VEISHEA

Throughout its over eight-decade history it hosted such guests as Bob Hope, John Wayne, Presidents Harry Truman, Ronald Reagan, and Lyndon Johnson, and performers Diana Ross, Mike Jones (rapper), Billy Joel, Sonny and Cher, the Goo Goo Dolls, The Tony Bruno Band, and The Black Eyed Peas.

[2] VEISHEA was the largest student run festival in the nation, bringing in tens of thousands of visitors to the campus each year.

[5] In the early 1900s, the campus of what was then known as Iowa State College was host to multiple events in the spring, as each college celebrated its history and recruited prospective students by holding an individual celebration—such as the Ag Carnival, the Home Economists' "HEC Day," and the Engineers' St. Patrick's Day Parade.

In 1922 it was decided that by combining the separate celebrations, it would be possible to preserve tradition without students taking time off from several consecutive weeks of class.

The first VEISHEA Central Committee, led by Wallace McKee of the class of 1922 met in Beardshear Hall, since the Memorial Union (where student organization offices are currently housed) was not yet built.

Other events included 33 department open houses, a mock battle hosted by the ROTC, a parade themed "History of Iowa State as it is Today," and the student written and performed "Nite Show," titled "Scandals of 1922.

[15] In 2004 a riot occurred during the early morning hours of April 18 after Ames Police dispersed about 400 people at a nuisance party.

[16] This crowd grew, intensified, and eventually became violent, ultimately causing over $250,000 in damage to public and private property.