Simpson College President Jay Byers has died at the age of 54, as announced by the college late Thursday afternoon.

Byers was appointed Simpson President in June of 2023, and helped grow enrollment at Simpson to their incoming highest class since 2018 and implement multiple programs to incentivize Iowa students to attend Simpson including offering full-tuition scholarships to qualifying Indianola and Des Moines students.

Simpson College Board of Trustees Chair Terry Handley made a statement at a press conference detailing Simpson staff asking for a wellness check earlier this morning after missing multiple morning meetings, where he was found dead in Sigler House on the Simpson College campus.

Indianola Police Chief Brian Sher said an investigation is ongoing, but at this time no criminal act is suspected in connection with Byers death.

Handley said President Byers made a significant impact in a short amount of time serving at Simpson.

“Jay loved this place. He loved everyone associated with Simpson College. I was involved in the search for this position, we had a lot of wonderful candidates. Jay certainly rose above with that passion, that love of Simpson was infectious, and that was a huge reason for Jay being chosen as President. His personality, his conviction, his passion, for the people here on campus, for what Simpson College meant to him and the future of Simpson. It was his vision that current students and future students could have that same experience. It was all about setting our students up for success. So Jay put everyone else ahead of himself. He was here to serve Simpson College to the best of his ability.”

Classes and multiple athletic events have been canceled for Friday, with grief counselors available to all students. Handley said Simpson leadership will have more announcements over the next week as more decisions are made about the leadership and future at Simpson.