Rodger Clawson Relishes Keeping Up With His Grandson’s Grinnell Endeavors

Rodger Clawson has held a lot of titles in his life from teacher to computer guy to cyclist. But the title of which he’s particularly proud is that of grandfather.

Clawson has four grandchildren and has unique bonds with each of them, including his only grandson, Ian Clawson ’26.

As Ian entered high school, his grandfather, who had lived an hour-and-a-half away, made the decision to move to within a mile of their home in Salem, Oregon. “This allowed me to show up to just about every event,” Clawson says. “Throughout Ian’s high school career, I took pictures of his activities to share on Facebook.”

A self-described lifelong learner, Clawson knows the importance of education, so when Ian decided to attend Grinnell College, his grandfather was thrilled, even if that choice meant he would be moving far away.

“To their credit, Grinnell has done a little better covering athletics than I did,” Clawson quips about the ability to keep up with the track team on the Pioneers Athletics website and related social media pages.

He also enjoys being able to keep up with Ian’s academic accomplishments from afar. “I don’t see as much of his music, but I know he’s enjoying that too.”

Well into his second year, Ian is thrilled with his college choice, highlighting the support of the Grinnell faculty as well as the drive of his peers. And he enjoys the many connections he continues to have with his grandfather. 

“When I spend time with my grandfather, I learn more about him and how he has lived” Ian says. “He has so many stories and so many lessons to give, that I always learn something new.”

Toward the end of his own college experience at Portland State University, Clawson was pursuing retail store management. “In my day, there were only four courses offered in computers,” he recalls. “And I had taken them all because they were interesting to me.” It turned out that various big-name tech companies came to campus seeking out the students in these courses. “They ended up recruiting me,” he says. “I finished classes on a Friday and was working in this field the next Monday.”

Over the years, Clawson experienced the increasingly fast-paced nature of technology. “When I started, the same computer did the job for five years,” he recalls. “Then it was 2.5 years, then 18 months, and so forth.” Ultimately, he switched to the field of change management, where he oversaw people doing the tech work he had left.

Several years after retirement, Clawson entered yet another field; He is currently a substitute teacher for a school district in Oregon. Having recently moved to Florida, he is now combining his technology skills with teaching as he continues to substitute teach online.

Clawson has another decades-long passion, which began at age 10. “That’s when I bought my first bike,” he explains. “But then there was a big hiatus when I was too involved with work and family to have time for cycling.” In his 50s, he got back on a bicycle, and, since then, riding has become an almost-daily routine. “I’ve cycled 200 miles from Seattle to Portland as well as across the state of Oregon,” he says.

Gleaned from these varied life experiences, Clawson often gives others, including his grandson, the following advice: Do your best in what you want and be flexible.

With that mantra, Clawson eagerly follows his grandson’s path at Grinnell. “I describe his interests as the ‘Big Three’: Math, Muscle, and Music,” he explains. Ian’s instrument is the tuba, and he is a thrower for the track and field team. “In high school, he had nationally ranked numbers,” his grandfather says. “He looked at D1 schools, but he didn’t want to sit on a bench; he wanted to go to a place where he can set records.”

Mission quickly accomplished. During Ian’s first meet at Grinnell in December 2022, he set the school record for weight throw with a toss of 53 feet, 4 ½ inches. He then broke his own record with a throw of 53 feet, 7 inches in February.

Rodger has supported the team as a donor as well. He has made gifts to Grinnell men’s and women’s track teams as well as to the College’s math and statistics programs.

He recently discovered another way to support the College that he hopes that other Grinnell grandparents, if able, will consider. “Many may not be aware that there is a way to give pre-tax financial support,” he explains. Each year, he gives a portion of his required minimum distribution (RMD) from his Individual Retirement Account (IRA). “If you are going to donate to an organization anyway, you can do so through your RMD directly. Then they get the full amount, and you don’t have to pay taxes.”

Not surprisingly, midway through Ian’s first year, his grandfather paid him a visit. “I arrived from Florida in the middle of winter,” Clawson says. “On a cold day, the new admission building provided a warm and welcoming space,” he recalls of his campus tour. “I chatted about the College with prospective students and families over complementary hot chocolate.”

Clawson was particularly struck by the proximity of the surrounding community to the campus. “Other campuses I’ve seen have a greater physical separation. At Grinnell, it all melds into one another. I ended up falling in love with Hotel Grinnell and already have my request in for a reservation for Ian’s graduation.”

For more information:

To learn more about RMD’s or other options for planned gifts, contact Buddy Boulton, Grinnell College director of planned giving, at boultonb@grinnell.edu or 641-269-3248.