Distinguished Alumni Award
George Nissen 37BSC
A native of Cedar Rapids, Nissen returned there after receiving his degree from the U of I and formed the Nissen Corporation, which today employs 350 people, many of them business and liberal arts graduates of the university.
Nissen has assisted the U of I gymnastic team by providing instruction. He was captain of the 1937 U of I gymnastic team, which won a Big-Ten championship. He was also a national tumbling champion in 1935, '36 and '37 and won All-American honors for diving in 1937.
One of the first United States contacts with Soviet athletes occurred in 1959 when Nissen worked with the State Department to bring a Russian gymnastic team to this country. Since that time he has promoted a number of Russian, Japanese, Chinese, Polish and other foreign athletic exchanges with U.S. teams.
Most recently he arranged a tour of this country for four members of the Polish acrobatic team, which won a Gold Medal in the World Championships.
Nissen received a Distinguished Service Award from the President's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports in 1973. He serves as a member of the executive board of the International Acrobatic Federation and the board of directors and is a delegate for the United States Sports Acrobatic Federation.
He holds 47 current patents and many trademarks. The name "Trampoline" was a Nissen registered trademark for more than 15 years until it became generic.
About Distinguished Alumni Awards
Since 1963, the University of Iowa has annually recognized accomplished alumni and friends with Distinguished Alumni Awards. Awards are presented in seven categories: Achievement, Service, Hickerson Recognition, Faculty, Staff, Recent Graduate, and Friend of the University.