Iowa Ledger (2022) - Tippie College of Business

The air was abuzz with anticipation. A capacity crowd of students, professors, and tax
professionals eagerly chatted under a massive blue game screen in the Pappajohn
Business Building. Then the unmistakable Jeopardy melody began.
It was time for the final round of the first annual RSM Tax Jeopardy competition.
Jason Wagner and Joe McCarragher
As the two teams of Introduction to
Taxation students collaborated with
their team members to answer the final
Jeopardy question, Chuck Orr (BBA72/
JD75/MA75) sat near the back of the
audience with a smile on his face.
Orr, a retired partner from RSM, was
instrumental in making the day possible,
helping to establish the RSM Wilfred (Bill)
H. Heitritter Excellence in Tax Fund at the
University of Iowa after Heitritter’s death
in 2015.
Orr and Bill Heitritter (BBA72/JD75/
MA75) were partners at RSM, and he
wanted to honor his friend of over 40
years while helping the next generation
of accounting students. The resulting
fund supports students to participate
in experiential learning related to tax
education and research.
Originally the funds were used to send a
small handful of students to existing
competitions, but when COVID-19 brought
about a pause in these events, it prompted
innovation.
Associate Professor Kay Hegarty (BBA80)
approached Accounting Department
Executive Officer Cristi Gleason and said,
“There has to be a better way to use the
funds to benefit a broader cross section of
students. She asked me what I had in mind.
With this Tax Jeopardy competition, we
were able to create and host a fun event
with RSM and involve around 100 students
instead of just a few.”
The four-round competition began with
12 teams and offered extra credit and
small gift cards to students participating
as competitors or audience members. In
addition, students participating in the
semi-final and final rounds were each
competing for up to $600 in tuition
credits. The winning team—Anthony
Mullan, Blake Shultz, and Zachary
Willenzik—took home a total value of $700
each for demonstrating their tax mastery.
“I thought it was tremendous,” Orr remarked
after the event. “Bill was a really competitive
guy, so he would have loved this!”
RSM colleagues and close personal
friends Jason Wagner (BBA99) and Joe
McCarragher (BBA99) were the “Alex
Trebeks” of the event, complete with
“game-show host” grey wigs and flashy
Hawkeye jackets. The two were hired by
RSM on the same day 22 years ago.
In his opening remarks, McCarragher,
who is also a Professional Accounting
Council member, said “If it wasn’t for
Chuck’s heart for his friend and his heart
for accounting, the students at the UI
wouldn’t have this opportunity.”
“You’ll find in your career, it’s friendships
that matter.” •
UNIVERSITY OF IOWA TIPPIE COLLEGE OF BUSINESS 13