"Iowa Almanac" is a copyrighted production of Stein Enterprises, L.L.C.
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Copyright 2018 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 2018 by Stein Enterprises, L.L.C.
Iowa Almanac for Friday, September 28, 2018
"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…100 years ago today.
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…100 years ago today.
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 Thursday, September 27, 2018
"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 many 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 many 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 Wednesday, September 26, 2018
"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, “Change in the Air”, completed for release this year. 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, “Change in the Air”, completed for release this year. 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 Tuesday, September 25, 2018
"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 Monday, September 24, 2018
"An Iowan Makes Television History"
People in Dakota City, Iowa said he got his strong vocabulary from his mother, who taught him to read before he started school. Harry Reasoner used those skills throughout his life, beginning his journalism career while a high school student in Minneapolis.
He started in radio after the second world war and soon moved to the new field of television. Reasoner was one of the early faces on the screen, who helped invent television news.
On September 24th, 1968, his was the first voice heard on a new program, one which would revolutionize television.
Good Evening. This is 60 Minutes. It’s a kind of a magazine for television.
Once the program found a home on the Sunday night CBS schedule, 60 Minutes became the top rated program of any kind in the country and invented the television magazine show format. Reasoner was restless, though, and left CBS News in 1970 for the chance to co-anchor the ABC Evening News.
That later made him part of history again, on October 4th, 1976.
Our major story tonight is that agriculture secretary Earl Butz has paid the price for telling an obscene racial joke on a commercial airline flight. Secretary Butz resigned today. Closer to home, I have a new colleague to welcome…Barbara? Thank you, Harry…
Reasoner’s new co-anchor was Barbara Walters, the first female anchor of a TV evening newscast.
Reasoner later returned to CBS and 60 Minutes.
That’s the news. I’m Harry Reasoner. Good night.
Iowa native Harry Reasoner co-anchored the first 60 Minutes broadcast on CBS, on this date in 1968.
And that's Iowa Almanac for September 24th...Listen to the extended audio version of today's story by clicking on the audio player above.
"An Iowan Makes Television History"
People in Dakota City, Iowa said he got his strong vocabulary from his mother, who taught him to read before he started school. Harry Reasoner used those skills throughout his life, beginning his journalism career while a high school student in Minneapolis.
He started in radio after the second world war and soon moved to the new field of television. Reasoner was one of the early faces on the screen, who helped invent television news.
On September 24th, 1968, his was the first voice heard on a new program, one which would revolutionize television.
Good Evening. This is 60 Minutes. It’s a kind of a magazine for television.
Once the program found a home on the Sunday night CBS schedule, 60 Minutes became the top rated program of any kind in the country and invented the television magazine show format. Reasoner was restless, though, and left CBS News in 1970 for the chance to co-anchor the ABC Evening News.
That later made him part of history again, on October 4th, 1976.
Our major story tonight is that agriculture secretary Earl Butz has paid the price for telling an obscene racial joke on a commercial airline flight. Secretary Butz resigned today. Closer to home, I have a new colleague to welcome…Barbara? Thank you, Harry…
Reasoner’s new co-anchor was Barbara Walters, the first female anchor of a TV evening newscast.
Reasoner later returned to CBS and 60 Minutes.
That’s the news. I’m Harry Reasoner. Good night.
Iowa native Harry Reasoner co-anchored the first 60 Minutes broadcast on CBS, on this date in 1968.
And that's Iowa Almanac for September 24th...Listen to the extended audio version of today's story by clicking on the audio player above.
Iowa Almanac for Friday, September 21, 2018
"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 Thursday, September 20, 2018
"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 thirteen post-season bowl games...but 11 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 thirteen post-season bowl games...but 11 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 Wednesday, September 19, 2018
"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 Tuesday, September 18, 2018
"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 Monday, September 17, 2018
"Iowa's Senior Senator"
He was barely 25 years of age when he was elected to the Iowa House of Representatives in 1958. He had earned bachelor's and master's degrees from the University of Northern Iowa in political science, which no doubt would help in the state legislature.
For the first dozen years he served in Des Moines, he also worked as a sheet metal shearer and assembly line worker, in addition to working the family farm.
Then in 1974, he was elected to Congress from Northeast Iowa, succeeding legendary third district congressman H.R. Gross, who had served for 26 years.
Six years later, he stunned incumbent U.S. Senator John Culver and took the oath of office in Washington on January 3rd, 1981. He's still there, now the longest serving U.S. senator in Iowa history.
Of course, I'm talking about Senator Charles Grassley, who turns 85 years of age today, and tells us how he typically spends his birthday.
Get up at 4, and instead of running three miles in my neighborhood…I'm going to do my annual run from the home to the dome, which is six and one tenth miles. Some time between 3 and 5 though, I'm going to enjoy my birthday big bowl of ice cream that I always have; anybody on the staff can have ice cream as well.
Happy Birthday to Iowa's senior United States senator, Charles Grassley, who was born in New Hartford, on this date, in 1933.
And that's Iowa Almanac for September 17th...Listen to the extended audio version of today's story by clicking on the audio player above.
"Iowa's Senior Senator"
He was barely 25 years of age when he was elected to the Iowa House of Representatives in 1958. He had earned bachelor's and master's degrees from the University of Northern Iowa in political science, which no doubt would help in the state legislature.
For the first dozen years he served in Des Moines, he also worked as a sheet metal shearer and assembly line worker, in addition to working the family farm.
Then in 1974, he was elected to Congress from Northeast Iowa, succeeding legendary third district congressman H.R. Gross, who had served for 26 years.
Six years later, he stunned incumbent U.S. Senator John Culver and took the oath of office in Washington on January 3rd, 1981. He's still there, now the longest serving U.S. senator in Iowa history.
Of course, I'm talking about Senator Charles Grassley, who turns 85 years of age today, and tells us how he typically spends his birthday.
Get up at 4, and instead of running three miles in my neighborhood…I'm going to do my annual run from the home to the dome, which is six and one tenth miles. Some time between 3 and 5 though, I'm going to enjoy my birthday big bowl of ice cream that I always have; anybody on the staff can have ice cream as well.
Happy Birthday to Iowa's senior United States senator, Charles Grassley, who was born in New Hartford, on this date, in 1933.
And that's Iowa Almanac for September 17th...Listen to the extended audio version of today's story by clicking on the audio player above.
Iowa Almanac for Friday, September 14, 2018
"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 Thursday, September 13, 2018
"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 Wednesday, September 12, 2018
"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 six 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 six 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 Tuesday, September 11, 2018
"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 Monday, September 10, 2018
"Winning Olympic Gold"
Doreen Wilber first became interested in archery in 1957 when one of her husband’s customers paid his auto repair bill with a bow and set of arrows. But it soon became clear she was a natural.
She had amazing concentration, and was physically strong. No professional coach, no commercial sponsor…but Doreen did not lose a single tournament at the state level for 10 years.
She shot on the international level from 1968 to 1974 and established 10 new records, along the way becoming the first woman to shoot over 1200 in international competition.
On September 10th, 1972, she won the gold medal in the women’s section of the first modern Olympic archery competition…and she did so at the age of 42.
She was inducted in nine halls of fame, including the Sports Illustrated Athletes of the Century. She died of Alzheimer’s Disease in her hometown of Jefferson in 2008. She was memorialized with a life-sized bronze statue in the center of town three years later.
The Iowa woman with outstanding sportsmanship, Doreen Wilber, won Olympic gold in archery on this date in 1972.
And that's Iowa Almanac for September 10th...Listen to the extended audio version of today's story by clicking on the audio player above.
"Winning Olympic Gold"
Doreen Wilber first became interested in archery in 1957 when one of her husband’s customers paid his auto repair bill with a bow and set of arrows. But it soon became clear she was a natural.
She had amazing concentration, and was physically strong. No professional coach, no commercial sponsor…but Doreen did not lose a single tournament at the state level for 10 years.
She shot on the international level from 1968 to 1974 and established 10 new records, along the way becoming the first woman to shoot over 1200 in international competition.
On September 10th, 1972, she won the gold medal in the women’s section of the first modern Olympic archery competition…and she did so at the age of 42.
She was inducted in nine halls of fame, including the Sports Illustrated Athletes of the Century. She died of Alzheimer’s Disease in her hometown of Jefferson in 2008. She was memorialized with a life-sized bronze statue in the center of town three years later.
The Iowa woman with outstanding sportsmanship, Doreen Wilber, won Olympic gold in archery on this date in 1972.
And that's Iowa Almanac for September 10th...Listen to the extended audio version of today's story by clicking on the audio player above.
Iowa Almanac for Friday, September 7, 2018
"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 more than 90 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 more than 90 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 Thursday, September 6, 2018
"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 fiancé 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 fiancé 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 Wednesday, September 5, 2018
"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 life.
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 life.
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 Tuesday, September 4, 2018
"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 Monday, September 3, 2018
"The Candidates Meet in Des Moines"
Campaigns for president can often be contentious affairs; we in Iowa certainly see that up close every four years.
On September 3rd, 1936, a unique meeting of the two major party nominees occurred in Des Moines.
The summer of 1936 saw continued economic stress in America. In the Midwest, that was coupled by crippling drought.
A conference was held in Des Moines, attended by governors from states most affected by the drought, including Iowa, Minnesota, Missouri, Wisconsin, Nebraska, Oklahoma, and Kansas.
President Franklin D. Roosevelt attended the sessions, held at the state capitol building in Des Moines. That included a meeting with his presidential rival, Kansas Gov. Alf Landon. The two shook hands for the media cameras and exchanged pleasantries before a lunch and the afternoon drought relief conference.
A poll released that very day showed Landon’s lead over Roosevelt in rural areas widening. But as the November election approached, the tables turned nationally, and FDR won in a landslide, only losing Maine and Vermont.
The two rivals for president, Franklin Roosevelt and Alf Landon, met in Des Moines to talk about drought relief, on this date, in 1936.
And that's Iowa Almanac for September 3rd...Listen to the extended audio version of today's story by clicking on the audio player above.
"The Candidates Meet in Des Moines"
Campaigns for president can often be contentious affairs; we in Iowa certainly see that up close every four years.
On September 3rd, 1936, a unique meeting of the two major party nominees occurred in Des Moines.
The summer of 1936 saw continued economic stress in America. In the Midwest, that was coupled by crippling drought.
A conference was held in Des Moines, attended by governors from states most affected by the drought, including Iowa, Minnesota, Missouri, Wisconsin, Nebraska, Oklahoma, and Kansas.
President Franklin D. Roosevelt attended the sessions, held at the state capitol building in Des Moines. That included a meeting with his presidential rival, Kansas Gov. Alf Landon. The two shook hands for the media cameras and exchanged pleasantries before a lunch and the afternoon drought relief conference.
A poll released that very day showed Landon’s lead over Roosevelt in rural areas widening. But as the November election approached, the tables turned nationally, and FDR won in a landslide, only losing Maine and Vermont.
The two rivals for president, Franklin Roosevelt and Alf Landon, met in Des Moines to talk about drought relief, on this date, in 1936.
And that's Iowa Almanac for September 3rd...Listen to the extended audio version of today's story by clicking on the audio player above.