LYON, Randolph W.

LYON, Randolph W. (Cedar Rapids, IA, July 4, 1949-- ). Educator, historian, author. Encyclopedia Dubuque is the latest of many publications Lyon has written, co-authored, or served as a contributor. He was the author of Dubuque, the Encyclopedia (1991) upon which the website---www.encyclopediadubuque.org---is based. He followed this in 1998 with Faith and Fortunes: An Encyclopedia of Dubuque County. This book was published as part of the Iowa sesquicentennial celebration and all monies raised from the sale of the book were divided evenly among the seven county historical societies to fund their own projects. Lyon was the co-author of Between Two Rivers: Iowa Year by Year, 1846-1996 published by the Iowa State Press. His co-author on this project was Allan Carpenter, the author of dozens of book series. Carpenter had earlier hired Lyon as a contributor for three regional encyclopedias--The Encyclopedia of the Midwest (1989), The Encyclopedia of the Central West(1990), and The Encyclopedia of the Far West (1991)--for the publisher Facts on File.

Lyon's writings have not been limited to books. In 1972 Lyon wrote The Water Flows: A Primary Source History of the American Indian for Creative Visuals of Big Spring, Texas. The six cassette series provided students with primary sources which could be implemented in a unit of study. In 1974 Creative Visuals published his three filmstrip series Archaeological Dig at Tel Gezer based upon the author's experiences in Israel. In 2007 the Iowa State Education Association produced Lyon's Shining Stars and Everyday Heroes. This two-CD kit included an encyclopedia of Iowa history including over 5,800 entries, a year's course of daily oral language activities based on Iowa history to improve students' grammar skills, and lesson plans designed to encourage writing, map skills, and even an appreciation of a community's architectural history.

Iowa developed two multi-cultural calendars for the Iowa State Education Association and the Iowa daily historical calendar used on the website of the State Historical Society of Iowa. From 1991-1999 Lyon developed the popular "Not So Long Ago: The Dubuque of Our Memories" calendars for FIRST NATIONAL BANK. These featured the art work of Norman ZEPESKI.

Lyon has taught in the Dubuque Community School District since 1972. He was a member of the district's first talented and gifted committee and helped write a grant through which monies were received from Phi Delta Kappa to fund a pilot program at Hoover Elementary School in the early 1970s. He has been a frequent member of district science and social studies committees. In 19991 Lyon was one of the first ten educators in Dubuque County to receive the Gold Star Award from KWWL. He was twice been selected by students in the Belin-Blank Center at the University of Iowa as an outstanding teacher and three times by students from the Northeast Iowa Community College. As of 2005 he had been cited five times in Who's Who Among America's Teachers. Lyon was the first person to serve four years as president of the Dubuque Education Association (1982-1986). In 2008 he was selected the historian of the Dubuque Community School District.

Lyon is married. His wife, Ruth, is the director of bell and vocal choirs at FIRST CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH. Their daughter Chris is a partner in a California law firm. Their daughter Angela is an instructional designer at the University of Iowa.