Born in 1908 in Pratt, Kansas, Alma Eikerman was a prominent metalsmith, an innovative jewelry designer, and a beloved teacher for much of her life. Eikerman earned her BS degree at Kansas State College in 1934 and her MS in 1942 at Columbia University. She started teaching jewelry design at Wichita State University before joining the faculty at Indiana University in Bloomington in 1947. Under Eikerman’s direction, Indiana’s metalsmith and jewelry department became one of the most prestigious in the country due, in part, to her own continuous desire to learn. In 1950, Eikerman traveled to Europe and Scandinavia to study with prominent silversmiths Karl Gustav Hansen and Baron Erik Fleming. Eikerman’s artistic achievements and influence as a teacher were highlighted in "Reflections: A Tribute to Alma Eikerman," a 1985 exhibition at the Indiana University Art Museum that featured work by 40 of her students. Eikerman died in 1995.