Cornell College has produced a long list of noteworthy alumni that have gone on to successful careers in politics, professional sports, and business.
Former Xavier University president Michael J. Graham, NASA astronaut David Hilmers, former Illinois Congresswoman Deb Mell, and Vegan Outreach Co-founder Jack Norris are just a few.
Most of those alums have left Mount Vernon, but some Cornell graduates have stayed in town or returned to the community to run successful small businesses.
From trash to treasure
Art can be defined in many ways.
The most common definition comes from the Oxford dictionary, which defines art as the use of the imagination to express ideas or feelings, particularly in painting, drawing or sculpture.
Bob Kennedy has a similar definition, but like most artists, he has his own artistic style. Kennedy is primarily a photographer, but he’s also explored the media of painting, collaging, and alcohol ink.
“When it goes outside of photography, I’m not interested in reproducing something that I see. I’m really interested in reproducing something that you feel,” Kennedy said. “So it’s more about the feeling than trying to reproduce something exactly the same way that you see it. And sometimes that’s even true in my photography.”
Kennedy grew up in Dubuque, a city nestled on the banks of the Mississippi River.
“I’ve always been interested in art. I’ve always been very creative,” Kennedy said.
Kennedy’s creativity led him to Cornell College in 1986. At the time, the college’s art program was structured in a very traditional way – with painting, drawing, and ceramics. But a new faculty member put more focus on found pieces.
“It was kind of an interesting time to get the traditional background, plus kind of the more modern take on art and what art is,” Kennedy said.
One of his favorite projects during his Cornell career was his final piece for collage and assemblage class.
“I had a trash can that had things in it, so you could see in it, and then I kind of sprinkled some of the more interesting things I found on the top, and then projected, I don’t even remember exactly what it was, but I projected something onto the piece to kind of just give it a little bit more bit more depth,” Kennedy recalled.
While the reception from his classmates was negative, Kennedy’s professor declared the work the best thing he’d ever seen and praised Kennedy’s efforts.
After graduating from Cornell in 1990, Kennedy pursued advanced degrees from the University of Iowa.
Kennedy’s job took him across the country, but he always hoped to return to Cornell College. He now serves as a development officer, traveling throughout the country to help Cornell alumni reconnect with the college.
Kenny co-owns the Abbe Creek Gallery, which features work from local, regional, and sometimes national artists.
The gallery was opened in September 2024 by photographer Bob Campagna and retired U.S. Postal Service employee Chris Childers. Kennedy later joined the team.
“I just knew that I had time, and I wanted to be on the ground floor with it, and I didn’t know anything about how the structure was going to be, but I think it’s a great structure we had,” Childers said.
“That’s been the best thing that happened to our business, and it’s great to have three people,” Childers said.
When you walk into the gallery, you’ll find an array of paintings, photography, and other artwork displayed by a single artist – each show lasts one month. The back of the gallery features work from the 60-plus artists Abbe Creek represents.
New ownership, same tradition
Walk to the end of First Street and you’ll see the pristine glass front of Bauman’s. The clothing store has been a Mount Vernon staple for 117 years, and though the times have certainly changed over the century-plus that it’s existed, Bauman’s reputation for providing excellent service has not.
“Our customer service is top notch, so we really pride ourselves on helping our customers when they walk through the door, making it a good experience no matter what they’re here shopping for, whether they just want to browse, or whether they have specific needs they want, ” Co-owner Olivia Randall said.
Randall has spent her entire life in Eastern Iowa. She grew up in Iowa City, and when the time came to start thinking about colleges, she decided to make the 25-minute commute to Cornell College.
“The one block at a time was very appealing to me, so that was part of it,” Randall said of Cornell’s unique course structure. “And then I just liked the small liberal arts school, and it seemed to fit really well.”
It didn’t take long for Randall to fall in love with the college. While participating in freshman orientation, she met her husband, Josh. She still treasures the lasting friendships and playing in the orchestra inside King Chapel.
Living in Mount Vernon has made it easier for Olivia and Josh Randall to stay connected to Cornell. The couple have an endless web of links to their alma mater – evidenced by their young children attending daycare there.
Olivia graduated from Cornell with a math degree, but she and Josh always knew they wanted to enter the business world. Josh’s family has owned a construction company in Osage for more than 100 years.
That opportunity came in 2019, when then-Bauman’s owner Mike Smith was planning to retire. Smith didn’t have any family interested in taking control of the store, so he resorted to the media to find the next owner.
“He put an article out in our local newspaper saying that [he was] looking for interested parties who might want to purchae a successful retail business,” Olivia Randall said. “We reached out to him and worked with him for about 18 months before we finally made the sale”
Once the sale was completed, the Randalls sought to maintain Bauman’s standards as a quality retail store while also giving it a fresh upgrade.
One major change the Randalls made was increasing the store’s footprint.
“The basement was obviously a big chunk of that. We remodeled it, and now it has our women, men’s and women’s shoe sections. We also have kids’ shoes. And then we do have some merchandise down there as well,” Olivia Randall said.
Business remains steady at Bauman’s today. The store served roughly 1,500 customers in 2025, and the Randalls continue to be amazed with the generations of shoppers that visit the old store.
“We like our customers to feel at home when they shop here. ….It’s a unique experience. We’re an old historic building. We have original fixtures in our store,” Olivia Randall said.
The cornerstone of America
There’s no question that small businesses are the backbone of America. According to the U.S. Small Business Administration, there were 36,186,089 businesses classified as “small businesses” in the United States in 2025.
For these two Cornell alums-turned Mount Vernon business owners, it’s about keeping the community strong.
“Owning a small business, especially in a small town where you’re kind of a pillar in the community, really matters to your community,” Olivia Randall said. “It helps make your main street vibrant. It helps keep the whole community vibrant.”
Kennedy encourages the public to support their community’s small businesses and not take them for granted. All of the businesses in uptown Mount Vernon are owned and run by members of the community, he said.
“And unless you want vacant storefronts, the community needs you to support the small businesses.”