Born January 25, 1921 in Newtown, Missouri, he was the son of Carl George and Barbara Godfrey Callison.  He married Norma Jean Beary in Hiawatha, Kansas July 20, 1946.  His wife, parents and a foster brother preceded him in death.

Survivors include four children, Gary C. Callison of Cedar Rapids, IA, Barbara Jean Frank of Dover, New Hampshire, and Bruce Beary Callison and Bradley William Callison both of Burlington, Iowa; nine grandchildren; and five great grandchildren.

He began his education in a one-room rural school.  Graduating from Powersville High School in Powersville, Missouri at age 16, he learned his position at a C.C.C. camp had been taken.  He reluctantly took the advice of his school superintendent and entered Northeast Missouri State Teachers College.  He received a small scholarship but mostly supported himself by playing semi-professional baseball and holding various jobs. 

In 1942 he entered the Army and served with the 96^th Infantry Division until 1946.  He achieved the rank of Sergeant First Class.

After the war, he returned to Missouri to care for his ailing mother; he married Norma just before his mother’s death.  He was teaching in the rural schools as well as coaching several sports with great success; one of his teams went to the Missouri State Basketball Tournament. He was also studying at Northeast Missouri State Teachers College.   He earned a B.S. (1950) and an M.S. (1952) from that institution.  He once said that he planned a career in education because he didn’t know why else one went to college.  He eventually did further graduate work at Drake University and was awarded an honorary Doctorate from Iowa Wesleyan University.

In 1952 he moved to Winterset, Iowa to become an elementary and junior high school principal.  He remained there until taking a position as Dean of Keokuk Community College in 1966.  In 1967 he took over as President of a struggling Southeast Iowa Community College. Under his leadership, the College built new facilities and significantly expanded both its course offerings and its student body.  He retired in 1986. He served on the Iowa State Board of Education for nine years; he chaired the Community College Council for four years; he served on the Prison Industries Advisory Board for two years.

Cal was an avid outdoorsman; he particularly enjoyed hunting, fishing, and camping with his family. His character, though remarked upon throughout his life, was particularly evident in his final years, when he was receiving dialysis.  Even when he was in great pain, he always treated his caregivers with respect and gratitude.

A life well lived, lessons well learned and then well taught.  A job well done.