The Iowa State police department did a different kind of investigation over the past couple of years. For a group charged with protecting others, it decided to look into something different -- its own history.
Sgt. Adam Choat put his investigative instincts to good use to determine the department's beginnings through the discovery of the first night watchman, Knute Hegland. Choat pored through three large books kept in the Armory basement to start to put the pieces together.
Knute Hegland worked at Iowa State for 41 years. Photo from "Green Hills ... An Album of Iowa State Memories," 1975.
"When [Choat] joined our organization, he had a real interest because his dad used to be an officer here, and his grandfather was an Ames police officer," said chief of police Michael Newton. "We know our department has been ingrained in community-oriented policing, but this helps us understand why, and it goes all the way back to the first night watchman."
Newton said when researching Hegland, it quickly became apparent that students admired him. He is mentioned in yearbooks -- and he is a rare merit employee buried in the university cemetery.
Humble beginnings
According to the ISU Biographical Dictionary, Hegland was born in Norway and hired as a fireman in the heating plant at Iowa State College in 1905. He worked there for 13 years before becoming the first night watchman, a job he held for 28 years until his death in 1946.
His duties on the overnight shift included checking buildings on his route and ensuring the gates at the campanile were locked. Although the police department's duties have vastly expanded over the decades, ensuring doors are locked and buildings are secure remains a priority, Newton said.
Hegland's personality and kind greetings made him a favorite of the student body. He helped avoid tragedy in 1938 when a fire broke out in Margaret women's residence hall near where Lebaron Hall now stands. When he noticed the flames, he sounded an alarm, ensuring all residents escaped without harm despite the building burning to the ground.
"He really made a lifelong impact on Iowa State with all he did," Newton said. "He started us on a path of being part of the community, and I think it's easy when you start that way to continue that legacy."
Newton said it is an idea he presents to potential hires, emphasizing the department's organization and culture must be a fit for them and vice versa.
Celebrating history
Hegland is part of the history Newton hopes to celebrate this year, the 105th of the Iowa State police department. Staff are putting together a display of uniforms and badges officers have worn through the years that will be in the Armory.
"We also plan on putting together a timeline so that we can share more of our history with campus," Newton said.
