1. Pam PoppeDan Heck
Doug PettyMichelle Herring
ou must feel a little intimidated.”
I blink, taken aback by the woman’s blunt comment.
“After all,” she adds, “it’s not every day you get to
spend time with America’s top 2 percent—intellectually
speaking, of course.”
It’s a rainy Saturday morning, and I’m sitting at a table in
the middle of a Hy-Vee cafeteria with some of Iowa’s smartest
people. Families, couples, and grocery store employees are
enjoying their mid-morning breakfasts. But the group I’m with
sticks out—a circle of seven men and women ages 35 to 68.
They all have one thing in common:They’re members of Mensa
International, a community for the world’s intelligence elite.
A SMART PEOPLE SOCIETY
I came to the brunch expecting to meet a table full of real-life
Sheldon Coopers and Einsteins, assuming the Mensans would
be talking about physics and history.They came expecting an
interrogation, staring at me until I broke the ice. “Why did
you join?” was my first question.
“Bragging rights,” says Bruce Connor, 58. Bruce, the Central
Iowa chapter’s membership coordinator, joined Mensa in the
early ’90s. “I’ve noticed that a lot of people join Mensa so
that they can say, ‘I’m a member, so yay! Look at me!’ I think
one of the biggest draws for people to join Mensa is just for
them to say they got in because their IQ is high enough.”
Cockiness aside, some members at the table say they joined
the society for its true purpose: genuine conversation.
In 1946, two lawyers set out to create a community made
up of the world’s most intelligent thinkers.Their goal was to
form a society of people who could communicate on a higher
level.The first chapter of Mensa was established in Oxford,
England, later that year.The only membership criteria: an IQ
above the 98th percentile, usually a minimum of 130.
According to Mensa International’s website, the
organization has 110,000 members—Mensans, as they’re
called—in 100 countries. In Iowa, there are over 200
members. Pam Poppe, 65, is one member who’s similar to
the society’s founding fathers. She joined Mensa in 1993 in
search of a level of debate and conversation she couldn’t
find elsewhere.
Her uncle, who worked in a research lab, was part of the
reason she joined Mensa. “He asked me one time why I
joined,” Pam says. “I told him that if he wanted to have
an intelligent conversation, he could just walk to the next
cubicle—his office was full of intelligent people that he could
relate to. I didn’t have anyone.”
Y
BRUNCHWITH
THEWORLD’S
BRIGHTEST
A high IQ may warrant entry into a society of the world’s
smartest thinkers, but being a Mensan doesn’t come
without costs. Central Iowa’s most astute individuals talk
stereotypes, family rivalries, and social isolation.
Drake Magazine | Fall 2013 49
WORDS Lauren Kassien | PHOTOS Morgan Cannata

2. INTELLECTUALLY ISOLATED
I figured Mensans, with chart-topping SAT scores and the
ability to quickly learn new tasks, must have the world handed
to them. But for being so smart, life isn’t always easy.While
Mensa members are grateful for their academic intelligence,
they’re also frustrated by the lack of social understanding.
The Mensans I met have experienced this frustration
firsthand. Over a steaming plate of scrambled eggs, Doug
Petty, 64, leans forward and launches into his tale of
rejection. “One night when I was in college, we decided to
stay up and play Trivial Pursuit,” Doug says. “When it was
my turn, I answered 20 or 30 questions in a row correctly,
and I went all around the board.And at 19 years old at the
time, I didn’t know any better than to be an ass about it. But
I stopped playing after that, because I always won.And I
noticed that regular people don’t like playing games with us.”
The other six Mensans nod in agreement, commiserating
about several frustrating rounds of Scrabble, Scattergories,
and even Apples to Apples played against “regular people.”
They say when one friend can think more complexly than the
other, relationships can take a difficult turn.
Michelle Herring, 45, has felt the sting within her family.
When she was a baby, her parents taught her older sister
to count by tossing blocks down the stairs, while Michelle
watched nearby. “As they would throw down the blocks, I
would start counting them before my sister could,” she says.
“My poor parents were like, ‘Clearly, this isn’t working if the
2-year-old is giving the 4-year-old all the answers.’ Those
kinds of sibling rivalries can be incredibly difficult.”
Surpassing their peers intellectually doesn’t help Mensans
when it comes to fighting the stigmas that are pinned to
the group.And pictures of a wild-haired Einstein and cracks
about the comic book-loving introverts from “The Big Bang
Theory” don’t help dispel the stereotypes.
Bruce admits to having reservations before joining, even
spying on the group beforehand. “I had the idea that it would
be full of geeks or lots of strange professor-types,” he says.
So Bruce went and had dinner at the table right next to the
Mensans to observe them. “I remember looking over and
thinking, ‘They seem pretty ordinary to me.’”
The Mensans around the table agree that they’ve developed
pretty thick skins when it comes to handling stereotypes.
55
0.1% 0.1%2% 2%
14% 14%
95%
68%
34% 34%
70 85 100 115 130 145
frequencyinpopulation
IQ score
Mensa
qualifying
test score
50
Ahead of the Curve
An IQ score in the top 2 percent (at
least 130) is the requirement for Mensa
membership.The average IQ is 100,
which means a Mensan’s score is at least
48 percent (30 points) higher than the
average person’s.
Information from American Mensa
However, the main problem with people’s preconceived
ideas surfaces when recruiting new members—especially
younger ones.
An IQ test is the simplest way to be accepted into Mensa.
Short for Intelligence Quotient, an IQ is a ratio of mental age
to physical age.This means that, in order to join Mensa, a
7-year-old member must have an IQ higher than 98 percent
of other 7-year-olds. For this reason, children and adults have
equal chances of being accepted into the community. One of
the biggest reasons child Mensans make headlines is because
few young people choose to join what others deem the
world’s biggest society of geeks.
“I think there is always that need for social connection,
especially among young people,” Michelle says. “We’re
really trying to reach out to people from younger generations
through activities and social groups. Mensa now has
everything from evangelical groups to Hell’s Mensans, our
motorcycle club.”
MEMBERSHIP PERKS
Although they often work to fight these social battles, the
members of Central Iowa’s intelligence elite don’t let much
else stop them from enjoying the benefits that accompany
being uncommonly bright. One of the best things about being
a Mensan, they say, is the other people who can understand
their troubles, interests, and quirks.
“One of our made-up slogans for Mensa is, ‘We get your
jokes,’” Doug says. He puts his fork down abruptly and asks
for my paper napkin. I surrender the stack and my pen, and
he begins to scribble a quick message. “Here’s an example.”
There are only 10 kinds of people in the world:Those who
understand binary and those who don’t.*
I laugh and he smiles. “If you understand that, you could be
a contender for Mensa.”
In addition to fostering friendships, Mensa has also played
matchmaker for a couple of Central Iowa’s members. It’s
because of their equally high intelligences that romantic
relationships between Mensans work the best, they said.
“We met at a Mensa event,” says Dan Heck, 35, pointing
a pancake-laden fork across the table and locking eyes
with Michelle, his wife. “I went to a card night event at her
house, and she likes to joke that I said fewer words than the
number of points I scored in the game of Hearts—and I won
all of the games. But we just understood each other, and it
grew from there.”
MORE THAN
57,000
MENSANS
IN THE U.S.
OLDEST
MENSAN
102
YOUNGEST
MENSAN 2
1,800
MORE THAN
FAMILIES HAVE TWO
OR MORE MENSANS
40%COLLEGE DEGREES
DON’T HAVE
NUMBERS
BY THE
MALE
2/3
1/3
FEMALE
*In binary code, 10 means 2.
Drake Magazine | Fall 2013 51

3. 52
Find out by taking this short quiz,
featuring sample questions from the
Mensa International’s online practice exam.
MENSA
SMART?
AREYOU
1. Jane went to visit Jill. Jill is Jane’s only husband’s
mother-in-law’s only husband’s only daughter’s only
daughter.What relation is Jill to Jane?
2. Find the number that best completes the following
sequence: 1 2 4 7 11 ? 22
3.What is the 4-digit number in which the first digit
is one-fifth of the last, and the second and third digits
are the last digit multiplied by 3? (Hint:The sum of all
digits is 12.)
4. In a foot race, Jerry was neither first nor last. Janet
beat Jerry; Jerry beat Pat. Charlie was neither first nor
last. Charlie beat Rachel. Pat beat Charlie.Who came
in last?
5. Pear is to apple as potato is to…
A. Banana
B. Radish
C. Strawberry
D. Peach
E. Lettuce
6.Two men, starting at the same point, walk in
opposite directions for 4 meters, turn left, and walk
another 3 meters.What is the distance between them?
7.What is the following word when it is unscrambled?
HCPRAATEU
ANSWERS
1.JillisJane’sdaughter.(Jane’smother’shusbandisJane’sfather,
hisdaughterisJane,andJillisherdaughter.)
2.16(Eachnumberadds1,2,3,4,5,and6,respectively,tothe
precedingnumber.)
3.1,155
4.Rachel
5.Radish(Bothgrowunderground.)
6.10meters(Theymaketworighttriangles.)
7.PARACHUTE
RESULTS
7 correct: Congratulations, you’re Mensa material.
5-6 correct:You may qualify for membership.
4 or less correct: Stick to Sudoku—with a pencil.
“I’ll tell you this much,” Doug interjects, breaking what’s
left of the sweet moment. “You know you’re sleeping with a
Mensan if you’re woken up at 3:30 in the morning and your
bed is covered with books and charts, and she’ll be saying,
‘Look at this!’” A few members slowly nod. “And you know
you’re a Mensan as well when you get up and search for
your glasses because you want to look at it, too,” another
Mensan adds.
In the end, Central Iowa’s members all agree on what they
get the most out of Mensa.The social stigmas and rivalries
come alongside what they say is Mensa’s greatest perk: the
ability to share, debate, and chat with like-minded people.
“People have this idea that since we’re a community we
all get along all the time, and that isn’t true,” Michelle says,
pushing aside her empty plates. “At the same time, that’s a
very good thing. I think it’s interesting how philosophically
and theologically opposed we all are. So when we talk or
debate, we are able to do so at a better level because people
have more developed, intellectual reasons for our certain
ways of thinking.”
By noon, most members have polished off their meals.As
a few begin to get up, shake hands, and say their goodbyes,
I’m struck by this picture of normalcy. Despite their shared
abilities to talk both quantum physics and 16th century
European literature better than many ever could, in this
moment of casual friendship, I can see that members of
Mensa act like—and expect to be treated like—the world’s
other 98 percent.
Most of the time.
More than half of the members have trickled out, but some
continue nursing their coffees and chatting. Our waitress
senses the movement and asks if we’re done.
“Just about,” Doug tells her.
As she carries away a few half-eaten plates of French toast
and bacon, Doug nudges me.
“See? That’s what I mean.” He nods toward our busy server.
“She shouldn’t be clearing those plates. I said, ‘We’re just
about done,’ not ‘We’re completely done.’ We Mensans would
have understood that.”
he Iowa flag that always accompanies Mumford’s
on stage doesn’t always go over well outside of
the state.A rude concertgoer once asked the band,
“Iowa? What’s from Iowa?”The guys didn’t miss a beat,
proudly answering, “We are!”
“We get to be like their first exposure to Iowa,” says singer
Nate Logsdon.
Founded in 2008, Mumford’s is a gang of guys who
describe their music as a mix of party rock and psychotic
folk—a combination that guarantees an off-the-wall concert
atmosphere. On stage, they jump, spin, and practically run
into each other while Logsdon sings (or raps) over it all.And
the shirts? Usually missing.Take tuba, trombone, and cornet
player Brian “Wild Man” Stout, for example. “We couldn’t keep
clothes on this guy,” Logsdon says.
Mumford’s albums don’t always match the atmosphere of its
concerts, though.The band’s LPs consist of more ballads and
country-style tracks than party jams.The guys play elaborate
narratives and focus on the storytelling quality of a song.
“We like to play with different genres to match the different
characters in our songs,” says bass player Chris Lyng. From
metal to jazz, nothing is off limits. “They aren’t afraid to be
themselves—which just happens to make for a very strange
and interesting group of individuals,” says Christopher Ford, co-
founder of Mumford’s label, Maximum Ames Records.
Though easily mistaken, Mumford’s has no relation to the
world-famous Mumford & Sons.The band is named after the
late Ames musician Don Mumford, who was instrumental in
inspiring several local artists.After Mumford died, Logsdon
named the band after him as a tribute. “It’s like his band,
but we’re doing it,” he says. “He’s kind of possessing us and
playing music through us.We really represent his spirit and his
spirit to me is very much Ames and Iowa.”
The band has taken its style all over the country—36 states,
to be exact—and has played at music festivals like South by
Southwest and Iowa’s own 80/35. Mumford’s played to its
biggest crowd yet at 80/35 this summer, but Lyng admits that
the guys have played some shows on tour with just five people
in the crowd. “Sometimes you have the sound guy and a couple
of the people who are regulars at the bar,” he says. But they
never let it stop them. “In Mumford’s we have a policy:We
play the same whether we’re playing for two people or we’re
playing for 2,000.We bring it every time.”
And when they proclaim that they are “preparing for even
greater heights of Iowa glory,” they really mean it. In November
the band released a new LP, “Immediate Family,” which comes
with a live album titled “Sing-Alongs For the Dead and Dying.”
And in January, the guys plan to record two new albums on
vinyl and kick off another tour.
This “Iowa glory” is exactly where Mumford’s wants to be.
“We’re not a band that wants to get out of here or make it out
of Iowa,” Logsdon says. “We’re just the opposite.”
Homestate love drives this up-and-coming band forward.
T
IOWA-BRED MUMFORD’SWORDS Stephanie Kocer
PHOTO Courtesy of Mumford’s
53