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Copyright 2017 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 2017 by Stein Enterprises, L.L.C.
Iowa Almanac for Friday, September 29, 2017
"The Man From I.O.W.A."
A new television show premiered on NBC in the fall of 1964. It was called the Man from UNCLE, starring Robert Vaughn and David McCallum as two secret agents working for the United Network Command for Law and Enforcement–the acronym was UNCLE. Each week they battled an international crime syndicate.
The program was created by Norman Felton, a University of Iowa graduate with bachelor's and master’s degrees in Fine Arts. From the earliest days of television, Felton wrote scripts for the new medium. He was in charge of the legendary Playhouse 90 program, and his company produced other well-known shows such as Dr. Kildare.
The second episode of the Man from UNCLE aired on September 29th, 1964. To honor his educational background, the episode was titled “The Iowa-Scuba Affair”. In the show, character Napoleon Solo traveled to Iowa, which was the site of a secret U.S. Air Force base. The plot focused on a group which wanted to hijack a secret U.S. plane as part of a plan to overthrow a South American nation.
The year after that episode aired, the English-born Felton established a playwriting fellowship at the University of Iowa, the place where he met his wife while a student in 1940. Later, he donated papers associated with his career to the university, as well.
Television playwright and producer Norman Felton wrote his adopted home state of Iowa into the script for a new hit TV series, the Man from UNCLE, which aired on this date in 1964.
And that's Iowa Almanac for September 29th...Listen to the extended audio version of today's story by clicking on the audio player above.
"The Man From I.O.W.A."
A new television show premiered on NBC in the fall of 1964. It was called the Man from UNCLE, starring Robert Vaughn and David McCallum as two secret agents working for the United Network Command for Law and Enforcement–the acronym was UNCLE. Each week they battled an international crime syndicate.
The program was created by Norman Felton, a University of Iowa graduate with bachelor's and master’s degrees in Fine Arts. From the earliest days of television, Felton wrote scripts for the new medium. He was in charge of the legendary Playhouse 90 program, and his company produced other well-known shows such as Dr. Kildare.
The second episode of the Man from UNCLE aired on September 29th, 1964. To honor his educational background, the episode was titled “The Iowa-Scuba Affair”. In the show, character Napoleon Solo traveled to Iowa, which was the site of a secret U.S. Air Force base. The plot focused on a group which wanted to hijack a secret U.S. plane as part of a plan to overthrow a South American nation.
The year after that episode aired, the English-born Felton established a playwriting fellowship at the University of Iowa, the place where he met his wife while a student in 1940. Later, he donated papers associated with his career to the university, as well.
Television playwright and producer Norman Felton wrote his adopted home state of Iowa into the script for a new hit TV series, the Man from UNCLE, which aired on this date in 1964.
And that's Iowa Almanac for September 29th...Listen to the extended audio version of today's story by clicking on the audio player above.
Iowa Almanac for Thursday, September 28, 2017
"A Hospital Under Quarantine"
The influenza pandemic made its way to Iowa in the fall of 1918. The base hospital at Camp Dodge was quarantined on September 28th of that year...only two days later, the entire camp located near Des Moines was quarantined, due to 500 influenza cases being reported there.
The first three deaths due to flu were reported at Camp Dodge on October 1st. The number of nurses on duty there doubled to nearly 600 by the middle of the month.
The hospital commander told the Red Cross that agency would have to handle the growing emergency, since the War Department was not ready for such a rapid spread of the deadly disease.
Everyone was required to wear a gauze mask, but yet the disease spread. By early October, Camp Dodge facilities were used to treat more than 3,000 ill personnel.
In an effort to stop the disease, the state health commissioner banned all indoor funerals for influenza victims, and in Des Moines, school officials barred children from attending school if they lived in a house with anyone who had influenza. Soon, the city issued a general quarantine, closing all schools, theaters, pool halls, and other public places.
The disease peaked that fall with more than 21,000 cases reported, but it was still prevalent throughout the state into the next spring.
The first major sign of trouble was at Camp Dodge, which led to a quarantine of the base hospital on this date in 1918.
And that's Iowa Almanac for September 28th...Listen to the extended audio version of today's story by clicking on the audio player above.
"A Hospital Under Quarantine"
The influenza pandemic made its way to Iowa in the fall of 1918. The base hospital at Camp Dodge was quarantined on September 28th of that year...only two days later, the entire camp located near Des Moines was quarantined, due to 500 influenza cases being reported there.
The first three deaths due to flu were reported at Camp Dodge on October 1st. The number of nurses on duty there doubled to nearly 600 by the middle of the month.
The hospital commander told the Red Cross that agency would have to handle the growing emergency, since the War Department was not ready for such a rapid spread of the deadly disease.
Everyone was required to wear a gauze mask, but yet the disease spread. By early October, Camp Dodge facilities were used to treat more than 3,000 ill personnel.
In an effort to stop the disease, the state health commissioner banned all indoor funerals for influenza victims, and in Des Moines, school officials barred children from attending school if they lived in a house with anyone who had influenza. Soon, the city issued a general quarantine, closing all schools, theaters, pool halls, and other public places.
The disease peaked that fall with more than 21,000 cases reported, but it was still prevalent throughout the state into the next spring.
The first major sign of trouble was at Camp Dodge, which led to a quarantine of the base hospital on this date in 1918.
And that's Iowa Almanac for September 28th...Listen to the extended audio version of today's story by clicking on the audio player above.
Iowa Almanac for Wednesday, September 27, 2017
"An Emmy Winner"
On September 27th, 1927, Hugh and Corlyss Thompson of Des Moines welcomed a daughter into the world. They named her Sada Carolyn.
The family moved to New Jersey, where Sada spent much of her years growing up. She had a flair for the stage, and after graduating from high school in 1945, Sada earned a bachelor of fine arts in theater degree from the Carnegie Institute of Technology. She worked regularly in regional theater in the 1950s. By 1956, she made her television debut in a Goodyear Television Playhouse production, and her Broadway debut in the 1959 musical Juno.
She was a true star of the Broadway stage, earning a Tony award and being named to the American Theater Hall of Fame in 2005.
But many know her from her television work. She starred as the matriarch of the Lawrence family on the ABC drama called Family from 1976 to 1980, and in 1978, won the Emmy award for outstanding lead actress in a drama series for her portrayal of Kate Lawrence. The program brought Meredith Baxter and Kristy McNichol to prominence.
What is not often known is that her career might have taken a different path. She was cast as one of Archie and Edith Bunker's neighbors in All in the Family -- but she was replaced after just one episode, when she and show creator Norman Lear disagreed about how the character was to be portrayed.
All in all Sada Thompson was nominated for nine Emmy awards...and enjoyed a 61-year marriage to husband Donald Stewart, which ended only with her death from lung disease in 2011.
Emmy and Tony award winning actress Sada Thompson, born in Des Moines on this date in 1927.
And that's Iowa Almanac for September 27th...Listen to the extended audio version of today's story by clicking on the audio player above.
"An Emmy Winner"
On September 27th, 1927, Hugh and Corlyss Thompson of Des Moines welcomed a daughter into the world. They named her Sada Carolyn.
The family moved to New Jersey, where Sada spent much of her years growing up. She had a flair for the stage, and after graduating from high school in 1945, Sada earned a bachelor of fine arts in theater degree from the Carnegie Institute of Technology. She worked regularly in regional theater in the 1950s. By 1956, she made her television debut in a Goodyear Television Playhouse production, and her Broadway debut in the 1959 musical Juno.
She was a true star of the Broadway stage, earning a Tony award and being named to the American Theater Hall of Fame in 2005.
But many know her from her television work. She starred as the matriarch of the Lawrence family on the ABC drama called Family from 1976 to 1980, and in 1978, won the Emmy award for outstanding lead actress in a drama series for her portrayal of Kate Lawrence. The program brought Meredith Baxter and Kristy McNichol to prominence.
What is not often known is that her career might have taken a different path. She was cast as one of Archie and Edith Bunker's neighbors in All in the Family -- but she was replaced after just one episode, when she and show creator Norman Lear disagreed about how the character was to be portrayed.
All in all Sada Thompson was nominated for nine Emmy awards...and enjoyed a 61-year marriage to husband Donald Stewart, which ended only with her death from lung disease in 2011.
Emmy and Tony award winning actress Sada Thompson, born in Des Moines on this date in 1927.
And that's Iowa Almanac for September 27th...Listen to the extended audio version of today's story by clicking on the audio player above.
Iowa Almanac for Tuesday, September 26, 2017
"Always An Actress"
From the time she was born in Marshalltown on September 26th, 1946, Mary Beth Supinger knew she was an actress. She once told an interviewer that the first play she ever saw was put on by children in her neighborhood. She then realized that the people she saw on television and in movies were actors, and once she knew that, she understood that she didn't want to be an actress some day...she was an actress.
Her older next door neighbor and baby-sitter was Jean Seberg, who herself would become a world-renowned actress.
She graduated from the University of Iowa in 1968 and studied at the New York University Tisch School of the Arts. She was married for a time to actor William Hurt, and became known professionally as Mary Beth Hurt.
She made her New York stage debut in 1974 and has been nominated for three Tony Awards.
Her film debut was in Woody Allen's dramatic film "Interiors" as the middle sister. She also played Helen Holm Garp in "The World According to Garp" and was featured in director Martin Scorsese's film "The Age of Innocence".
She even played Jean Seberg, through voice-over, in a 1995 documentary about her fellow Marshalltown native.
She is still acting, with her most recent film just four years ago. She once said she'd never been cast as a mistress. Instead, as the girl men marry, not the one they have affairs with.
Always an actress, Mary Beth Supinger Hurt was born in Marshalltown on this date in 1946.
And that's Iowa Almanac for September 26th...Listen to the extended audio version of today's story by clicking on the audio player above.
"Always An Actress"
From the time she was born in Marshalltown on September 26th, 1946, Mary Beth Supinger knew she was an actress. She once told an interviewer that the first play she ever saw was put on by children in her neighborhood. She then realized that the people she saw on television and in movies were actors, and once she knew that, she understood that she didn't want to be an actress some day...she was an actress.
Her older next door neighbor and baby-sitter was Jean Seberg, who herself would become a world-renowned actress.
She graduated from the University of Iowa in 1968 and studied at the New York University Tisch School of the Arts. She was married for a time to actor William Hurt, and became known professionally as Mary Beth Hurt.
She made her New York stage debut in 1974 and has been nominated for three Tony Awards.
Her film debut was in Woody Allen's dramatic film "Interiors" as the middle sister. She also played Helen Holm Garp in "The World According to Garp" and was featured in director Martin Scorsese's film "The Age of Innocence".
She even played Jean Seberg, through voice-over, in a 1995 documentary about her fellow Marshalltown native.
She is still acting, with her most recent film just four years ago. She once said she'd never been cast as a mistress. Instead, as the girl men marry, not the one they have affairs with.
Always an actress, Mary Beth Supinger Hurt was born in Marshalltown on this date in 1946.
And that's Iowa Almanac for September 26th...Listen to the extended audio version of today's story by clicking on the audio player above.
Iowa Almanac for Monday, September 25, 2017
"The Last Spitballer"
When Urban Clarence Faber was a child in Cascade, Iowa, his father managed a tavern and ran the Hotel Faber in their hometown. Young Faber, known to all as Red, was athletic, and by the age of 16, was getting $2 just to pitch in Sunday afternoon baseball games in Dubuque.
Red Faber pitched in the major leagues for 20 seasons, all with the Chicago White Sox. Yes, that included the infamous Black Sox team in 1919, but Red was not involved in game-fixing; he missed the World Series due to injury and the influenza epidemic.
At one point, in 1917, he started and won three games in two days…and later that year, in the World Series, he received pitching decisions in four games, a record which stands to this day. Oh, and he won three of them.
He won 254 games total in the big leagues, despite playing for some poor White Sox teams in the 1920s. At the time of his retirement in 1933, he was the last legal spitball pitcher in the American League. He was 45 years of age when he retired, and still holds the White Sox franchise record for most games pitched.
Faber helped found Baseball Anonymous, a charitable organization that helped former players who had run into financial or physical problems.
Red Faber of Cascade, Iowa, was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1964, a dozen years before he died, on this date, in 1976.
And that's Iowa Almanac for September 25th...Listen to the extended audio version of today's story by clicking on the audio player above.
"The Last Spitballer"
When Urban Clarence Faber was a child in Cascade, Iowa, his father managed a tavern and ran the Hotel Faber in their hometown. Young Faber, known to all as Red, was athletic, and by the age of 16, was getting $2 just to pitch in Sunday afternoon baseball games in Dubuque.
Red Faber pitched in the major leagues for 20 seasons, all with the Chicago White Sox. Yes, that included the infamous Black Sox team in 1919, but Red was not involved in game-fixing; he missed the World Series due to injury and the influenza epidemic.
At one point, in 1917, he started and won three games in two days…and later that year, in the World Series, he received pitching decisions in four games, a record which stands to this day. Oh, and he won three of them.
He won 254 games total in the big leagues, despite playing for some poor White Sox teams in the 1920s. At the time of his retirement in 1933, he was the last legal spitball pitcher in the American League. He was 45 years of age when he retired, and still holds the White Sox franchise record for most games pitched.
Faber helped found Baseball Anonymous, a charitable organization that helped former players who had run into financial or physical problems.
Red Faber of Cascade, Iowa, was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1964, a dozen years before he died, on this date, in 1976.
And that's Iowa Almanac for September 25th...Listen to the extended audio version of today's story by clicking on the audio player above.
Iowa Almanac for Friday, September 22, 2017
"The Secretary Is Impeached"
William Worth Belknap was born on September 22nd, 1829 in Newburgh, New York. He moved to Iowa and opened a law practice. He then turned to politics, and was elected as a state representative in Iowa in 1857.
When the Civil War broke out, he joined the Union Army, distinguishing himself in battle. He was then appointed by President Ulysses S. Grant to serve as the country’s 30th Secretary of War.
While his tenure was marked by positive things, such as preserving photographer Mathew Brady’s images of the Civil War, and helping victims of the 1871 Chicago fire, there was scandal.
In 1876, it was learned that he had been receiving kickback payments from a ship contractor. That explained the lavish lifestyle he lived in Washington. He resigned his position shortly before the U.S. House was to vote on impeaching him for “basely prostituting his high office to his lust for private gain.” President Grant accepted the resignation, but the House impeached him anyway.
That led to a trial in the Senate, but Belknap was acquitted because a large number of Senators believed they did not have jurisdiction to put a private citizen on trial, and after resigning, Belknap was just that…a private citizen.
The former Iowa legislator and distinguished war hero, who became the first cabinet secretary ever impeached…William Belknap, was born on this date in 1829.
And that's Iowa Almanac for September 22nd...Listen to the extended audio version of today's story by clicking on the audio player above.
"The Secretary Is Impeached"
William Worth Belknap was born on September 22nd, 1829 in Newburgh, New York. He moved to Iowa and opened a law practice. He then turned to politics, and was elected as a state representative in Iowa in 1857.
When the Civil War broke out, he joined the Union Army, distinguishing himself in battle. He was then appointed by President Ulysses S. Grant to serve as the country’s 30th Secretary of War.
While his tenure was marked by positive things, such as preserving photographer Mathew Brady’s images of the Civil War, and helping victims of the 1871 Chicago fire, there was scandal.
In 1876, it was learned that he had been receiving kickback payments from a ship contractor. That explained the lavish lifestyle he lived in Washington. He resigned his position shortly before the U.S. House was to vote on impeaching him for “basely prostituting his high office to his lust for private gain.” President Grant accepted the resignation, but the House impeached him anyway.
That led to a trial in the Senate, but Belknap was acquitted because a large number of Senators believed they did not have jurisdiction to put a private citizen on trial, and after resigning, Belknap was just that…a private citizen.
The former Iowa legislator and distinguished war hero, who became the first cabinet secretary ever impeached…William Belknap, was born on this date in 1829.
And that's Iowa Almanac for September 22nd...Listen to the extended audio version of today's story by clicking on the audio player above.
Iowa Almanac for Thursday, September 21, 2017
"The Goddess of Peace"
In 1907, six statues were installed at the top of the Black Hawk County Courthouse in Waterloo. They were created by artist Robert De Glass to represent important societal elements...justice, education, agriculture, commerce, industry, and peace.
A half century after the statute named Peace was put in place, a rusty stabilizing pipe failed, and Peace tumbled to the ground in 1957. It was put into storage, and when the courthouse was demolished in 1963, four of the statues, of seated figures, were moved to the River Plaza Building in downtown Waterloo. Another had been destroyed.
Peace was the sole remaining statue, and with the help of state legislator and Upper Iowa University alum Don Kimball, Peace was leased to the college for 99 years at a cost of $1 and became a fixture on the campus in Fayette.
She earned the nickname green goddess, and proudly stood atop Alexander-Dickman Hall at Upper Iowa. But 40 years after her move to Fayette, Peace again fell from the roof of a building, this time during a windstorm. Her head and a few limbs were broken.
It took two years of repairs, but on September 21st, 2006, a special reinstallation ceremony was held and Peace returned to the rooftop to look upon the campus.
The date was fitting, since it was also the International Day of Peace. The century old statue, Peace, which fell to the ground from the top of buildings in two different cities, returned to glory in Fayette on this date in 2006.
And that's Iowa Almanac for September 21st...Listen to the extended audio version of today's story by clicking on the audio player above.
"The Goddess of Peace"
In 1907, six statues were installed at the top of the Black Hawk County Courthouse in Waterloo. They were created by artist Robert De Glass to represent important societal elements...justice, education, agriculture, commerce, industry, and peace.
A half century after the statute named Peace was put in place, a rusty stabilizing pipe failed, and Peace tumbled to the ground in 1957. It was put into storage, and when the courthouse was demolished in 1963, four of the statues, of seated figures, were moved to the River Plaza Building in downtown Waterloo. Another had been destroyed.
Peace was the sole remaining statue, and with the help of state legislator and Upper Iowa University alum Don Kimball, Peace was leased to the college for 99 years at a cost of $1 and became a fixture on the campus in Fayette.
She earned the nickname green goddess, and proudly stood atop Alexander-Dickman Hall at Upper Iowa. But 40 years after her move to Fayette, Peace again fell from the roof of a building, this time during a windstorm. Her head and a few limbs were broken.
It took two years of repairs, but on September 21st, 2006, a special reinstallation ceremony was held and Peace returned to the rooftop to look upon the campus.
The date was fitting, since it was also the International Day of Peace. The century old statue, Peace, which fell to the ground from the top of buildings in two different cities, returned to glory in Fayette on this date in 2006.
And that's Iowa Almanac for September 21st...Listen to the extended audio version of today's story by clicking on the audio player above.
Iowa Almanac for Wednesday, September 20, 2017
"A New Place to Play"
The Iowa State University football program has a long history. The legendary Pop Warner was one of the early coaches. And starting in 1914, the team that became known as the Cyclones played in Clyde Williams Field, named after the man who coached the team from 1907 through 1912, and was later Iowa State's athletic director.
But by the 1970s, Williams Field had seen better days, and in 1973, ground was broken for a new stadium to be built on the south end of campus. The structure was completed in just less than two years, and opened on September 20, 1975, when Coach Earle Bruce's team defeated Air Force 17-12.
The original stadium had a capacity of 42,500, but quickly grew to 46,000 the next season when end zone bleachers were constructed.
And it's continued to grow, with the two largest crowds in stadium history coming in successive weeks in 2015...61,500 for games against the University of Iowa and the University of Northern Iowa. It's the third-largest stadium in the Big 12 Conference, and the third-newest in the conference.
The stadium cost $7.6 million to build, which would be the same as $33.4 million today.
The facility was originally called Cyclone Stadium and the playing surface was called Jack Trice Field, in honor of the African-American player who died following injuries sustained in a game at Minnesota in 1923. The stadium itself has carried Trice's name since 1997, and it remains the only stadium in FBS Division I named for an African-American.
The Cyclone football team has played in a dozen post-season bowl games...but 10 of those have come since they began calling their current facility home. A facility then known as Cyclone Stadium, which opened with a win over Air Force, on this date in 1975.
And that's Iowa Almanac for September 20th...Listen to the extended audio version of today's story by clicking on the audio player above.
"A New Place to Play"
The Iowa State University football program has a long history. The legendary Pop Warner was one of the early coaches. And starting in 1914, the team that became known as the Cyclones played in Clyde Williams Field, named after the man who coached the team from 1907 through 1912, and was later Iowa State's athletic director.
But by the 1970s, Williams Field had seen better days, and in 1973, ground was broken for a new stadium to be built on the south end of campus. The structure was completed in just less than two years, and opened on September 20, 1975, when Coach Earle Bruce's team defeated Air Force 17-12.
The original stadium had a capacity of 42,500, but quickly grew to 46,000 the next season when end zone bleachers were constructed.
And it's continued to grow, with the two largest crowds in stadium history coming in successive weeks in 2015...61,500 for games against the University of Iowa and the University of Northern Iowa. It's the third-largest stadium in the Big 12 Conference, and the third-newest in the conference.
The stadium cost $7.6 million to build, which would be the same as $33.4 million today.
The facility was originally called Cyclone Stadium and the playing surface was called Jack Trice Field, in honor of the African-American player who died following injuries sustained in a game at Minnesota in 1923. The stadium itself has carried Trice's name since 1997, and it remains the only stadium in FBS Division I named for an African-American.
The Cyclone football team has played in a dozen post-season bowl games...but 10 of those have come since they began calling their current facility home. A facility then known as Cyclone Stadium, which opened with a win over Air Force, on this date in 1975.
And that's Iowa Almanac for September 20th...Listen to the extended audio version of today's story by clicking on the audio player above.
Iowa Almanac for Tuesday, September 19, 2017
"Reopening the University"
Many mark the birthdate of the University of Iowa as February 25th, 1847...the date when the first General Assembly passed a law establishing a "state university" in Iowa City, then the state's capital.
But Iowa has had a unique history, and more than one state constitution. Each time a new constitution was adopted, changes in state government structure came about, and those affected what we now call higher education.
The original State University of Iowa suffered from being in the same city as the state's government, which tended to micromanage things. For a time, there were branches of the University in Fairfield and Dubuque which were on an equal footing with regard to funding as the Iowa City campus.
All the while, the State University of Iowa held classes, but the governing board of trustees was ineffective and changed its members too often.
Another new state constitution went into effect in the fall of 1857...the third and final one our state has had. The document specifically placed the state capitol in Des Moines, and the state university in Iowa City. A new Board of Trustees decided to close the university that was in existence until proper funding could be obtained, and until buildings could be remodeled. That included the Old Capitol building, which had only been vacated by the state government not long before.
The university was closed for two years. In the summer of 1860, a full faculty was appointed and the university reopened that fall. It's remained open ever since.
The first classes may have been held in prior years, but classes began for good at the State University of Iowa in Iowa City when it reopened on this date, in 1860.
And that's Iowa Almanac for September 19th...Listen to the extended audio version of today's story by clicking on the audio player above.
"Reopening the University"
Many mark the birthdate of the University of Iowa as February 25th, 1847...the date when the first General Assembly passed a law establishing a "state university" in Iowa City, then the state's capital.
But Iowa has had a unique history, and more than one state constitution. Each time a new constitution was adopted, changes in state government structure came about, and those affected what we now call higher education.
The original State University of Iowa suffered from being in the same city as the state's government, which tended to micromanage things. For a time, there were branches of the University in Fairfield and Dubuque which were on an equal footing with regard to funding as the Iowa City campus.
All the while, the State University of Iowa held classes, but the governing board of trustees was ineffective and changed its members too often.
Another new state constitution went into effect in the fall of 1857...the third and final one our state has had. The document specifically placed the state capitol in Des Moines, and the state university in Iowa City. A new Board of Trustees decided to close the university that was in existence until proper funding could be obtained, and until buildings could be remodeled. That included the Old Capitol building, which had only been vacated by the state government not long before.
The university was closed for two years. In the summer of 1860, a full faculty was appointed and the university reopened that fall. It's remained open ever since.
The first classes may have been held in prior years, but classes began for good at the State University of Iowa in Iowa City when it reopened on this date, in 1860.
And that's Iowa Almanac for September 19th...Listen to the extended audio version of today's story by clicking on the audio player above.
Iowa Almanac for Monday, September 18, 2017
"A President Comes Back To The Heartland"
I'll come back any time you ask me, especially when I'm met by 10 acres of people; now you figure out how many that is.
As it turns out, about 100 thousand people filled the 10-acre area around the stage to hear President Harry S. Truman on September 18th, 1948.
The scene was the annual National Plowing Matches, held that year near Dexter, Iowa.
Truman was in a tough election fight, and many presumed Republican Gov. Thomas E. Dewey of New York would win. Truman toured the country by train in a whistle stop campaign, taking on the Republican-led 80th Congress, which he dubbed the "do nothing" Congress.
During his appearance in Iowa, the president took a jab at the opposition party. He first noted that times had changed greatly in agriculture from when he worked in the fields as a boy; now machines automatically did what a man and a horse used to do.
I don't want to turn the clock back, I don't want to go back to that horse and buggy age, although some of our Republican friends do.
In one of history's great political comebacks, on November 2nd, Truman won election for a full term as president against three major challengers, including Iowa's Henry A. Wallace.
Truman wound up carrying the state of Iowa in that 1948 election, no doubt in part due to when the president spoke to 100,000 people at the National Plowing Matches in Dexter, on this date, in 1948.
And that's Iowa Almanac for September 18th...Listen to the extended audio version of today's story by clicking on the audio player above.
"A President Comes Back To The Heartland"
I'll come back any time you ask me, especially when I'm met by 10 acres of people; now you figure out how many that is.
As it turns out, about 100 thousand people filled the 10-acre area around the stage to hear President Harry S. Truman on September 18th, 1948.
The scene was the annual National Plowing Matches, held that year near Dexter, Iowa.
Truman was in a tough election fight, and many presumed Republican Gov. Thomas E. Dewey of New York would win. Truman toured the country by train in a whistle stop campaign, taking on the Republican-led 80th Congress, which he dubbed the "do nothing" Congress.
During his appearance in Iowa, the president took a jab at the opposition party. He first noted that times had changed greatly in agriculture from when he worked in the fields as a boy; now machines automatically did what a man and a horse used to do.
I don't want to turn the clock back, I don't want to go back to that horse and buggy age, although some of our Republican friends do.
In one of history's great political comebacks, on November 2nd, Truman won election for a full term as president against three major challengers, including Iowa's Henry A. Wallace.
Truman wound up carrying the state of Iowa in that 1948 election, no doubt in part due to when the president spoke to 100,000 people at the National Plowing Matches in Dexter, on this date, in 1948.
And that's Iowa Almanac for September 18th...Listen to the extended audio version of today's story by clicking on the audio player above.
Iowa Almanac for Friday, September 15, 2017
"Waverly's UFO"
It was shortly before 9 p.m. on September 15th, 1996. A woman looked out her kitchen window in Waverly and noticed a green light approaching from the northeast. About a minute later, the light had descended to an altitude consistent with that of a helicopter, and hovered over the Red Fox Inn, about a mile away from her apartment. She also noticed that the color of the object had changed to red and white.
The woman, her daughter, and the daughter's friend got in a car for a trip to a local convenience store. The object appeared to follow them, becoming parallel to their car after they had traveled only three blocks. When they stopped at a stop light, the object stopped. When they moved forward, the object moved forward, keeping pace less than 50 feet behind and 20 feet above them.
By the time they had gotten to the store, the object was gone. They were too frightened to get out of the car, so they returned to the apartment. Soon after, they looked out the window--and there was the same glowing object again, this time hovering over the apartment.
The woman went inside to call police, while her two daughters and three neighbor children watched as the object turned white in color, with two large lights at the bottom...almost like eyes, they said. It was as big as a house.
For about five minutes, the object hovered 20 to 30 feet over the two-story apartment building. Then it flashed out of sight. Police arrived soon after, but they could not explain it.
Was it something from outer space? We don't know, but the multi-colored disc, about 40 feet across, dominated the clear evening sky in Waverly on this date, in 1996.
And that's Iowa Almanac for September 15th...Listen to the extended audio version of today's story by clicking on the audio player above.
"Waverly's UFO"
It was shortly before 9 p.m. on September 15th, 1996. A woman looked out her kitchen window in Waverly and noticed a green light approaching from the northeast. About a minute later, the light had descended to an altitude consistent with that of a helicopter, and hovered over the Red Fox Inn, about a mile away from her apartment. She also noticed that the color of the object had changed to red and white.
The woman, her daughter, and the daughter's friend got in a car for a trip to a local convenience store. The object appeared to follow them, becoming parallel to their car after they had traveled only three blocks. When they stopped at a stop light, the object stopped. When they moved forward, the object moved forward, keeping pace less than 50 feet behind and 20 feet above them.
By the time they had gotten to the store, the object was gone. They were too frightened to get out of the car, so they returned to the apartment. Soon after, they looked out the window--and there was the same glowing object again, this time hovering over the apartment.
The woman went inside to call police, while her two daughters and three neighbor children watched as the object turned white in color, with two large lights at the bottom...almost like eyes, they said. It was as big as a house.
For about five minutes, the object hovered 20 to 30 feet over the two-story apartment building. Then it flashed out of sight. Police arrived soon after, but they could not explain it.
Was it something from outer space? We don't know, but the multi-colored disc, about 40 feet across, dominated the clear evening sky in Waverly on this date, in 1996.
And that's Iowa Almanac for September 15th...Listen to the extended audio version of today's story by clicking on the audio player above.
Iowa Almanac for Thursday, September 14, 2017
"Raising the American Flag"
In 1836, Texas won its independence from Mexico and became a separate country. It became one of the United States in 1845, just a year before Iowa was admitted into the union.
In early 1846, war broke out over where the border was between Mexico and Texas. American history books call it the Mexican War, but Mexican history books refer to it as the U.S. Invasion. Congress declared war on Mexico in May of that year, and the U.S. doubled the size of its Army fighting force.
We've told you before about some of the soldiers who volunteered from the Iowa Territory to serve. Today, the story of Company K from Fort Madison, which was mustered for duty a year into the war. They joined Major General Winfield Scott's 13,000-man army, and participated in the American victory at the Battle of Cerro Gordo in April of 1847. Scott's army fought its way to Mexico City, losing 40 percent of its men along the way to combat and disease, including the Iowa company commander, Captain Edwin Guthrie.
On September 14th, 1847, General Scott's army captured the capitol of Mexico City. That's when Iowan Benjamin S. Roberts of Fort Madison made history. He was serving with the U.S. Mounted Rifle Regiment at the time. Benjamin Roberts personally removed the Mexican flag that was flying over the National Palace, and replaced it with the American flag.
The sure sign of military conquest...hoisting your country's flag in place of your enemy's. And when the U.S. army captured the Mexican capital, it was Iowa's Benjamin Roberts who flew Old Glory over the Mexican National Palace, on this date, in 1847.
And that's Iowa Almanac for September 14th...Listen to the extended audio version of today's story by clicking on the audio player above.
"Raising the American Flag"
In 1836, Texas won its independence from Mexico and became a separate country. It became one of the United States in 1845, just a year before Iowa was admitted into the union.
In early 1846, war broke out over where the border was between Mexico and Texas. American history books call it the Mexican War, but Mexican history books refer to it as the U.S. Invasion. Congress declared war on Mexico in May of that year, and the U.S. doubled the size of its Army fighting force.
We've told you before about some of the soldiers who volunteered from the Iowa Territory to serve. Today, the story of Company K from Fort Madison, which was mustered for duty a year into the war. They joined Major General Winfield Scott's 13,000-man army, and participated in the American victory at the Battle of Cerro Gordo in April of 1847. Scott's army fought its way to Mexico City, losing 40 percent of its men along the way to combat and disease, including the Iowa company commander, Captain Edwin Guthrie.
On September 14th, 1847, General Scott's army captured the capitol of Mexico City. That's when Iowan Benjamin S. Roberts of Fort Madison made history. He was serving with the U.S. Mounted Rifle Regiment at the time. Benjamin Roberts personally removed the Mexican flag that was flying over the National Palace, and replaced it with the American flag.
The sure sign of military conquest...hoisting your country's flag in place of your enemy's. And when the U.S. army captured the Mexican capital, it was Iowa's Benjamin Roberts who flew Old Glory over the Mexican National Palace, on this date, in 1847.
And that's Iowa Almanac for September 14th...Listen to the extended audio version of today's story by clicking on the audio player above.
Iowa Almanac for Wednesday, September 13, 2017
"So That Others May See"
Back in the early 1950s, Ruth Fisher was having problems seeing clearly. An ophthalmologist at the University of Iowa concluded that her best hope was a corneal transplant. But there was a problem...a successful operation had to be conducted within 36 hours of receiving a donor cornea, and by law at the time, those had to come from outside the state.
It took weeks before a donor could be found in Buffalo, New York...and three more months before another donor was found so surgery could be done on her other eye.
Doctors saw a need for a new system, so during a speech to the 1954 state convention of Iowa Lions Clubs, Dr. Alson Braley of the University of Iowa convinced the Lions to expand their well-known sight conservation program. Those in attendance quickly agreed.
Lions from across Iowa contacted lawmakers and got state law amended to allow Iowans to will body parts to a medical school or eye bank. On September 13, 1955, the Iowa Lions Eye Bank was established with an office in the Department of Ophthalmology at the University of Iowa. The first staff member and executive director--Ruth Fisher, who served in the post until 1983.
From humble beginnings, the Iowa Lions Eye Bank has called a 14,000-square foot space at the UI Bioventures Center home since 2013. And thousands have been helped thanks to the Iowa Lions Eye Bank, which opened on this date in 1955.
And that's Iowa Almanac for September 13th...Listen to the extended audio version of today's story by clicking on the audio player above.
"So That Others May See"
Back in the early 1950s, Ruth Fisher was having problems seeing clearly. An ophthalmologist at the University of Iowa concluded that her best hope was a corneal transplant. But there was a problem...a successful operation had to be conducted within 36 hours of receiving a donor cornea, and by law at the time, those had to come from outside the state.
It took weeks before a donor could be found in Buffalo, New York...and three more months before another donor was found so surgery could be done on her other eye.
Doctors saw a need for a new system, so during a speech to the 1954 state convention of Iowa Lions Clubs, Dr. Alson Braley of the University of Iowa convinced the Lions to expand their well-known sight conservation program. Those in attendance quickly agreed.
Lions from across Iowa contacted lawmakers and got state law amended to allow Iowans to will body parts to a medical school or eye bank. On September 13, 1955, the Iowa Lions Eye Bank was established with an office in the Department of Ophthalmology at the University of Iowa. The first staff member and executive director--Ruth Fisher, who served in the post until 1983.
From humble beginnings, the Iowa Lions Eye Bank has called a 14,000-square foot space at the UI Bioventures Center home since 2013. And thousands have been helped thanks to the Iowa Lions Eye Bank, which opened on this date in 1955.
And that's Iowa Almanac for September 13th...Listen to the extended audio version of today's story by clicking on the audio player above.
Iowa Almanac for Tuesday, September 12, 2017
"The Most Beautiful Theater in Iowa"
Dr. Philip Wieting, a dentist, moved with his wife from Worcester, N.Y. to the Tama County town of Toledo in the spring of 1867. Wieting branched out into the mercantile and abstract businesses, and with his father-in-law, co-founded the Toledo City Bank in 1878.
Around the turn of the century, the Wietings returned to New York, this time establishing residence in Syracuse. There, Wieting became involved in manufacturing and, according to sources, "amassed quite a fortune".
After Philip Wieting's death in 1906, Ella Wieting decided to honor her husband by establishing memorial "opera house" theatres in the three towns where they had "lived happily and participated widely in civic affairs"-- Philip's hometown of Worcester, N.Y., Syracuse, N.Y., and Toledo, Iowa.
The Toledo theater was built in less than a year. An advertisement promoting the grand opening called the Wieting Opera House "the most beautiful theater in the state of Iowa".
On September 12, 1912, the Wieting Theater opened with a performance of Verdi's opera "Il Trovatore" featuring more than 100 musicians. Ella Wieting was present on opening night to hand the deed to the property over to local officials. The Toledo Chronicle reported that "Mrs. Wieting was dressed in the gown which her husband gave her just before his death and which she had worn only once since, and that was at the opening of the opera house in Worcester."
Citizens of Toledo rallied to restore the Wieting in time for its centennial just four years ago. It cost $20,000 to build in 1912, but $1.4 million to renovate a century later.
The Wieting Theater still proudly stands as an anchor of the city's downtown district, befitting its place as one of four structures in Toledo to be on the National Register of Historic Places. And the first performance was held there on this date in 1912.
And that's Iowa Almanac for September 12th...Listen to the extended audio version of today's story by clicking on the audio player above.
"The Most Beautiful Theater in Iowa"
Dr. Philip Wieting, a dentist, moved with his wife from Worcester, N.Y. to the Tama County town of Toledo in the spring of 1867. Wieting branched out into the mercantile and abstract businesses, and with his father-in-law, co-founded the Toledo City Bank in 1878.
Around the turn of the century, the Wietings returned to New York, this time establishing residence in Syracuse. There, Wieting became involved in manufacturing and, according to sources, "amassed quite a fortune".
After Philip Wieting's death in 1906, Ella Wieting decided to honor her husband by establishing memorial "opera house" theatres in the three towns where they had "lived happily and participated widely in civic affairs"-- Philip's hometown of Worcester, N.Y., Syracuse, N.Y., and Toledo, Iowa.
The Toledo theater was built in less than a year. An advertisement promoting the grand opening called the Wieting Opera House "the most beautiful theater in the state of Iowa".
On September 12, 1912, the Wieting Theater opened with a performance of Verdi's opera "Il Trovatore" featuring more than 100 musicians. Ella Wieting was present on opening night to hand the deed to the property over to local officials. The Toledo Chronicle reported that "Mrs. Wieting was dressed in the gown which her husband gave her just before his death and which she had worn only once since, and that was at the opening of the opera house in Worcester."
Citizens of Toledo rallied to restore the Wieting in time for its centennial just four years ago. It cost $20,000 to build in 1912, but $1.4 million to renovate a century later.
The Wieting Theater still proudly stands as an anchor of the city's downtown district, befitting its place as one of four structures in Toledo to be on the National Register of Historic Places. And the first performance was held there on this date in 1912.
And that's Iowa Almanac for September 12th...Listen to the extended audio version of today's story by clicking on the audio player above.
Iowa Almanac for Monday, September 11, 2017
"Lindbergh Against The War"
September 11th, 2001, ultimately led to the U.S. fighting wars on two fronts. Literally 60 years before the terrorist attacks on America, on September 11th, 1941, one of the world’s most famous citizens was in Des Moines, warning about intervening in the conflict which became the second World War.
Charles Lindbergh was the first man to fly a plane across the Atlantic Ocean, in 1927. He gained immediate fame worldwide, and even 14 years after his accomplishment, his opinions were respected across the country.
Lindbergh became involved with the America First Committee, which advocated staying out of what was then a European conflict. His Des Moines speech on the topic, however, led many to be outraged. He claimed there were three groups pushing the U.S. into war—the British, the Jewish, and the Roosevelt Administration. He said the greatest danger to our country was Jewish influence in motion pictures, the press, radio, and government.
We are on the verge of a war in which the only victor would be chaos and prostration.
We are on the verge of a war for which we are still unprepared, and for which no one has offered a feasible plan for victory--a war which cannot be won without sending our soldiers across the ocean to force a landing on a hostile coast against armies stronger than our own.
The famed aviator Charles Lindbergh was roundly criticized for that speech, advocating isolationism in the face of World War II…a speech delivered in Des Moines on this date in 1941.
And that's Iowa Almanac for September 11th...Listen to the extended audio version of today's story by clicking on the audio player above.
"Lindbergh Against The War"
September 11th, 2001, ultimately led to the U.S. fighting wars on two fronts. Literally 60 years before the terrorist attacks on America, on September 11th, 1941, one of the world’s most famous citizens was in Des Moines, warning about intervening in the conflict which became the second World War.
Charles Lindbergh was the first man to fly a plane across the Atlantic Ocean, in 1927. He gained immediate fame worldwide, and even 14 years after his accomplishment, his opinions were respected across the country.
Lindbergh became involved with the America First Committee, which advocated staying out of what was then a European conflict. His Des Moines speech on the topic, however, led many to be outraged. He claimed there were three groups pushing the U.S. into war—the British, the Jewish, and the Roosevelt Administration. He said the greatest danger to our country was Jewish influence in motion pictures, the press, radio, and government.
We are on the verge of a war in which the only victor would be chaos and prostration.
We are on the verge of a war for which we are still unprepared, and for which no one has offered a feasible plan for victory--a war which cannot be won without sending our soldiers across the ocean to force a landing on a hostile coast against armies stronger than our own.
The famed aviator Charles Lindbergh was roundly criticized for that speech, advocating isolationism in the face of World War II…a speech delivered in Des Moines on this date in 1941.
And that's Iowa Almanac for September 11th...Listen to the extended audio version of today's story by clicking on the audio player above.
Iowa Almanac for Friday, September 8, 2017
"Air Mail Delivery"
The magic of airplanes in the early part of the 1900s captivated Americans. To be able to see men and women fly machines long distances was amazing.
Soon, practical uses for this advancement were developed, including for commercial air freight and mail.
The Iowa City airport was the first in the state to be used on the Chicago to Omaha commercial air freight route. The first consignment was reported on January 8th, 1920, when 400 pounds of mail made its way to Omaha, along with the meat for a banquet in honor of General John Pershing. On the return trip, the plane carried a hog for a banquet in Chicago.
The transcontinental air mail service route was completed later that same year, extending westward through Omaha, Cheyenne, Salt Lake City, and Reno, on its way to San Francisco.
At that time, travel was only during the daylight, and the mail was delivered by military pilots.
On September 8, 1920, the first sack of air mail, delivered by a military pilot, arrived in Des Moines, part of the new transcontinental route.
Today we send electronic messages in seconds. But the wonders of air mail were still new when the first sack of mail was delivered in Des Moines, on this date, in 1920.
And that's Iowa Almanac for September 8th...Listen to the extended audio version of today's story by clicking on the audio player above.
"Air Mail Delivery"
The magic of airplanes in the early part of the 1900s captivated Americans. To be able to see men and women fly machines long distances was amazing.
Soon, practical uses for this advancement were developed, including for commercial air freight and mail.
The Iowa City airport was the first in the state to be used on the Chicago to Omaha commercial air freight route. The first consignment was reported on January 8th, 1920, when 400 pounds of mail made its way to Omaha, along with the meat for a banquet in honor of General John Pershing. On the return trip, the plane carried a hog for a banquet in Chicago.
The transcontinental air mail service route was completed later that same year, extending westward through Omaha, Cheyenne, Salt Lake City, and Reno, on its way to San Francisco.
At that time, travel was only during the daylight, and the mail was delivered by military pilots.
On September 8, 1920, the first sack of air mail, delivered by a military pilot, arrived in Des Moines, part of the new transcontinental route.
Today we send electronic messages in seconds. But the wonders of air mail were still new when the first sack of mail was delivered in Des Moines, on this date, in 1920.
And that's Iowa Almanac for September 8th...Listen to the extended audio version of today's story by clicking on the audio player above.
Iowa Almanac for Thursday, September 7, 2017
"Shot in the Heart"
Some think it was Myrtle Cook’s words that ultimately got her killed.
On September 7th, 1925, she was sitting near the window of her home in Vinton, rehearsing her speech to an upcoming Women’s Christian Temperance Union meeting. Myrtle was active in the fight against alcohol, making public the names of those she suspected of bootlegging. As a result, she had made enemies. Her house had been egged, and she feared she might be harmed.
Myrtle’s mother in law was upstairs, occasionally hearing the speech over the thunderstorm in progress at the time. She then heard what she thought was thunder, then silence. She went downstairs and found Myrtle had been shot in the heart, the bullet coming through the open window. She was dead within an hour.
In addition to her membership in the WCTU, Myrtle was a member of the Ku Klux Klan. In fact, the preacher at her funeral wore white Klan robes, and a cross was set on fire in the cemetery in her honor. Given all that, the murder and funeral made news across the country.
The identity of her killer, though, is still a mystery. Was it Myrtle’s estranged husband, or someone who hated her political views? We still don’t know.
It’s been 92 years since 51-year-old Klan member and temperance activist Myrtle Cook was killed in her home in Vinton, with a single shot to the heart, on this date, in 1925.
And that's Iowa Almanac for September 7th...Listen to the extended audio version of today's story by clicking on the audio player above.
"Shot in the Heart"
Some think it was Myrtle Cook’s words that ultimately got her killed.
On September 7th, 1925, she was sitting near the window of her home in Vinton, rehearsing her speech to an upcoming Women’s Christian Temperance Union meeting. Myrtle was active in the fight against alcohol, making public the names of those she suspected of bootlegging. As a result, she had made enemies. Her house had been egged, and she feared she might be harmed.
Myrtle’s mother in law was upstairs, occasionally hearing the speech over the thunderstorm in progress at the time. She then heard what she thought was thunder, then silence. She went downstairs and found Myrtle had been shot in the heart, the bullet coming through the open window. She was dead within an hour.
In addition to her membership in the WCTU, Myrtle was a member of the Ku Klux Klan. In fact, the preacher at her funeral wore white Klan robes, and a cross was set on fire in the cemetery in her honor. Given all that, the murder and funeral made news across the country.
The identity of her killer, though, is still a mystery. Was it Myrtle’s estranged husband, or someone who hated her political views? We still don’t know.
It’s been 92 years since 51-year-old Klan member and temperance activist Myrtle Cook was killed in her home in Vinton, with a single shot to the heart, on this date, in 1925.
And that's Iowa Almanac for September 7th...Listen to the extended audio version of today's story by clicking on the audio player above.
Iowa Almanac for Wednesday, September 6, 2017
"The Padre of Hollywood"
If you're a movie fan, you may recall the 1934 film "It Happened One Night" and the pivotal scene where would-be bride Claudette Colbert leaves her fiance at the altar of their garden wedding to run away with Clark Gable.
The man preparing to officiate at the ceremony was Iowa native Neal Dodd. He was a popular choice to play such a role, since he was in real life an Anglican priest.
He first appeared in a film in 1920, the same year he became the founding secretary of the Motion Picture Relief Fund. He was the first clergyman to become a member of the Screen Actors Guild. You may recall him from roles in "Mr. Smith Goes to Washington," where he played the Senate chaplain, and his last role in 1951, as a priest in "Here Comes the Groom."
He officiated at 300 weddings on film, and more than 700 in real life...including performing the wedding ceremony for Mary Pickford and Douglas Fairbanks, Sr. He also served as a technical advisor on religious material for several films.
Father Dodd donated all his acting fees to charity. Much of it went to the church he founded with a Christmas Eve mass in 1918, St. Mary of the Angels Anglican Church in Los Angeles. He died in 1966 at age 86; his ashes are interred at the church he built.
He became known as the Padre of Hollywood for the number of roles he played, officiating at weddings. Father Neal Dodd, born in Fort Madison, on this date in 1879.
And that's Iowa Almanac for September 6th...Listen to the extended audio version of today's story by clicking on the audio player above.
"The Padre of Hollywood"
If you're a movie fan, you may recall the 1934 film "It Happened One Night" and the pivotal scene where would-be bride Claudette Colbert leaves her fiance at the altar of their garden wedding to run away with Clark Gable.
The man preparing to officiate at the ceremony was Iowa native Neal Dodd. He was a popular choice to play such a role, since he was in real life an Anglican priest.
He first appeared in a film in 1920, the same year he became the founding secretary of the Motion Picture Relief Fund. He was the first clergyman to become a member of the Screen Actors Guild. You may recall him from roles in "Mr. Smith Goes to Washington," where he played the Senate chaplain, and his last role in 1951, as a priest in "Here Comes the Groom."
He officiated at 300 weddings on film, and more than 700 in real life...including performing the wedding ceremony for Mary Pickford and Douglas Fairbanks, Sr. He also served as a technical advisor on religious material for several films.
Father Dodd donated all his acting fees to charity. Much of it went to the church he founded with a Christmas Eve mass in 1918, St. Mary of the Angels Anglican Church in Los Angeles. He died in 1966 at age 86; his ashes are interred at the church he built.
He became known as the Padre of Hollywood for the number of roles he played, officiating at weddings. Father Neal Dodd, born in Fort Madison, on this date in 1879.
And that's Iowa Almanac for September 6th...Listen to the extended audio version of today's story by clicking on the audio player above.
Iowa Almanac for Tuesday, September 5, 2017
"Missing"
On Sunday, September 5th, 1982, 12-year-old John David Gosch left his home before dawn to deliver The Des Moines Sunday Register. He took the family dog along with him. He met other newspaper carriers at the paper drop site, then started on his paper route.
He never finished the route.
His parents, John and Noreen Gosch, started getting phone calls from customers, complaining their paper wasn't delivered. They found his wagon full of papers only two blocks from their home. But Johnny Gosch was nowhere to be found.
Police believe Gosch was kidnapped, but other than one neighbor who saw Johnny talking with a stocky man in a car with Nebraska license plates, they had few leads.
The case drew national attention, as Gosch's photo was one of the first to be printed on milk cartons, along with those of other missing children.
What happened to Johnny Gosch remains unknown. His mother says Johnny came to her home 15 years later, with another man. She believes he was abducted and used in a teenage prostitution ring and is living under an assumed identity today in fear for his live.
Less than two years later, another Register paperboy, Eugene Martin, disappeared under similar circumstances.
The case remains the subject of speculation and dispute. But there is no dispute that West Des Moines paperboy Johnny Gosch disappeared on this date in 1982.
And that's Iowa Almanac for September 5th...Listen to the extended audio version of today's story by clicking on the audio player above.
"Missing"
On Sunday, September 5th, 1982, 12-year-old John David Gosch left his home before dawn to deliver The Des Moines Sunday Register. He took the family dog along with him. He met other newspaper carriers at the paper drop site, then started on his paper route.
He never finished the route.
His parents, John and Noreen Gosch, started getting phone calls from customers, complaining their paper wasn't delivered. They found his wagon full of papers only two blocks from their home. But Johnny Gosch was nowhere to be found.
Police believe Gosch was kidnapped, but other than one neighbor who saw Johnny talking with a stocky man in a car with Nebraska license plates, they had few leads.
The case drew national attention, as Gosch's photo was one of the first to be printed on milk cartons, along with those of other missing children.
What happened to Johnny Gosch remains unknown. His mother says Johnny came to her home 15 years later, with another man. She believes he was abducted and used in a teenage prostitution ring and is living under an assumed identity today in fear for his live.
Less than two years later, another Register paperboy, Eugene Martin, disappeared under similar circumstances.
The case remains the subject of speculation and dispute. But there is no dispute that West Des Moines paperboy Johnny Gosch disappeared on this date in 1982.
And that's Iowa Almanac for September 5th...Listen to the extended audio version of today's story by clicking on the audio player above.
Iowa Almanac for Monday, September 4, 2017
"Sketching Our Times"
During his five-decade-long career, cartoonist Paul Conrad provided comment on 11 presidential administrations. His work for the Los Angeles Times even landed him on President Nixon’s enemies list during the aftermath of Watergate.
He and his twin brother James were born in Cedar Rapids on June 27th, 1924. He was actually left-handed, but forced by teachers to use his right hand, not uncommon at the time. He first showed a flair for art by drawing on the bathroom wall of his elementary school in Des Moines. His role model was the legendary Des Moines Register editorial cartoonist, Ding Darling.
After service in World War II, Conrad enrolled at the University of Iowa in 1946 and started drawing cartoons for the Daily Iowan. He graduated in 1950 and spent the next 14 years at the Denver Post. He earned his first Pulitzer Prize in 1964, and his work was syndicated across the country.
He moved to the Los Angeles Times in 1964 and offered cartoon commentary on the important political events of the time, picking up another two Pulitzers during his 30 years there.
When Paul Conrad died in California at the age of 84, he was universally regarded as one of the finest political cartoonists of the century. Iowa born Paul Conrad died on this date in 2010.
And that's Iowa Almanac for September 4th...Listen to the extended audio version of today's story by clicking on the audio player above.
"Sketching Our Times"
During his five-decade-long career, cartoonist Paul Conrad provided comment on 11 presidential administrations. His work for the Los Angeles Times even landed him on President Nixon’s enemies list during the aftermath of Watergate.
He and his twin brother James were born in Cedar Rapids on June 27th, 1924. He was actually left-handed, but forced by teachers to use his right hand, not uncommon at the time. He first showed a flair for art by drawing on the bathroom wall of his elementary school in Des Moines. His role model was the legendary Des Moines Register editorial cartoonist, Ding Darling.
After service in World War II, Conrad enrolled at the University of Iowa in 1946 and started drawing cartoons for the Daily Iowan. He graduated in 1950 and spent the next 14 years at the Denver Post. He earned his first Pulitzer Prize in 1964, and his work was syndicated across the country.
He moved to the Los Angeles Times in 1964 and offered cartoon commentary on the important political events of the time, picking up another two Pulitzers during his 30 years there.
When Paul Conrad died in California at the age of 84, he was universally regarded as one of the finest political cartoonists of the century. Iowa born Paul Conrad died on this date in 2010.
And that's Iowa Almanac for September 4th...Listen to the extended audio version of today's story by clicking on the audio player above.
Iowa Almanac for Friday, September 1, 2017
"Opening A Home"
In 1881, Western College moved from Shueyville to Toledo. The college was established by the United Brethren in Christ, and made the move to the Tama County town because Toledo residents pledged $20,000 in support for the financially troubled college. The campus grew to include 16 acres in the center of town.
In 1902, with finances still an issue, Western College announced it would change its name in honor of anyone who would donate $50,000 to start an endowment fund. Major Leander Clark of Toledo said he would make the donation, provided the college found another $100,000 to go with it. They did, in large part because of a $50,000 donation by Andrew Carnegie. So in 1906, Western College became Leander Clark College.
But despite those endowed funds, the college still went bankrupt barely a decade later, and in 1919, it merged with Coe College.
As for the college campus in Toledo, that was acquired by the State of Iowa, and on September 1st, 1920, what had been Leander Clark College became the State Juvenile Home, operated by the Iowa Department of Social Services. Over the time it was open, students there attended Herbert Hoover High School, named for Iowa’s only native-born president.
You’ll recall the home was in the news often in the past few years, because of the controversial decision by the governor to close the facility. After the college that had been there went bankrupt, the State Juvenile Home in Toledo opened, on this date, in 1920.
And that's Iowa Almanac for September 1st...Listen to the extended audio version of today's story by clicking on the audio player above.
"Opening A Home"
In 1881, Western College moved from Shueyville to Toledo. The college was established by the United Brethren in Christ, and made the move to the Tama County town because Toledo residents pledged $20,000 in support for the financially troubled college. The campus grew to include 16 acres in the center of town.
In 1902, with finances still an issue, Western College announced it would change its name in honor of anyone who would donate $50,000 to start an endowment fund. Major Leander Clark of Toledo said he would make the donation, provided the college found another $100,000 to go with it. They did, in large part because of a $50,000 donation by Andrew Carnegie. So in 1906, Western College became Leander Clark College.
But despite those endowed funds, the college still went bankrupt barely a decade later, and in 1919, it merged with Coe College.
As for the college campus in Toledo, that was acquired by the State of Iowa, and on September 1st, 1920, what had been Leander Clark College became the State Juvenile Home, operated by the Iowa Department of Social Services. Over the time it was open, students there attended Herbert Hoover High School, named for Iowa’s only native-born president.
You’ll recall the home was in the news often in the past few years, because of the controversial decision by the governor to close the facility. After the college that had been there went bankrupt, the State Juvenile Home in Toledo opened, on this date, in 1920.
And that's Iowa Almanac for September 1st...Listen to the extended audio version of today's story by clicking on the audio player above.
