Terri Vaughan, dean of the Drake University College of Business and Public Administration, issued the following statement in memory of philanthropist David J. Noble:
The Drake University community mourns the death of David J. Noble, a businessman and philanthropist whose generosity has had an incalculable impact on the education of Drake students. Through his visionary leadership and generous support, Noble created the David J. Noble American Equity Center, a state-of-the-art collaborative learning space with industry-standard business tools that was dedicated in the lower level of Aliber Hall in October 2015. His investment in the University will be a lasting legacy to his vision. Noble founded American Equity Investment Life Holding Co. in 1995, and he served the West Des Moines-based company until his retirement from full-time employment in July 2016. He passed away Sunday at the age of 85. Our thoughts are with Mr. Noble’s family, friends, and colleagues during this difficult time. The American Equity team has created an email address, RememberingDave@american-equity.com, to which memories of Mr. Noble can be sent.