Iowa is often referred to as the "American Heartland" and the "Food Capital of the World" as a result of it's strong agricultural economy. It is also known as one of the safest states in which to live. Iowa is the only state in the Union of which its eastern and western borders are formed entirely by rivers (the Mississippi to the East and the Missouri to the West).
Prior to it becoming a territory of the US and then the 29th state, Iowa was part of New France and was within the confines of the Louisiana Purchase. During the US Civil War, Iowa supported the Union and proportionately, the state contributed more men to military service than any other state, north or south. It sent more than 75,000 volunteers to the armed forces and over one-sixth were killed before the end of the war.
Politically, the state has national significance, as it holds the first electoral contest in the quadrennial presidential elections, the Iowa Caucuses. The Hawkeye State has sent one of its own to the White House, the 31st President of the US, Herbert Hoover. Hoover's Presidential Library is located in West Branch and is celebrating it's 50th year in 2012.
The current Governor of Iowa is Terry Branstad, a Republican. The Senators for Iowa are Republican Chuck Grassley and Democrat Tom Harkin. The Iowa Congressional delegation has five members, three Democrats and two Republicans.
- 1st District - Bruce Braley (D)
- 2nd District - Dave Loebsack (D)
- 3rd District - Leonard Boswell (D)
- 4th District - Tom Latham (R)
- 5th District - Steve King (R)
- State Capital (and largest city) - Des Moines
- Date of Admission - December 28, 1846
- Area - 56,272sq mi (26th)
- Population (2011 est.) - 3,062,069 (30th)
- State Motto - "Our liberties we prize and our rights we will maintain"
- State Nickname - The Hawkeye State
- State bird - Eastern goldfinch
- State flower - Wild prairie rose
- State tree - oak
- State University - Iowa has three "state schools," Iowa State University, The University of Iowa, and the University of Northern Iowa
- State Archives - part of the State Historical Society, State Archives and Records Program
- The State Historical Society of Iowa
- iowa.gov - the Official Website of the State of Iowa
- The Iowa Tourism site - Travel Iowa
- Wikipedia
- 50states.com entry for Iowa
- InfoPlease entry for Iowa
- Iowa Fact Sheet from the US Census Bureau
- Author Bess Streeter Aldrich
- Bix Beiderbecke, jazz musician
- Scientist Norman Borlaug
- Inventor Donald Campbell
- Wallace Hume Carothers, inventor of Nylon
- Johnny Carson
- Discoverer of the properties of RNA Thomas Cech
- Buffalo Bill Cody
- Publisher Gardner Cowles, Jr.
- Inventor Lee DeForest
- Bass-baritone Simon Estes
- William Frawley, aka Fred Mertz among many, many others
- Pollster George H. Gallup
- Writer Susan Glaspell
- Inventor and Nobel Prize Winner Alan Heeger
- First Ladies Lou Hoover and Mamie Eisenhower
- Cloris Leachman
- US Navy Admiral William D. Leahy
- Labor Leader and founder of the Congress of Industrial Organizations, John L. Lewis
- Aviation Pioneer Glenn L. Martin (his name is attached to a rather big company these days)
- Elsa Maxwell
- Bandleader Glenn Miller, his music was frequently heard in the Brave Astronaut's parents house growing up
- Longtime leader of the YMCA and Nobel Peace Prize winner John Mott
- Number one Mom, Harriet Nelson
- Educator and Harvard University President in the 1960s, Nathan Pusey
- Playwright (and Jill Clayburgh's husband) David Rabe
- CBS News Journalist Harry Reasoner
- Donna Reed
- Soprano Lillian Russell
- Author Wallace Stegner
- Evangelist Billy Sunday
- Physicist and general space dude James Van Allen
- Vice President of the United States Henry A. Wallace
- Marion Mitchell Morrison (what that name doesn't ring a bell? How about this one?)
- Andy Williams (Andy is very sick with cancer and is not expected to live much longer. My mother once had a pillowcase with Williams' face screened on it. I am sure that he will be visiting with my mother once he gets where he's going.) His music was also very prominent in my childhood home.
- Composer (of the Music Man, which I saw on stage last weekend) Meredith Wilson
- Grant Wood
2 comments:
UIowa predates ISU. Go Hawkeyes!
Speaking of smart folks: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Iowa_Writers'_Workshop_people
C - I knew you wouldn't be able to leave this post alone.
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