More than 40 years after leaving while just credits short of a degree, Tim Dickson fulfills a promise to his mother by returning to the University of Iowa — thanks to an online program that finally made finishing possible from afar.
Story: Emily Nelson
Photography: Tim Schoon
Published: May 18, 2026
Tim Dickson always knew he’d come back.
More than four decades after he left the University of Iowa just 14 credits shy of a degree, Dickson is finally graduating — fulfilling a promise he made long ago to his mother, and to himself.
What finally made it possible wasn’t a change of heart but a change in free time and access.
Thanks to the university’s online program, Dickson was able to complete his final credits from afar — without uprooting his life in the Washington, D.C., area or stepping away from his work. It was the flexibility he hadn’t had decades earlier, and the opportunity turned “someday” into now.
“It was always on my mind to finish,” Dickson says. “And I was not going to finish my degree anywhere else but Iowa.”
This spring, that promise came full circle as Dickson crossed the stage at Carver-Hawkeye Arena and picked up a BA in political science and religious studies.
When Tim Dickson determined he wanted to finish his degree pursuit, he reached out to the university to see what it would take to finish. The answer surprised him in its simplicity. “The online education portal made it much easier and approachable,” Dickson says.
A detour that became a career
Dickson spent his early years in Storm Lake, Iowa. But he went to high school in Iowa City, where his mother got a job working for the University of Iowa Department of Religious Studies, then known as the School of Religion. She also served on the City Council, providing Dickson with early exposure to the world of local politics.
By 1982, Dickson was deeply embedded in campus life: student senate president, a member of the track team, and a double major in political science and religious studies. But he was also increasingly being pulled beyond campus.
With just 14 credits remaining, he faced a choice: stay and graduate on time or take a job working on state legislative campaigns.
He chose the job.
“I could take the job I really wanted and finish later,” he says. “I had no idea what ‘later’ meant.”
Life moved quickly. Campaigns led to national roles. National roles led to consulting, business ownership, and international work. He got married and raised three children. By every traditional measure, the missing degree never held him back. But it never stopped mattering.
“I kept telling myself I’d go back next year,” he says. “And then the next election cycle or whatever else would come.”
The turning point came recently, as Dickson began scaling back his business and shifting to a more flexible consulting role.
With more time — and fewer professional demands — he reached out to the university to see what it would take to finish. The answer surprised him in its simplicity.
“The online education portal made it much easier and approachable,” Dickson says.
What once would have required relocating or navigating cumbersome correspondence courses now could be done from anywhere.
Back in the classroom
Returning to school after 40 years wasn’t without its hurdles.
Some were practical — learning new systems and adapting to the university’s online platforms.
Others were more fundamental. After decades in a fast-paced career built on quick decisions and constant movement, Dickson had to retrain his brain for sustained focus.
“In professional life, you’re solving problems in 15-minute segments,” he says. “All of a sudden, I’m reading 150 pages a day.”
But gradually, the rhythm returned. And with it, joy.
“Not only was I learning new aspects of the work I’ve long been doing, but I was thinking in new ways and doing it all with an exciting batch of fellow students that I learned so much from,” Dickson says. “It's been incredibly rewarding.”
Dickson initially planned to keep his return to school a secret. That lasted until his wife, Albie, asked why he kept abruptly closing his laptop whenever she entered the room. He later shared the news with his three sons after completing his first semester.
The timing added a poetic twist: just months earlier, his youngest son had graduated from college and declared it would be the family’s last commencement.
Dickson knew otherwise: “I thought to myself, ‘Well, there’s one more.’”
Dickson says his family is excited for him to complete his degree, noting that he couldn’t have done it without them, especially his wife.
“I’ve felt compelled to share some of the lectures and the discussions that I’ve been involved in, so she's gotten a window into classwork that I'm sure she never thought she would be discussing,” Dickson says. “She’s been super supportive.”
Learning from legends
Looking back, Tim Dickson realizes just how special his on-campus University of Iowa experience was.
As a student, he interacted with some of the institution’s most influential figures — meeting regularly with then-university president Sandy Boyd, working alongside vice president Phil Hubbard, and learning from renowned faculty such as religious studies professor Jay Holstein and political science professor Don Johnson.
At the time, it didn’t feel exceptional.
“You never know when you’re 19,” Dickson said. “But I was extraordinarily fortunate to walk among such academic giants.”
“It was always on my mind to finish. And I was not going to finish my degree anywhere else but Iowa.”
Finishing — and moving forward
Dickson’s return to Iowa City for commencement wasn’t just a visit — it was a homecoming layered with memories. He revisited old routines, ate at his favorite food joints, reconnected with professors, and took part in department events.
He also carried with him tangible pieces of his past, including a black-and-gold tie given to him decades ago by legendary Iowa football coach Hayden Fry, which he wore at graduation.
Now, with his degree finally in hand, Dickson isn’t slowing down entirely. He continues to work in public affairs, focusing on selective projects and consulting. He also plans to put new skills into practice.
“I’ve already taken a lot of the things that I learned in two classes I took about how to better manage nonprofits into my work as chair of a community sailing program in D.C.,” Dickson says. “Going forward, I aspire to get more involved in other nonprofits.”
He also doesn’t rule out returning to the classroom to get an advanced degree.
“The university’s mission statement talks about creating lifelong learners,” Dickson says. “One thing that stays with me is that at this stage of my life and career, I’ve come to value one distinct human characteristic above others that fits in well with the mission of the university: curiosity. I strive to see that in work colleagues, clients, loved ones, neighbors, doctors, and public officials. Curiosity imparts a certain humility. If you’re curious, it means that you know that you don’t have all of the answers, and you need to engage with others to find them.”
As for others who might find themselves in a similar position — a degree unfinished, years gone by — his advice is simple: “Jump in with both feet and remain curious. And reconnecting with the University of Iowa is a great way to do that.”
Because sometimes, the most meaningful journeys aren’t the ones you start.
They’re the ones you come back to finish.
A tie to remember
For Tim Dickson, one of his favorite University of Iowa memories came with an unexpected souvenir.
As student senate president in 1981–82, Dickson traveled with the university delegation to the Rose Bowl after Iowa football coach Hayden Fry led the Hawkeyes to Pasadena for the first time in decades.
During a dinner at famed The Palm steakhouse in Los Angeles, Dickson admired Fry’s black-and-gold striped tie.
“I told him, ‘I really like your tie, Coach Fry,’” Dickson says. “And he said, ‘Here you go, son.’”
Fry immediately took off the tie and handed it to him.
Four decades later, Dickson proudly wore the tie at his University of Iowa commencement ceremony.
