"Iowa Almanac" is a copyrighted production of Stein Enterprises, L.L.C.
All Rights Reserved.
No use of the material is allowed without prior written permission of the copyright holder.
Copyright 2016 by Stein Enterprises, L.L.C.
All Rights Reserved.
No use of the material is allowed without prior written permission of the copyright holder.
Copyright 2016 by Stein Enterprises, L.L.C.
Iowa Almanac for Monday, October 31, 2016
"First in Television"
B.J. Palmer had an idea. For people in Davenport and the Quad Cities of Iowa and Illinois, that was nothing new. The Palmer family had founded chiropractic treatment, and B.J. Palmer had seized upon the magic of radio to tell about chiropractic, leading to his founding of the first commercial radio station in Iowa in 1922.
His new idea was television. It was early in 1948, and the Palmer family announced they would put a TV station on the air from Davenport within two years. They bought a residence at 805 Brady Street to house not only their radio station, but the new television operation, as well. It was conveniently located just across the street from the Palmer College of Chiropractic.
On October 31, 1949, the 400 homes in the region with television sets got a treat on Halloween...local television...as WOC-TV signed on, on channel 5.
At the time, there were four broadcast networks--NBC, CBS, ABC, and DuMont. And since it was the only station in the region, WOC-TV carried programming from all four, although it was primarily an NBC affiliate.
By 1952, viewers enjoyed the local programming, but sometimes there was interference from another channel 5, located in Ames. As a result, the Federal Communications Commission reassigned WOC to channel 6 on the dial. That's where people first found color programming, from the network, in 1956.
The Palmer family owned the station for its first 40 years. And just as WOC-AM was the state's first radio station, WOC-TV was Iowa's first television station, going on the air on this date in 1949.
And that's Iowa Almanac for October 31st...Listen to the extended audio version of today's story by clicking on the audio player above.
"First in Television"
B.J. Palmer had an idea. For people in Davenport and the Quad Cities of Iowa and Illinois, that was nothing new. The Palmer family had founded chiropractic treatment, and B.J. Palmer had seized upon the magic of radio to tell about chiropractic, leading to his founding of the first commercial radio station in Iowa in 1922.
His new idea was television. It was early in 1948, and the Palmer family announced they would put a TV station on the air from Davenport within two years. They bought a residence at 805 Brady Street to house not only their radio station, but the new television operation, as well. It was conveniently located just across the street from the Palmer College of Chiropractic.
On October 31, 1949, the 400 homes in the region with television sets got a treat on Halloween...local television...as WOC-TV signed on, on channel 5.
At the time, there were four broadcast networks--NBC, CBS, ABC, and DuMont. And since it was the only station in the region, WOC-TV carried programming from all four, although it was primarily an NBC affiliate.
By 1952, viewers enjoyed the local programming, but sometimes there was interference from another channel 5, located in Ames. As a result, the Federal Communications Commission reassigned WOC to channel 6 on the dial. That's where people first found color programming, from the network, in 1956.
The Palmer family owned the station for its first 40 years. And just as WOC-AM was the state's first radio station, WOC-TV was Iowa's first television station, going on the air on this date in 1949.
And that's Iowa Almanac for October 31st...Listen to the extended audio version of today's story by clicking on the audio player above.
Iowa Almanac for Friday, October 28, 2016
"First in the Nation"
Ever since the first Iowa presidential precinct caucus in 1972, Iowa has become a popular place for those who seek the nation's highest office, especially since a relative unknown named Jimmy Carter used a strong showing in the 1976 event to ultimately win his party's nomination and later the presidency.
In those early days, the caucus was held in late January, and for many years, in mid to late February. But as Iowa's role in the process became more prominent, other states wanted to leapfrog Iowa and be first in the nation.
That led to party rules declaring that Iowa would be the first in the nation caucus state, and New Hampshire would host the first in the nation primary. But other states kept inching earlier and earlier, and there was a real danger that Iowa would actually have to hold its 2008 caucuses in calendar year 2007 in order to remain first.
On October 28th, 2007, representatives of the Iowa Democratic Party voted to move the caucuses to January 3rd, 2008, just about as early as possible while still being in the year of the election. Earlier in the month, our state's Republicans did the same thing, continuing a 30-year trend of the two parties holding their respective caucuses on the same night, to maximize national exposure.
Despite threats, no other state moved ahead of Iowa, and on January 3rd, 2008, 38 percent of Iowa Democrats chose a U.S. Senator from Ilinois, Barack Obama, as their choice for president, edging former U.S. Senator John Edwards from North Carolina with 30 percent. Obama, of course, went on to win the nomination and the election to become the first non-Caucasian to hold the presidency.
The date for that historic caucus was set when Iowa Democrats moved the event to an earlier date to remain first in the nation; a decision made on this date in 2007.
And that's Iowa Almanac for October 28th...Listen to the extended audio version of today's story by clicking on the audio player above.
"First in the Nation"
Ever since the first Iowa presidential precinct caucus in 1972, Iowa has become a popular place for those who seek the nation's highest office, especially since a relative unknown named Jimmy Carter used a strong showing in the 1976 event to ultimately win his party's nomination and later the presidency.
In those early days, the caucus was held in late January, and for many years, in mid to late February. But as Iowa's role in the process became more prominent, other states wanted to leapfrog Iowa and be first in the nation.
That led to party rules declaring that Iowa would be the first in the nation caucus state, and New Hampshire would host the first in the nation primary. But other states kept inching earlier and earlier, and there was a real danger that Iowa would actually have to hold its 2008 caucuses in calendar year 2007 in order to remain first.
On October 28th, 2007, representatives of the Iowa Democratic Party voted to move the caucuses to January 3rd, 2008, just about as early as possible while still being in the year of the election. Earlier in the month, our state's Republicans did the same thing, continuing a 30-year trend of the two parties holding their respective caucuses on the same night, to maximize national exposure.
Despite threats, no other state moved ahead of Iowa, and on January 3rd, 2008, 38 percent of Iowa Democrats chose a U.S. Senator from Ilinois, Barack Obama, as their choice for president, edging former U.S. Senator John Edwards from North Carolina with 30 percent. Obama, of course, went on to win the nomination and the election to become the first non-Caucasian to hold the presidency.
The date for that historic caucus was set when Iowa Democrats moved the event to an earlier date to remain first in the nation; a decision made on this date in 2007.
And that's Iowa Almanac for October 28th...Listen to the extended audio version of today's story by clicking on the audio player above.
Iowa Almanac for Thursday, October 27, 2016
"Our State Fair is a Great State Fair"
We’re used to the Iowa State Fair lasting more than two weeks, and being a focus of our late summer, August activities.
But it wasn’t always that way.
The first Iowa State Fair was held after harvest, from October 25th through the 27th, 1854. The fair was staged in Fairfield on a budget of only $323. There was no railroad at the time in Fairfield; that was still four years off.
Fairfield hosted the event the next year as well, before moving from town to town for the next 20 years. Muscatine, Oskaloosa, Iowa City, Dubuque, Burlington, Clinton, and Keokuk each hosted the fair for two year terms; Cedar Rapids played host twice, for a total of four years.
The Iowa State Fair moved to Des Moines permanently in 1878. It has been at its current location, at East 30th and East Grand Avenue, since 1886.
Since that first year, the Fair has been cancelled only five times, all due to war…the Spanish-American War in 1898, and for four years during World War II.
That first fair opened with presentation of a 360-pound “Great Denmark Cheese” to Iowa’s governor-elect James Grimes, from his friends from Lee County. The final day of the fair featured ten girls showing off their equestrian skills. Belle Turner of Lee County won first prize and a gold watch, but popular sentiment for a poor girl, 14-year-old Eliza Jane Hodges of Iowa City, led to $165 in cash and six month’s school tuition being raised for her from the crowd on the spot.
It cost 25 cents to get in, and first place winners got red ribbons, not the blue ribbons we know today. Some 10,000 people attended part of the three days of that first Iowa State Fair, which wrapped up in Fairfield on this date in 1854.
And that's Iowa Almanac for October 27th...Listen to the extended audio version of today's story by clicking on the audio player above.
"Our State Fair is a Great State Fair"
We’re used to the Iowa State Fair lasting more than two weeks, and being a focus of our late summer, August activities.
But it wasn’t always that way.
The first Iowa State Fair was held after harvest, from October 25th through the 27th, 1854. The fair was staged in Fairfield on a budget of only $323. There was no railroad at the time in Fairfield; that was still four years off.
Fairfield hosted the event the next year as well, before moving from town to town for the next 20 years. Muscatine, Oskaloosa, Iowa City, Dubuque, Burlington, Clinton, and Keokuk each hosted the fair for two year terms; Cedar Rapids played host twice, for a total of four years.
The Iowa State Fair moved to Des Moines permanently in 1878. It has been at its current location, at East 30th and East Grand Avenue, since 1886.
Since that first year, the Fair has been cancelled only five times, all due to war…the Spanish-American War in 1898, and for four years during World War II.
That first fair opened with presentation of a 360-pound “Great Denmark Cheese” to Iowa’s governor-elect James Grimes, from his friends from Lee County. The final day of the fair featured ten girls showing off their equestrian skills. Belle Turner of Lee County won first prize and a gold watch, but popular sentiment for a poor girl, 14-year-old Eliza Jane Hodges of Iowa City, led to $165 in cash and six month’s school tuition being raised for her from the crowd on the spot.
It cost 25 cents to get in, and first place winners got red ribbons, not the blue ribbons we know today. Some 10,000 people attended part of the three days of that first Iowa State Fair, which wrapped up in Fairfield on this date in 1854.
And that's Iowa Almanac for October 27th...Listen to the extended audio version of today's story by clicking on the audio player above.
Iowa Almanac for Wednesday, October 26, 2016
"The Ida Grove Train"
Just a few years after Iowa became a state, surveyors were running township lines in what is now Ida County. The name does not refer to a famous citizen, nor is it a derivative of a Native American word.
The surveyors noted that Native Americans in the area had camped on a high hill west of where the town of Ida Grove was later established. They had fires burning on the top of that hill, drying strips of meat over green sampling frames so it would not spoil during the winter. The fires were visible through the night, reminding the surveyors of the vestal fires on Mount Ida in Greece.
And that’s how Ida County got its name.
A nearby grove of trees was in place near what became the John Moorehead home, also known as the Stagecoach Inn because it was placed at the crossroads of least five small stagecoach lines. Martha Moorehead had a habit of naming their family homes, and dubbed this one Ida Grove.
And as more buildings went up, as more settlers moved into the area, a town developed near that grove of trees…named Ida Grove.
The Stagecoach Inn became the first post office for the town, and later the first county courthouse.
The stagecoach lines gave way to the arrival of the railroad, and the first Chicago and Northwestern Railroad train made its way through Ida Grove on October 26th, 1877. As was often the case after rail service, the town grew quickly.
A new courthouse was built, on Moorehead Street, named after the original settlers of Ida Grove, which was officially named when the first train arrived in town, on this date in 1877.
And that's Iowa Almanac for October 26th...Listen to the extended audio version of today's story by clicking on the audio player above.
"The Ida Grove Train"
Just a few years after Iowa became a state, surveyors were running township lines in what is now Ida County. The name does not refer to a famous citizen, nor is it a derivative of a Native American word.
The surveyors noted that Native Americans in the area had camped on a high hill west of where the town of Ida Grove was later established. They had fires burning on the top of that hill, drying strips of meat over green sampling frames so it would not spoil during the winter. The fires were visible through the night, reminding the surveyors of the vestal fires on Mount Ida in Greece.
And that’s how Ida County got its name.
A nearby grove of trees was in place near what became the John Moorehead home, also known as the Stagecoach Inn because it was placed at the crossroads of least five small stagecoach lines. Martha Moorehead had a habit of naming their family homes, and dubbed this one Ida Grove.
And as more buildings went up, as more settlers moved into the area, a town developed near that grove of trees…named Ida Grove.
The Stagecoach Inn became the first post office for the town, and later the first county courthouse.
The stagecoach lines gave way to the arrival of the railroad, and the first Chicago and Northwestern Railroad train made its way through Ida Grove on October 26th, 1877. As was often the case after rail service, the town grew quickly.
A new courthouse was built, on Moorehead Street, named after the original settlers of Ida Grove, which was officially named when the first train arrived in town, on this date in 1877.
And that's Iowa Almanac for October 26th...Listen to the extended audio version of today's story by clicking on the audio player above.
Iowa Almanac for Tuesday, October 25, 2016
"Prehistoric Mounds"
The people we now call Native Americans inhabited the North American continent and developed integrated societies long before Europeans discovered the land.
Prehistoric earthworks by mound builder cultures are common here in the Midwest. But those mounds in the shape of effigies--mammals, birds or reptiles--were apparently constructed by those who lived on the land in what is now northeast Iowa, southern Wisconsin, and small parts of Minnesota and Illinois.
On October 25th, 1949, in an effort to preserve more than 200 prehistoric mounds built as far back as the first millennium, the Effigy Mounds National Monument was established. The federally supervised area takes in the western edge of this effigy region. The monument territory includes more than 25-hundred acress and 206 mounds, of which 31 are effigies.
The mounds themselves provide insight into the social, ceremonial, political and economic life of the Eastern Woodland people who lived there. Some are burial mounds; others were constructed to mark celestial events or season observances. Some may have been boundary markers. And some...well, we really don't know why they were constructed.
The largest, called Great Bear Mound, measures 40 yards from head to tail, and rises more than a yard above ground level.
The Effigy Mounds National Monument is located in the Driftless Area, that area of North America which escaped being altered by glaciers during the last ice age.
A visitors center leads the way to 14 miles of hiking trails; vehicles are prohibited in the area.
The Effigy Mounds National Monument, preserving remnants from a culture thousands of years old, was established on this date in 1949.
And that's Iowa Almanac for October 25th...Listen to the extended audio version of today's story by clicking on the audio player above.
"Prehistoric Mounds"
The people we now call Native Americans inhabited the North American continent and developed integrated societies long before Europeans discovered the land.
Prehistoric earthworks by mound builder cultures are common here in the Midwest. But those mounds in the shape of effigies--mammals, birds or reptiles--were apparently constructed by those who lived on the land in what is now northeast Iowa, southern Wisconsin, and small parts of Minnesota and Illinois.
On October 25th, 1949, in an effort to preserve more than 200 prehistoric mounds built as far back as the first millennium, the Effigy Mounds National Monument was established. The federally supervised area takes in the western edge of this effigy region. The monument territory includes more than 25-hundred acress and 206 mounds, of which 31 are effigies.
The mounds themselves provide insight into the social, ceremonial, political and economic life of the Eastern Woodland people who lived there. Some are burial mounds; others were constructed to mark celestial events or season observances. Some may have been boundary markers. And some...well, we really don't know why they were constructed.
The largest, called Great Bear Mound, measures 40 yards from head to tail, and rises more than a yard above ground level.
The Effigy Mounds National Monument is located in the Driftless Area, that area of North America which escaped being altered by glaciers during the last ice age.
A visitors center leads the way to 14 miles of hiking trails; vehicles are prohibited in the area.
The Effigy Mounds National Monument, preserving remnants from a culture thousands of years old, was established on this date in 1949.
And that's Iowa Almanac for October 25th...Listen to the extended audio version of today's story by clicking on the audio player above.
Iowa Almanac for Monday, October 24, 2016
"The Governor for Rural Schools"
Given his birth name, he was probably destined to be in politics.
George Washington Clarke was born in Shelby County, Indiana, on October 24th, 1852. He and his family moved to a farm near Drakesville in Davis County, Iowa, when George was four years of age.
He worked on the farm in the summer, and went to school in the winter, including later walking the four miles to and from high school in Bloomfield. He became a teacher, and then went on to the State University of Iowa and obtained a law degree.
His political career began in 1900, when he was elected to the state legislature, ultimately becoming Speaker of the House. He was then twice elected as the state's lieutenant governor.
George Clarke was the Republican candidate for governor in 1912, a year when Teddy Roosevelt's Progressive party split traditional Republican vote...but Clarke overcame that and was elected to the first of three terms.
Remembering his own childhood, Governor Clarke was concerned about the quality of rural schools, since as he once said, "the necessities of farm life almost preclude the farm boy from the town high school. If he cannot come to the high school in town, then the high school must go to the country." His solution was consolidating country schools to make those that remained stronger. The plan led to more children in school, highest pay ever to that point for teachers, and newer school buildings.
Clarke retired as governor in 1917 and served as dean of the Drake Law School for a year before returning to private law practice in Adel.
Iowa's 21st governor, and one of the early advocates for rural education, George Washington Clarke, was born on this date in 1852.
And that's Iowa Almanac for October 24th...Listen to the extended audio version of today's story by clicking on the audio player above.
"The Governor for Rural Schools"
Given his birth name, he was probably destined to be in politics.
George Washington Clarke was born in Shelby County, Indiana, on October 24th, 1852. He and his family moved to a farm near Drakesville in Davis County, Iowa, when George was four years of age.
He worked on the farm in the summer, and went to school in the winter, including later walking the four miles to and from high school in Bloomfield. He became a teacher, and then went on to the State University of Iowa and obtained a law degree.
His political career began in 1900, when he was elected to the state legislature, ultimately becoming Speaker of the House. He was then twice elected as the state's lieutenant governor.
George Clarke was the Republican candidate for governor in 1912, a year when Teddy Roosevelt's Progressive party split traditional Republican vote...but Clarke overcame that and was elected to the first of three terms.
Remembering his own childhood, Governor Clarke was concerned about the quality of rural schools, since as he once said, "the necessities of farm life almost preclude the farm boy from the town high school. If he cannot come to the high school in town, then the high school must go to the country." His solution was consolidating country schools to make those that remained stronger. The plan led to more children in school, highest pay ever to that point for teachers, and newer school buildings.
Clarke retired as governor in 1917 and served as dean of the Drake Law School for a year before returning to private law practice in Adel.
Iowa's 21st governor, and one of the early advocates for rural education, George Washington Clarke, was born on this date in 1852.
And that's Iowa Almanac for October 24th...Listen to the extended audio version of today's story by clicking on the audio player above.
Iowa Almanac for Friday, October 21, 2016
"Iowa Brothers Top the Charts"
Given the family history, it was no surprise that Phillip and Donald Everly would turn to music. Their father, Ike, had developed a unique style of guitar playing and soon was a full-time musician. Ike and Margaret moved their family to Shenandoah so Ike could take a job performing on KMA radio. Little Donnie and Baby Boy Phil soon joined their parents on the air, when they were only 8 and 6 years old.
The Everlys lived in Shenandoah from 1945 to 1952…not long after, America knew of the brothers thanks to their first single, “Bye Bye Love”, which peaked at number 2 on the pop charts in 1957.
Their next single, though, went to the very top.
“Wake Up Little Susie” hit number one in Billboard magazine’s chart on October 21, 1957. It stayed at number one for four weeks and became their second million selling record in a row. Don was 20, Phil was 18.
The Everly Brothers were among the first 10 artists inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Together they had 35 Billboard Hot 100 singles…26 of those made the Top 40. But their first number one hit, “Wake Up Little Susie”, first topped the pop charts on this date in 1957.
And that's Iowa Almanac for October 21st...Listen to the extended audio version of today's story by clicking on the audio player above.
"Iowa Brothers Top the Charts"
Given the family history, it was no surprise that Phillip and Donald Everly would turn to music. Their father, Ike, had developed a unique style of guitar playing and soon was a full-time musician. Ike and Margaret moved their family to Shenandoah so Ike could take a job performing on KMA radio. Little Donnie and Baby Boy Phil soon joined their parents on the air, when they were only 8 and 6 years old.
The Everlys lived in Shenandoah from 1945 to 1952…not long after, America knew of the brothers thanks to their first single, “Bye Bye Love”, which peaked at number 2 on the pop charts in 1957.
Their next single, though, went to the very top.
“Wake Up Little Susie” hit number one in Billboard magazine’s chart on October 21, 1957. It stayed at number one for four weeks and became their second million selling record in a row. Don was 20, Phil was 18.
The Everly Brothers were among the first 10 artists inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Together they had 35 Billboard Hot 100 singles…26 of those made the Top 40. But their first number one hit, “Wake Up Little Susie”, first topped the pop charts on this date in 1957.
And that's Iowa Almanac for October 21st...Listen to the extended audio version of today's story by clicking on the audio player above.
Iowa Almanac for Thursday, October 20, 2016
"A Racist Attack on the Field"
Johnny Bright was a star halfback and quarterback for the Drake Bulldogs. In 1951, he was a pre-season Heisman Trophy candidate, and led the nation in total offense.
Drake was riding a five-game winning streak that season when the Bulldogs traveled to Oklahoma A&M, now Oklahoma State, on October 20th of that year. Two years before, Bright had been the first African-American to play on the Aggie’s home turf at Lewis Field.
It was no secret that A&M players were targeting Bright. Newspapers in Stillwater wrote that Bright was a marked man.
During the first seven minutes of the game alone, Bright was knocked unconscious three times by shots by A&M defensive tackle Wilbanks Smith. That last shot broke Johnny Bright’s jaw, but he still completed a 61-yard touchdown pass a few plays later. He did have to leave the game due to his injuries and the Bulldogs lost 27-14.
Given the times, it was hard to get some people to believe that Bright was targeted. But a six-photograph sequence of the final shot to Bright’s jaw, taken by Des Moines Register photographers Don Ultang and John Robinson, proved the case, winning the pair a Pulitzer Prize in the process.
When it became clear the Missouri Valley Conference was not going to take action against Oklahoma A&M, Drake actually withdrew from the conference in protest, not returning as a football member for 20 years.
Johnny Bright finished fifth in the Heisman voting, despite missing most of the last three games of that season because of the injury. He later spent 12 years in the professional Canadian Football League and was inducted into the league’s hall of fame.
In 2005, the president of Oklahoma State wrote a letter to Drake’s president, formally apologizing for the incident. But it came 22 years after Johnny Bright died.
Drake’s star was brutally knocked out of the game, simply because of his race, on this date in 1951.
And that's Iowa Almanac for October 20th...Listen to the extended audio version of today's story by clicking on the audio player above.
"A Racist Attack on the Field"
Johnny Bright was a star halfback and quarterback for the Drake Bulldogs. In 1951, he was a pre-season Heisman Trophy candidate, and led the nation in total offense.
Drake was riding a five-game winning streak that season when the Bulldogs traveled to Oklahoma A&M, now Oklahoma State, on October 20th of that year. Two years before, Bright had been the first African-American to play on the Aggie’s home turf at Lewis Field.
It was no secret that A&M players were targeting Bright. Newspapers in Stillwater wrote that Bright was a marked man.
During the first seven minutes of the game alone, Bright was knocked unconscious three times by shots by A&M defensive tackle Wilbanks Smith. That last shot broke Johnny Bright’s jaw, but he still completed a 61-yard touchdown pass a few plays later. He did have to leave the game due to his injuries and the Bulldogs lost 27-14.
Given the times, it was hard to get some people to believe that Bright was targeted. But a six-photograph sequence of the final shot to Bright’s jaw, taken by Des Moines Register photographers Don Ultang and John Robinson, proved the case, winning the pair a Pulitzer Prize in the process.
When it became clear the Missouri Valley Conference was not going to take action against Oklahoma A&M, Drake actually withdrew from the conference in protest, not returning as a football member for 20 years.
Johnny Bright finished fifth in the Heisman voting, despite missing most of the last three games of that season because of the injury. He later spent 12 years in the professional Canadian Football League and was inducted into the league’s hall of fame.
In 2005, the president of Oklahoma State wrote a letter to Drake’s president, formally apologizing for the incident. But it came 22 years after Johnny Bright died.
Drake’s star was brutally knocked out of the game, simply because of his race, on this date in 1951.
And that's Iowa Almanac for October 20th...Listen to the extended audio version of today's story by clicking on the audio player above.
Iowa Almanac for Wednesday, October 19, 2016
"The True Father of the Computer"
Computers, and the latest technology computers have spawned, dominate our lives. It’s hard to imagine a time without them.
Who deserves the credit for inventing the computer has been hotly contested over time.
One night in the late 1930s, Iowa State University physics professor John Vincent Atanasoff was working in his lab. He had a particularly frustrating day, performing tedious mathematical calculations. So he left work and went to a bar to relax.
He wanted to find a way to make working those calculations easier. It was in that bar that he came upon the idea that a binary number system and electronic switches, combined with an array of capacitors on a moving drum to serve as memory, could produce a computing machine that would make his life easier.
So he went back and built the machine. It worked, and nearly two years later, in 1939, Atanasoff and graduate student Clifford Berry built a prototype of the ABC…the Atansaoff-Berry Computer.
But he never patented the device, and others took the foundation developed by Atanasoff to create machines that advanced the ABC.
Lawsuits later resulted, because if the ABC was in fact the foundation of more modern computers, a lot of money was at stake.
On October 19, 1973, a judge ruled that the fight at the time between Honeywell and Sperry-Rand over who invented the computer missed the point…because the true father of the computer was John Atanasoff.
The decision came just two weeks after his 70th birthday. From that point on, John Atanasoff’s name would go down in history. Recognition that the Iowa State professor invented the first electronic digital computer came in a court decision, on this date, in 1973.
And that's Iowa Almanac for October 19th...Listen to the extended audio version of today's story by clicking on the audio player above.
"The True Father of the Computer"
Computers, and the latest technology computers have spawned, dominate our lives. It’s hard to imagine a time without them.
Who deserves the credit for inventing the computer has been hotly contested over time.
One night in the late 1930s, Iowa State University physics professor John Vincent Atanasoff was working in his lab. He had a particularly frustrating day, performing tedious mathematical calculations. So he left work and went to a bar to relax.
He wanted to find a way to make working those calculations easier. It was in that bar that he came upon the idea that a binary number system and electronic switches, combined with an array of capacitors on a moving drum to serve as memory, could produce a computing machine that would make his life easier.
So he went back and built the machine. It worked, and nearly two years later, in 1939, Atanasoff and graduate student Clifford Berry built a prototype of the ABC…the Atansaoff-Berry Computer.
But he never patented the device, and others took the foundation developed by Atanasoff to create machines that advanced the ABC.
Lawsuits later resulted, because if the ABC was in fact the foundation of more modern computers, a lot of money was at stake.
On October 19, 1973, a judge ruled that the fight at the time between Honeywell and Sperry-Rand over who invented the computer missed the point…because the true father of the computer was John Atanasoff.
The decision came just two weeks after his 70th birthday. From that point on, John Atanasoff’s name would go down in history. Recognition that the Iowa State professor invented the first electronic digital computer came in a court decision, on this date, in 1973.
And that's Iowa Almanac for October 19th...Listen to the extended audio version of today's story by clicking on the audio player above.
Iowa Almanac for Tuesday, October 18, 2016
"A Doobie from Iowa"
Keith Knudsen was born in LeMars on February 18th, 1948. He took to music early in life, and started drumming as an eighth grader. By the 1970s, he was playing for a number of professional bands, before his big break came in 1974, when he was invited to join The Doobie Brothers.
Knudsen joined the band during their recording of what became a Top 10 platinum album, "What Were Once Vices Are Now Habits", and he sang backup vocals on the group's first number one single, "Black Water".
After only a week of rehearsal, Knudsen went on tour with the band to promote that breakthrough album.
He was one of two drummers for the group until the band disbanded in 1982, including a farewell concert in Cedar Rapids. He and fellow Doobie Brother John McFee formed a country rock band, called Southern Pacific.
The Doobie Brothers got back together in the 1990s, and Knudsen and McFee rejoined them. Keith even sang lead vocals on the Doobie's 2000 album "Sibling Rivalry".
Knudsen beat cancer in 1995, but it's said he never got back to full strength, He died from pneumonia in 2005, just days before his 57th birthday, becoming the fourth band member at the time to have died.
One of the most popular rock bands of the 1970s had an Iowan driving the beat behind a drum set. Keith Knudsen, born in LeMars, on this date in 1948.
And that's Iowa Almanac for October 18th...Listen to the extended audio version of today's story by clicking on the audio player above.
"A Doobie from Iowa"
Keith Knudsen was born in LeMars on February 18th, 1948. He took to music early in life, and started drumming as an eighth grader. By the 1970s, he was playing for a number of professional bands, before his big break came in 1974, when he was invited to join The Doobie Brothers.
Knudsen joined the band during their recording of what became a Top 10 platinum album, "What Were Once Vices Are Now Habits", and he sang backup vocals on the group's first number one single, "Black Water".
After only a week of rehearsal, Knudsen went on tour with the band to promote that breakthrough album.
He was one of two drummers for the group until the band disbanded in 1982, including a farewell concert in Cedar Rapids. He and fellow Doobie Brother John McFee formed a country rock band, called Southern Pacific.
The Doobie Brothers got back together in the 1990s, and Knudsen and McFee rejoined them. Keith even sang lead vocals on the Doobie's 2000 album "Sibling Rivalry".
Knudsen beat cancer in 1995, but it's said he never got back to full strength, He died from pneumonia in 2005, just days before his 57th birthday, becoming the fourth band member at the time to have died.
One of the most popular rock bands of the 1970s had an Iowan driving the beat behind a drum set. Keith Knudsen, born in LeMars, on this date in 1948.
And that's Iowa Almanac for October 18th...Listen to the extended audio version of today's story by clicking on the audio player above.
Iowa Almanac for Monday, October 17, 2016
"A Day of Her Own"
Not every high school sophomore has the Iowa governor declare a day in her honor.
But not every high school sophomore had just won the title of all-around world gymnastics champion, either.
October 17th, 2007, was Shawn Johnson Day in Iowa. The 15-year-old was honored following one of the best rookie seasons ever recorded in the history of gymnastics. She won the all-around title at the American Cup...the Pan American Games, U.S. National Championships, and World Championships, all in her first year as a senior-level gymnast.
By that time, she had been taking gymnastics classes for a dozen years, from the time she was three years of age.
Then came 2008, an Olympic year. Johnson again won the all-around title at the U.S. Nationals, and at the Olympic Trials. The U.S. team won silver at the Beijing games, and Shawn Johnson won silver in the individual all-around, as well. She also took home gold in the balance beam, and silver in floor exercise.
Then she won season eight of "Dancing With the Stars" the following spring...all that, at barely 17 years of age.
She's been honored in a number of ways in her home state, including with a life-sized bronze sculpture at the Iowa Hall of Pride in Des Moines. But all Iowa celebrated her, on "Shawn Johnson Day" in the state, on this date in 2007.
And that's Iowa Almanac for October 17th...Listen to the extended audio version of today's story by clicking on the audio player above.
"A Day of Her Own"
Not every high school sophomore has the Iowa governor declare a day in her honor.
But not every high school sophomore had just won the title of all-around world gymnastics champion, either.
October 17th, 2007, was Shawn Johnson Day in Iowa. The 15-year-old was honored following one of the best rookie seasons ever recorded in the history of gymnastics. She won the all-around title at the American Cup...the Pan American Games, U.S. National Championships, and World Championships, all in her first year as a senior-level gymnast.
By that time, she had been taking gymnastics classes for a dozen years, from the time she was three years of age.
Then came 2008, an Olympic year. Johnson again won the all-around title at the U.S. Nationals, and at the Olympic Trials. The U.S. team won silver at the Beijing games, and Shawn Johnson won silver in the individual all-around, as well. She also took home gold in the balance beam, and silver in floor exercise.
Then she won season eight of "Dancing With the Stars" the following spring...all that, at barely 17 years of age.
She's been honored in a number of ways in her home state, including with a life-sized bronze sculpture at the Iowa Hall of Pride in Des Moines. But all Iowa celebrated her, on "Shawn Johnson Day" in the state, on this date in 2007.
And that's Iowa Almanac for October 17th...Listen to the extended audio version of today's story by clicking on the audio player above.
Iowa Almanac for Friday, October 14, 2016
"A Fruit Pie"
Anita Bryant was known in the 1950s and 1960s as a singer, then as the commercial spokesperson for Florida orange juice.
By the mid-1970s, she became active in the anti-gay rights movement, first in Florida, and then around the country.
That's what led her to come to Des Moines on August 14th, 1977. Only two months before, her efforts led to repeal of an anti-discrimination ordinance in her home state. She was speaking at a news conference when suddenly a gay rights activist from Minnesota named Thom Higgins hit Bryant in the face with a cream pie. It sounded like this:
Immediately afterward, Bryant and her husband Bob Green prayed for God to forgive the activist for his deviant lifestyle. Higgins was one of four who attended the news conference to protest against Bryant. They brought with them a spare pie. Bryant's husband confronted the four outside the news conference, and tossed that spare pie into the face of one of the protestors.
No charges were filed.
It's been nearly 40 years, and the issue of gay rights still raises controversy. One of the most public displays of the dispute came in Des Moines when Anita Bryant was hit in the face with a pie by a gay rights activist, on this date, in 1977.
And that's Iowa Almanac for October 14th...Listen to the extended audio version of today's story by clicking on the audio player above.
"A Fruit Pie"
Anita Bryant was known in the 1950s and 1960s as a singer, then as the commercial spokesperson for Florida orange juice.
By the mid-1970s, she became active in the anti-gay rights movement, first in Florida, and then around the country.
That's what led her to come to Des Moines on August 14th, 1977. Only two months before, her efforts led to repeal of an anti-discrimination ordinance in her home state. She was speaking at a news conference when suddenly a gay rights activist from Minnesota named Thom Higgins hit Bryant in the face with a cream pie. It sounded like this:
Immediately afterward, Bryant and her husband Bob Green prayed for God to forgive the activist for his deviant lifestyle. Higgins was one of four who attended the news conference to protest against Bryant. They brought with them a spare pie. Bryant's husband confronted the four outside the news conference, and tossed that spare pie into the face of one of the protestors.
No charges were filed.
It's been nearly 40 years, and the issue of gay rights still raises controversy. One of the most public displays of the dispute came in Des Moines when Anita Bryant was hit in the face with a pie by a gay rights activist, on this date, in 1977.
And that's Iowa Almanac for October 14th...Listen to the extended audio version of today's story by clicking on the audio player above.
Iowa Almanac for Thursday, October 13, 2016
"A Post Office Before The Town"
A U.S. post office was established in the town of Williams, Iowa on this date, October 13th, in 1869.
But it wasn't very busy. That's because at the time the post office was established, the town had not even been platted.
William H. Merritt owned a number of parcels of land in Iowa at that time, and thanks to the growing railroad, set up a number of small towns through which rail lines could run.
That was the case with Williams, located in Hamilton County. The town was not platted until the winter of 1869 and the only building that was built was the railroad depot. The first postmaster was Isaac H. Brown, who also served as the depot agent...truly a one-man town.
Merritt named his town for Major William Williams of Ford Dodge.
The first house in Williams was built in 1870, but by 1900, the town had a population of 500. It was among the first in Iowa to have a complete water and sewage system, and in 1930, it was chosen by Bell Telephone as the first rural community west of the Mississippi to have dial telephones.
And one of the town's favorite sons, Al McCoy, has been the play by play voice of the Phoenix Suns NBA team since 1972 and was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2007.
There were no homes and no citizens, but you could send a letter to the post office in Williams, Iowa, which was established on this date in 1869.
And that's Iowa Almanac for October 13th...Listen to the extended audio version of today's story by clicking on the audio player above.
"A Post Office Before The Town"
A U.S. post office was established in the town of Williams, Iowa on this date, October 13th, in 1869.
But it wasn't very busy. That's because at the time the post office was established, the town had not even been platted.
William H. Merritt owned a number of parcels of land in Iowa at that time, and thanks to the growing railroad, set up a number of small towns through which rail lines could run.
That was the case with Williams, located in Hamilton County. The town was not platted until the winter of 1869 and the only building that was built was the railroad depot. The first postmaster was Isaac H. Brown, who also served as the depot agent...truly a one-man town.
Merritt named his town for Major William Williams of Ford Dodge.
The first house in Williams was built in 1870, but by 1900, the town had a population of 500. It was among the first in Iowa to have a complete water and sewage system, and in 1930, it was chosen by Bell Telephone as the first rural community west of the Mississippi to have dial telephones.
And one of the town's favorite sons, Al McCoy, has been the play by play voice of the Phoenix Suns NBA team since 1972 and was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2007.
There were no homes and no citizens, but you could send a letter to the post office in Williams, Iowa, which was established on this date in 1869.
And that's Iowa Almanac for October 13th...Listen to the extended audio version of today's story by clicking on the audio player above.
Iowa Almanac for Wednesday, October 12, 2016
"Iowa and the War Between the States"
It was on this date, October 12th, 1864, that a Civil War battle was fought...in Iowa.
Just north of the Missouri border, near Bloomfield, Confederate forces led by Lieutenant Bill Jackson made their way into Iowa. Jackson led a dozen heavily armed Missouri Partisan Rangers dressed in Union uniforms in a raid through Davis County. It led to the murder of three local citizens.
It was the furthermost north of any confederate incursion during the civil war.
Now, some folks near Salineville, Ohio claim that distinction, as well. While that location is further south than the Iowa site, the Ohio battle was a full engagement between Union and Confederate forces. By contrast, the incursion into Iowa sounds more like a gang in disguise.
But they were still Confederate soldiers on a raid that led to the deaths of three Iowans, farther north than any others went, near Bloomfield in Davis County, on this date in 1864.
And that's Iowa Almanac for October 12th...Listen to the extended audio version of today's story by clicking on the audio player above.
"Iowa and the War Between the States"
It was on this date, October 12th, 1864, that a Civil War battle was fought...in Iowa.
Just north of the Missouri border, near Bloomfield, Confederate forces led by Lieutenant Bill Jackson made their way into Iowa. Jackson led a dozen heavily armed Missouri Partisan Rangers dressed in Union uniforms in a raid through Davis County. It led to the murder of three local citizens.
It was the furthermost north of any confederate incursion during the civil war.
Now, some folks near Salineville, Ohio claim that distinction, as well. While that location is further south than the Iowa site, the Ohio battle was a full engagement between Union and Confederate forces. By contrast, the incursion into Iowa sounds more like a gang in disguise.
But they were still Confederate soldiers on a raid that led to the deaths of three Iowans, farther north than any others went, near Bloomfield in Davis County, on this date in 1864.
And that's Iowa Almanac for October 12th...Listen to the extended audio version of today's story by clicking on the audio player above.
Iowa Almanac for Tuesday, October 11, 2016
"A Final Treaty"
The Sac and Fox tribe of the Mississippi in Iowa owned and held about three-quarters of the land making up the current state of Iowa in 1842. As part of continued U.S. government intervention, on October 11th of that year, a treaty was signed between tribal leaders and the government, whereby the Native Americans would give up all that land west of the Mississippi and move to a 34 by 20 mile band of land in Kansas. It would take three years for the migration to take place.
The government agreed on paper to pay for the land, some $800,000. That would be close to $18 million today. Each principal chief of the tribe was to receive $500 annually, as well.
As was often the case in the time, those who sold the land had a difficult time getting payment from the U.S. government.
Some well known names signed off on the treaty...names that would become known today as county or city names; Keokuk, Poweshiek, Appanoose, and others.
The land in Kansas was hardly as bountiful as that in Iowa. Less than a generation later, in 1857, a group of Sac and Fox moved back to Iowa, buying 80 acres of land in Tama County and establishing a settlement free from regulation, as opposed to reservations on land provided by government.
But the treaty that led to the Sac and Fox giving up their land, some three-quarters of the state of Iowa, was signed on this date in 1842.
And that's Iowa Almanac for October 11th...Listen to the extended audio version of today's story by clicking on the audio player above.
"A Final Treaty"
The Sac and Fox tribe of the Mississippi in Iowa owned and held about three-quarters of the land making up the current state of Iowa in 1842. As part of continued U.S. government intervention, on October 11th of that year, a treaty was signed between tribal leaders and the government, whereby the Native Americans would give up all that land west of the Mississippi and move to a 34 by 20 mile band of land in Kansas. It would take three years for the migration to take place.
The government agreed on paper to pay for the land, some $800,000. That would be close to $18 million today. Each principal chief of the tribe was to receive $500 annually, as well.
As was often the case in the time, those who sold the land had a difficult time getting payment from the U.S. government.
Some well known names signed off on the treaty...names that would become known today as county or city names; Keokuk, Poweshiek, Appanoose, and others.
The land in Kansas was hardly as bountiful as that in Iowa. Less than a generation later, in 1857, a group of Sac and Fox moved back to Iowa, buying 80 acres of land in Tama County and establishing a settlement free from regulation, as opposed to reservations on land provided by government.
But the treaty that led to the Sac and Fox giving up their land, some three-quarters of the state of Iowa, was signed on this date in 1842.
And that's Iowa Almanac for October 11th...Listen to the extended audio version of today's story by clicking on the audio player above.
Iowa Almanac for Monday, October 10, 2016
"Congress in Session in Waterloo"
In the early part of the last century, the Iowa State Dairy Association started holding dairy cow exhibitions as part of the group's annual meeting. The first year, in 1909, two dozen cows were exhibited during the meeting in Cedar Rapids.
On October 10th, 1910, the dairy cow exhibition was moved to Waterloo's Chautauqua Park. More than 5,000 people attended the exhibition show, which featured 62 cows.
The success of that Waterloo event led to the formation of the Dairy Cattle Congress as a way to develop the dairy industry and promote it to the public.
The event's organizer was Hugh Van Pelt, a professor at Iowa State University. There were other shows starting up at the same time, in Chicago and Milwaukee. But quickly, the show in Waterloo became the premiere national event, with local business people putting up prize money--the largest amount ever offered in the U.S. for a similar event at the time.
Since 1912, the event has been held at the same spot in downtown Waterloo, and has been held every year since except for weather and war...and even weather hasn't always stopped the cattle congress. In 1925, a windstorm destroyed three original wooden barns just before the show. A local construction company rallied all the stone masons, bricklayers, and carpenters in the area, and within a week, the wrecked barns were replaced with brick barns that are still used today.
An old promotional poster once noted that "Congress entertainment is educational...it's education is entertaining...it is ALL inspirational".
The current Cattle Congress grounds operate year-round with a variety of events held in several multipurpose buildings, including McElroy Auditorium and the Electric Park Ballroom. And each year's event also now features general entertainment and a midway. But the first national Dairy Cattle Congress held in Waterloo began on this date in 1910.
And that's Iowa Almanac for October 10th...Listen to the extended audio version of today's story by clicking on the audio player above.
"Congress in Session in Waterloo"
In the early part of the last century, the Iowa State Dairy Association started holding dairy cow exhibitions as part of the group's annual meeting. The first year, in 1909, two dozen cows were exhibited during the meeting in Cedar Rapids.
On October 10th, 1910, the dairy cow exhibition was moved to Waterloo's Chautauqua Park. More than 5,000 people attended the exhibition show, which featured 62 cows.
The success of that Waterloo event led to the formation of the Dairy Cattle Congress as a way to develop the dairy industry and promote it to the public.
The event's organizer was Hugh Van Pelt, a professor at Iowa State University. There were other shows starting up at the same time, in Chicago and Milwaukee. But quickly, the show in Waterloo became the premiere national event, with local business people putting up prize money--the largest amount ever offered in the U.S. for a similar event at the time.
Since 1912, the event has been held at the same spot in downtown Waterloo, and has been held every year since except for weather and war...and even weather hasn't always stopped the cattle congress. In 1925, a windstorm destroyed three original wooden barns just before the show. A local construction company rallied all the stone masons, bricklayers, and carpenters in the area, and within a week, the wrecked barns were replaced with brick barns that are still used today.
An old promotional poster once noted that "Congress entertainment is educational...it's education is entertaining...it is ALL inspirational".
The current Cattle Congress grounds operate year-round with a variety of events held in several multipurpose buildings, including McElroy Auditorium and the Electric Park Ballroom. And each year's event also now features general entertainment and a midway. But the first national Dairy Cattle Congress held in Waterloo began on this date in 1910.
And that's Iowa Almanac for October 10th...Listen to the extended audio version of today's story by clicking on the audio player above.
Iowa Almanac for Friday, October 7, 2016
"Writing A Constitution"
The procedure was fairly straight forward…in order for a territory to become a state, a constitution had to be written.
And that led to a gathering of 72 men in Iowa City on October 7th, 1844. Iowa had been a territory for six years, but the concept of writing a constitution or making laws was still new.
Two thirds of the delegates were Democrats, the rest were Whigs. The Republican party wouldn’t be formed for another ten years.
The convention was in session for 26 days, discussing questions such as “should meetings be opened with prayer?”, “what salaries should be paid to public officials?” and “what should be the boundaries of the new state?”.
The constitution was ultimately sent to Congress in December, which had to determine if Iowa’s population was large enough to justify statehood, if the boundaries for the proposed new state were satisfactory, and if the constitution itself was consistent with the U.S. constitution.
Congress approved the document, including that Iowa would enter the union as a free state. But the people of Iowa had to vote and approve the constitution. As it turned out, citizens did not like the boundaries that had been proposed, and rejected the constitution.
That delayed Iowa statehood, because another convention had to be called and another document prepared for approval by voters. That ultimately happened, of course. But the first constitutional convention for Iowa statehood began on this date in 1844.
And that's Iowa Almanac for October 7th...Listen to the extended audio version of today's story by clicking on the audio player above.
"Writing A Constitution"
The procedure was fairly straight forward…in order for a territory to become a state, a constitution had to be written.
And that led to a gathering of 72 men in Iowa City on October 7th, 1844. Iowa had been a territory for six years, but the concept of writing a constitution or making laws was still new.
Two thirds of the delegates were Democrats, the rest were Whigs. The Republican party wouldn’t be formed for another ten years.
The convention was in session for 26 days, discussing questions such as “should meetings be opened with prayer?”, “what salaries should be paid to public officials?” and “what should be the boundaries of the new state?”.
The constitution was ultimately sent to Congress in December, which had to determine if Iowa’s population was large enough to justify statehood, if the boundaries for the proposed new state were satisfactory, and if the constitution itself was consistent with the U.S. constitution.
Congress approved the document, including that Iowa would enter the union as a free state. But the people of Iowa had to vote and approve the constitution. As it turned out, citizens did not like the boundaries that had been proposed, and rejected the constitution.
That delayed Iowa statehood, because another convention had to be called and another document prepared for approval by voters. That ultimately happened, of course. But the first constitutional convention for Iowa statehood began on this date in 1844.
And that's Iowa Almanac for October 7th...Listen to the extended audio version of today's story by clicking on the audio player above.
Iowa Almanac for Thursday, October 6, 2016
"Giving His Life for Football"
People knew from the start he was unique.
Jack Trice distinguished himself on a very good team at East Tech high school in Cleveland. The team's coach, Sam Willaman, took a job at Iowa State College and recruited some of his high school players to come with him to Ames. One was Trice, who took advantage of the opportunity to get a college education while playing the game he loved.
It would not be easy, however. When he arrived on campus in 1922, he was the only African-American player on the team, at a time when some schools refused to take the field if their opponent included a player of color.
Freshmen could not play on the varsity back then, so Trice bided his time until the 1923 season. The first game was in Ames against Simpson College. Trice did not start, but his play during Iowa State's 14-6 win earned him a starting role the next week, at Minnesota.
Trice hurts his shoulder and breaks his collarbone in the first series, but stays in the game. In the second half, while playing on the offensive line, Trice throws a block and is trampled by Minnesota players. He does not get up after the play. He was briefly treated at a hospital, but allowed to ride the train back to Ames with his teammates.
He was immediately hospitalized when he returned, but the internal injuries he sustained in the game led to a raging fever and infection. By early Monday afternoon, Jack Trice had died.
Was he targeted for injury during the game due to his race, or his skill? Was he burdened by race, leading to his desire to stay in the game despite injury.
The night before the game, he wrote a letter which was found in his jacket pocket. He wrote, "The honor of my race, family and self are at stake. I will be trying to do more than my part."
The stadium where Iowa State now plays bears his name; that, of course, came after decades of discussion on the topic. It's the only Division I stadium in the country to be named after an African-American athlete.
The only player to die on the field while wearing an Iowa State jersey, Jack Trice, suffered injuries that would be fatal, on this date in 1923.
And that's Iowa Almanac for October 6th...Listen to the extended audio version of today's story by clicking on the audio player above.
"Giving His Life for Football"
People knew from the start he was unique.
Jack Trice distinguished himself on a very good team at East Tech high school in Cleveland. The team's coach, Sam Willaman, took a job at Iowa State College and recruited some of his high school players to come with him to Ames. One was Trice, who took advantage of the opportunity to get a college education while playing the game he loved.
It would not be easy, however. When he arrived on campus in 1922, he was the only African-American player on the team, at a time when some schools refused to take the field if their opponent included a player of color.
Freshmen could not play on the varsity back then, so Trice bided his time until the 1923 season. The first game was in Ames against Simpson College. Trice did not start, but his play during Iowa State's 14-6 win earned him a starting role the next week, at Minnesota.
Trice hurts his shoulder and breaks his collarbone in the first series, but stays in the game. In the second half, while playing on the offensive line, Trice throws a block and is trampled by Minnesota players. He does not get up after the play. He was briefly treated at a hospital, but allowed to ride the train back to Ames with his teammates.
He was immediately hospitalized when he returned, but the internal injuries he sustained in the game led to a raging fever and infection. By early Monday afternoon, Jack Trice had died.
Was he targeted for injury during the game due to his race, or his skill? Was he burdened by race, leading to his desire to stay in the game despite injury.
The night before the game, he wrote a letter which was found in his jacket pocket. He wrote, "The honor of my race, family and self are at stake. I will be trying to do more than my part."
The stadium where Iowa State now plays bears his name; that, of course, came after decades of discussion on the topic. It's the only Division I stadium in the country to be named after an African-American athlete.
The only player to die on the field while wearing an Iowa State jersey, Jack Trice, suffered injuries that would be fatal, on this date in 1923.
And that's Iowa Almanac for October 6th...Listen to the extended audio version of today's story by clicking on the audio player above.
Iowa Almanac for Wednesday, October 5, 2016
"Herky Comes to Life"
We're used to mascots in costumes prowling the sidelines at college football games. But at the University of Iowa, live animals used to be the mascot.
In 1908, a live bear named Burch arrived from Idaho. Students enjoyed wrestling with him, until he grew too large. Later, Rex the dog served as the ROTC and university mascot, from 1927 to 1932. But neither matched the team's nickname, Hawkeyes.
In 1948, the first hawk mascot appeared. It was in cartoon form, drawn by Iowa journalism instructor Dick Spencer. A name-the-mascot contest was held, and a Belle Plaine alum named John Franklin won for his suggestion of Hercules the Hawk, which quickly became shortened to the now familiar Herky. But it took nearly a decade before Herky came to life.
On Friday, October 5, 1956, the first pep rally of the college football season was held in Iowa City. There, a hawk made his appearance, the third live species to be an Iowa mascot but the first that actually matched the team's nickname.
Three years later, a member of an Iowa fraternity created a costume inspired by Dick Spencer's Herky cartoon, and the now-famous tradition of a person as mascot began.
But the first live Herky was an actual hawk, who made his first appearance when Hawkeyes gathered for the pep rally held in Iowa City on this date in 1956.
And that's Iowa Almanac for October 5th...Listen to the extended audio version of today's story by clicking on the audio player above.
"Herky Comes to Life"
We're used to mascots in costumes prowling the sidelines at college football games. But at the University of Iowa, live animals used to be the mascot.
In 1908, a live bear named Burch arrived from Idaho. Students enjoyed wrestling with him, until he grew too large. Later, Rex the dog served as the ROTC and university mascot, from 1927 to 1932. But neither matched the team's nickname, Hawkeyes.
In 1948, the first hawk mascot appeared. It was in cartoon form, drawn by Iowa journalism instructor Dick Spencer. A name-the-mascot contest was held, and a Belle Plaine alum named John Franklin won for his suggestion of Hercules the Hawk, which quickly became shortened to the now familiar Herky. But it took nearly a decade before Herky came to life.
On Friday, October 5, 1956, the first pep rally of the college football season was held in Iowa City. There, a hawk made his appearance, the third live species to be an Iowa mascot but the first that actually matched the team's nickname.
Three years later, a member of an Iowa fraternity created a costume inspired by Dick Spencer's Herky cartoon, and the now-famous tradition of a person as mascot began.
But the first live Herky was an actual hawk, who made his first appearance when Hawkeyes gathered for the pep rally held in Iowa City on this date in 1956.
And that's Iowa Almanac for October 5th...Listen to the extended audio version of today's story by clicking on the audio player above.
Iowa Almanac for Tuesday, October 4, 2016
"The Pope Comes to Iowa"
In 1979, the new Pope, John Paul the Second, announced a trip to the United States including an address before the United Nations in New York. But Truro farmer John Hays thought it was important for the Pope to visit the Midwest, so he hand wrote a two-page letter to the pontiff, personally inviting him to visit "rural America, the heartland and breadbasket of our nation" while on his tour.
To his surprise, he received a reply from the Vatican. The Pope had accepted his invitation, and added a stop in Iowa.
The crowd began to gather the day before, and bus trips of the faithful flocked to Living History Farms to hear the Pope deliver his homily from a simple white oak altar.
No event in Iowa history had ever drawn as many people to one place; more than 350,000 by most estimates.
The Pope arrived via helicopter, and promptly kneeled and kissed the ground. He blessed farmers as stewards of the land and urged them to help end famine in the world.
By the time of his death in 2005, Pope John Paul II had led the Catholic Church for nearly 27 years, and since has been elevated to sainthood. But when Iowans saw him, he had not even been pontiff for a full year. It was a bright and crisp afternoon when 350,000 saw the Pope officiate an outdoor mass near Des Moines, on this date in 1979.
And that's Iowa Almanac for October 4th...Listen to the extended audio version of today's story by clicking on the audio player above.
"The Pope Comes to Iowa"
In 1979, the new Pope, John Paul the Second, announced a trip to the United States including an address before the United Nations in New York. But Truro farmer John Hays thought it was important for the Pope to visit the Midwest, so he hand wrote a two-page letter to the pontiff, personally inviting him to visit "rural America, the heartland and breadbasket of our nation" while on his tour.
To his surprise, he received a reply from the Vatican. The Pope had accepted his invitation, and added a stop in Iowa.
The crowd began to gather the day before, and bus trips of the faithful flocked to Living History Farms to hear the Pope deliver his homily from a simple white oak altar.
No event in Iowa history had ever drawn as many people to one place; more than 350,000 by most estimates.
The Pope arrived via helicopter, and promptly kneeled and kissed the ground. He blessed farmers as stewards of the land and urged them to help end famine in the world.
By the time of his death in 2005, Pope John Paul II had led the Catholic Church for nearly 27 years, and since has been elevated to sainthood. But when Iowans saw him, he had not even been pontiff for a full year. It was a bright and crisp afternoon when 350,000 saw the Pope officiate an outdoor mass near Des Moines, on this date in 1979.
And that's Iowa Almanac for October 4th...Listen to the extended audio version of today's story by clicking on the audio player above.
Iowa Almanac for Monday, October 3, 2016
"Iowa's Corn Palace"
Iowa is the corn state, and over time, we've celebrated our top crop in a number of ways.
In Sioux City, one of those ways was to build a building and hold a festival. So in 1887, they built a building with more than 18,000 square feet of floor space, at a cost of $25,000. Every inch of the outside of the wooden structure was covered with corn and grain. Ears of brightly colored so-called Indian corn were sliced and nailed into fancy patterns, and above each arched doorway, a farming scene was created from corn and grain. Even sorghum and cattails were used in the designs.
The women of Sioux City were invited to decorate the inside, including a map of the United States with each state made of a different color of grains and seeds. Murals covered the walls showing natural scenes.
The first Corn Palace Festival opened on October 3rd, 1887. Nearly 140,000 people attended, including President Grover Cleveland, who came by special train to see the Corn Palace the day after the festival ended.
Another year, another festival, with new designs all made from corn. Attendance had started to slip after the fifth year though, and then in the spring of 1892, the Great Floyd River Flood devastated Sioux City. Organizers decided to use the money that would have gone toward building a new corn palace for flood relief.
When folks in Mitchell, South Dakota realized Sioux City was not going to build a corn palace that year, they built one of their own. It's become a world-renowned tourist attraction. Sioux City never did build another corn palace, as the flood year gave way to a national financial panic the next, and then the idea was lost.
But for five years, Sioux City's Corn Palace was a bright spot of the harvest season. And the first palace and festival opened on this date in 1887.
And that's Iowa Almanac for October 3rd...Listen to the extended audio version of today's story by clicking on the audio player above.
"Iowa's Corn Palace"
Iowa is the corn state, and over time, we've celebrated our top crop in a number of ways.
In Sioux City, one of those ways was to build a building and hold a festival. So in 1887, they built a building with more than 18,000 square feet of floor space, at a cost of $25,000. Every inch of the outside of the wooden structure was covered with corn and grain. Ears of brightly colored so-called Indian corn were sliced and nailed into fancy patterns, and above each arched doorway, a farming scene was created from corn and grain. Even sorghum and cattails were used in the designs.
The women of Sioux City were invited to decorate the inside, including a map of the United States with each state made of a different color of grains and seeds. Murals covered the walls showing natural scenes.
The first Corn Palace Festival opened on October 3rd, 1887. Nearly 140,000 people attended, including President Grover Cleveland, who came by special train to see the Corn Palace the day after the festival ended.
Another year, another festival, with new designs all made from corn. Attendance had started to slip after the fifth year though, and then in the spring of 1892, the Great Floyd River Flood devastated Sioux City. Organizers decided to use the money that would have gone toward building a new corn palace for flood relief.
When folks in Mitchell, South Dakota realized Sioux City was not going to build a corn palace that year, they built one of their own. It's become a world-renowned tourist attraction. Sioux City never did build another corn palace, as the flood year gave way to a national financial panic the next, and then the idea was lost.
But for five years, Sioux City's Corn Palace was a bright spot of the harvest season. And the first palace and festival opened on this date in 1887.
And that's Iowa Almanac for October 3rd...Listen to the extended audio version of today's story by clicking on the audio player above.