Second-year student cherishes being third-generation Grinnellian
February 10, 2026 — Adrienne Gassaway ’28 still keeps a letter she received soon after deciding to attend Grinnell.
It came from her great aunt, Phyllis Jones Mainwaring ’61, who was excited to share memories from her own time as a student. Mainwaring came to Grinnell from Bedford, Iowa, on the heels of her brother, Paul Jones ’59, Adrienne’s grandfather, who passed away in 2024.
“Grinnell was different in 1957,” Mainwaring writes. “We had seven women’s residence halls, and the men’s dorms were as far away as possible.”
Adrienne Gassaway ’28, left, poses with her parents, David Gassaway ’91 and Jennifer Jones Gassaway ’93, and the family dog, a Shihtzu mix named Florence.
In the letter, Mainwaring details other differences between the Grinnell of her time and the College now, including how the women’s dorms were locked at night with housemothers performing bed checks. She tells of dinners being a formal affair with men wearing sports coats and ties; the men ate in Cowles Dining Hall, while the women dined in Main Hall.
“Only seniors were allowed to have cars unless you applied for special permission,” Mainwaring recalls. “My brother had one, but I was only allowed to ride with him if my mother sent written permission to the dean of women!”
Both Mainwaring and Jones loved their time at Grinnell, attributing much of their successes in life to this experience. “Throughout my childhood, my grandfather talked to me about the importance of a liberal arts education,” Adrienne says.
Jones went on to get a law degree, practicing in Portland, Oregon, for several years before moving back to Iowa to become a partner in a law firm in Clarinda, not far from the farm where he was raised. His farming experience continued, as he and his wife raised cattle for over five decades in addition to his legal work.
“Whether it be explaining corn reproduction or rushing to the farm so I could see a calf being born, my grandfather always had new knowledge to impart to me, telling me it was for my liberal arts education,” Adrienne recalls. “He always spoke fondly of the College and was excited that I was going to be attending it.”
Adrienne is a third-generation Grinnellian. Her parents, Jennifer Jones Gassaway ’93 and David Gassaway ’91 crossed paths as students when living in Clark Pit but didn’t really know one another until they reconnected 12 years later at an alumni reception in Portland.
“My dad loved Grinnell and wanted me to go there,” Jennifer says. “So I applied, but in my mind, I was going anywhere else but Iowa.” Still, she let her father take her to the campus and soon got over her need to leave the state. “It was beautiful, everyone was really friendly, and I thought it would be so cool to be there.”
The Gassaways are pictured before cross-county skiing at the Mt. Bachelor Nordic Center in Bend, Oregon.
An economics major, Jennifer was a part of the women’s track & field team, earning MVP distinction as well as serving as team captain. “I learned to appreciate Iowa when we would travel to meets,” she admits. “I would sit on the bus looking out over the cornfields and marvel at the beauty of the state.”
Her father was a history major, and Jennifer was fortunate to also take classes with two of his favorite professors: Al Jones ’50 and Joe Wall ’41. “Both were great professors,” she says.
The Gassaways live in Portland, which is where David is from. His awareness of Grinnell stemmed from its national reputation. He majored in political science and also was on a team, not from any innate talent, but because he took springboard diving classes from legendary coach Ray Obermiller. His other passion was hiking, and he was active in GORP (Grinnell Outdoor Recreation Program) in addition to joining the young adult section of a mountaineering club while studying abroad in Zagreb, Croatia.
Adrienne came to Grinnell in a similar fashion to her mother. “We had dragged her back multiple times over the years and encouraged her to apply,” David explains. “Grinnell did a super job at welcoming prospective students, and she was looking for a college that would really challenge her intellectually.”
A math major, Adrienne cherishes the connections she’s made with professors, hoping to one day participate in a MAP (Mentored Advanced Project). “I didn’t expect how much the professors would be interested in getting to know their students,” she admits.
She’s also taken up pickleball and is active in Students for Reproductive Justice. Her campus job is serving as a tour guide, and she worked at Reunion 2025. “We got to hang with her a little because it was my 35th reunion,” David says.
“What has stuck with me is watching my parents remain active and involved with Grinnell,” Adrienne says. “They both still have college friends, and it was really nice to meet their classmates at Reunion.”
Hearkening to the time when her grandfather and great-aunt attended Grinnell, Adrienne marvels at the changes. “I’m struck by how much freedom and agency students, especially women, now have at Grinnell, and how much we take that for granted,” she says. “On the flip side, there is a responsibility that comes with that freedom.”
—by Melanie Drake ’92