartburg Admissions & Financial Aid Task Force; the Focus on the Future Interdisciplinary Programs Task Force; and the Archives of Iowa Broadcasting National Advisory Board. Steve and Jane are co-founders of the annual Michaelson, Briner & Kildahl Literary Symposium as well as members of Heritage Society and the President’s Round Table.
Steve and Jane Noah have enriched the Wartburg story as faithful servants to their alma mater and community. In appreciation of their servant-leadership and in recognition of their longtime service, the Board of Regents hereby awards the Wartburg Medal to Steve and Jane Schmidthuber Noah.
Clive, Iowa
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