Museum of Science and Industry

Grew up and currently lives in 

Malden, Ill.

Age   

70

Education

Malden High School; Illinois State University, Normal, Ill.

Occupation

Former farmer; maintenance assistant at a retirement home

Three Favorite Hobbies

Singing with a barbershop chorus, model railroading, reading

Three Adjectives that Describe Me

Enthusiastic, gregarious, encouraging

Fun Fact

His farm has been in his family since 1865.

From the Essay

"I covet the opportunity to play a role as a new generation of little people see for the first time, wonder at the 'how' and 'why,' and come to some understanding: 'Mommy, come see the baby chicks!'; 'Dad, look what this does.' I submit that simple, basic facts provide the best foundation for productive imagination."

MSI Judges’ Thoughts

Dale’s childhood memories exploring the Museum instilled his lifelong appreciation for science. Born and raised on a family farm he later inherited, today he still sees science all around him: his farm, the railroads dotting the countryside, his passion for photography. He’s not one to slow down: He still works part-time in maintenance for a retirement community and is always willing to offer a helping hand to a friend or neighbor.

Dale is grateful for the role science plays in his life, but worries about the creativity crisis draining the next generation’s ability to imagine, invent and innovate. Dale speaks passionately about the need to develop our children’s sense of imagination and ingenuity. To help reverse this trend, he wants to live inside MSI to engage guests of all ages to exercise their imagination through a sense of play and discovery.