John Korn’s Lifelong Connection to Davenport Schools

Story written by Norm Bower

After a quarter century on the Davenport Schools Foundation Board, John Korn recalls: “My favorite memory as a DSF Board member was during a meeting one evening at the school admin headquarters when an elementary principal (now Superintendent T. J. Schneckloth) stopped by just to relate how valuable DSF was to the kids and community. He said he was on the Great Minds field trip that day heading to the Botanical Center in Rock Island when a little girl on the bus tugged on his sleeve and pointed at the Mississippi River, then said, ‘What is that?’ She lived just blocks from the river and had never seen it. He thanked the board and the donors for expanding that girl’s learning opportunities every day.”

John further explained, “I’ve repeated that story many times because it’s a great illustration of how many of the students in the DCSD don’t get the opportunity to do many things we take for granted. Great Minds gives them opportunities like the Botanical Center, Ballet Quad Cities, the Figge, the Putnam, Nahant Marsh, etc. I know our scholarships are great, but providing these other experiences for kids at a young age seems really important to me.”

John is a third-generation product of Davenport Schools, having attended Washington, Sudlow, and Davenport Central (1975 grad). His grandparents, both parents, and his two daughters and a son all are grads, as well as grandparents on their mother’s side. John recalls three teachers he was really inspired by, including science teacher Pete Sweedy, who planted the idea for John’s biomedical engineering degree from the University of Iowa; band director Lee Smith; and British Literature teacher Larry Minard, who made a challenging subject really interesting. John enjoyed swim team, playing trumpet for various CHS bands, and photography as a high school student.

During his quarter century of DSF service, John has spent time as secretary and president, and also served on the Scholarship Committee. He said, “I was grateful to have the opportunity to award the Tate Scholarship for $20,000 to a very deserving young man in 2024. And while he definitely was the right choice, I said many times that it wasn’t a ‘slam dunk.’ There were many other students who would also have been good choices.”

As he looks to his future plans—like travel, woodworking, music, and golf—John also offers optimistic advice to the DSF Board. “We have good leadership, and we need to continue to grow the opportunities for students and scholarships. Our mission is so important, and we need to go on indefinitely because there will be many more generations of students coming through DCSD. Some will need help with food, clothing, and child care, and we must be ready.”