Jauvanta (Young) Walker was a technical writer and editor for the Iowa State Statistical Laboratory and a communications specialist for the Iowa State Department of Statistics.  Walker was also a published writer and artist whose poetry was published in several literary magazines. This collection contains biographical information, poetry and writings, student classwork, reports on the Cyclone computer and computational services available at the Statistical Laboratory, and a radio interview transcript regarding Iowa State's "Sketch" magazine. Many of her personal writings, including the creative component for her master's degree, contain Native American themes.

Jauvanta Maurine (Young) Walker was born to William Morris and Margaret Freeley (McWilliams) Young on November 28, 1926, in Lubbock, Texas. She attended Athens (Ohio) Junior High School and graduated from Iowa State College (University) with a B.A. (1947) in mathematical statistics. Years later she again enrolled at Iowa State to pursue a B.A. (1992) in fine arts and an M.A. (1995) in anthropology. While attending Iowa State, Walker was a member of Pi Mu Epsilon, Sigma Delta Epsilon, and Phi Kappa Phi.  She was also a writer and editor for the student creative writing magazine, "Sketch," which contains poems and short stories.

After graduating from Iowa State, Walker was employed by the Iowa State Statistical Laboratory as a technical writer and editor (1948-1962). She also served as an editorial assistant for her husband, Albert L. Walker, who was a professor of English at Iowa State. Following his death in 1980, Jauvanta was hired as a Communications Specialist (1981-1998) in the Department of Statistics.

Jauvanta and her husband were intrigued with Native American artwork and culture, particularly that of the American Southwest. Many of Jauvanta's own writings and works of art contained Native American themes. Her poetry and writings were published in numerous literary journals, including "Lyrical Iowa," "Voices International," and "Cyclo-Flame." She was a member of the Iowa Poetry Association, the National League of American Pen Women, and the Iowa State University Women's Club.

Jauvanta Young married Albert L. Walker in 1948. He brought two children into the marriage. Jauvanta Walker died on November 12, 2007, and was buried in the Iowa State University Cemetery.

This collection (1939-2007, undated) contains biographical information, certificates and diplomas, class notes, published writings, news clippings, poetry, and personal writings by Walker. Also included are reports on upgrades to the Cyclone computer and computational services available at the Statistical Laboratory. This collection also contains a notebook for the Iowa Alpha Chapter (Iowa State University) of Pi Mu Epsilon, the national mathematics honor society, which contains some basic information about the founding of the national society and the local chapter.

A significant portion of the Albert and Jauvanta M. Walker collection of Native American art was donated to the Philbrook Museum of Art, Tulsa, Oklahoma, and the University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona.

This collection is organized chronologically.