Iowa Facts
6 Io w a f a c t s I o wa f a c t s Open an American atlas, and when the book of maps unfolds to Iowa, you'll discover a life-changing destination. Iowa is a land overflowing with genuine hospitality, historic sites, sophisticated cities, beautiful rolling countryside, and four seasons of nature at its very best. Iowans have made a big difference in the world from the Oval Office to the box office, from the Old West frontier to the new frontiers of science, from theaters of war to the stages of Broadway, Iowans have led the way. Here are the names of a few famous Iowans. PresIdent Herbert Hoover 31st president. Visit the Herbert Hoover Presidential Library and Museum in West Branch. fIrst Lady MaMIe doud eIsenHower Wife of General and President Dwight D. Eisenhower. Her birthplace home in Boone is restored and open to the public. Henry a. waLLace Served as U.S. vice president, U.S. secretary of agriculture, U.S. secretary of commerce and founder of Pioneer Hi-Bred International. The Henry A. Wallace Country Life Center in Greenfield is his birthplace farmstead. carrIe cHaPMan catt Suffragist leader whose efforts resulted in women's right to vote. Visit her childhood home and museum in Charles City. wILLIaM f. buffaLo bILL cody Celebrated frontier scout and Wild West showman. See his childhood home in Princeton. Grant wood Leader of the Regionalist art movement and painter of Cedar Rapids is home to several significant sites.American Gothic. bob feLLer Baseball Hall of Fame pitcher. Trace his career at the Bob Feller Museum in Van Meter. JoHn wayne Oscar-winning actor remembered for cowboy and combat hero roles. Visit his birthplace in Winterset. JoHnny carson Late-night television's most famous host. His Corning residence is under restoration. donna reed Academy Award-winning actress and star of It's A Wonderful Life. See her Oscar and celebrate her legacy in Denison. GLenn MILLer Big Band leader and popular musician of the Swing Era. Attend the festival in his honor and visit his birthplace in Clarinda. MeredItH wILLson Composer of the Broadway musical The Music Man. His work is celebrated at The Music Man Square in Mason City. andy wILLIaMs Famous entertainer born in northwest Iowa. His birthplace in Wall Lake has been restored to reflect the 1930s era. sHawn JoHnson West Des Moines gymnast who won Olympic gold in 2008 and captured the title in 2009.Dancing with the Stars faMous Iowans To learn more about Iowa and Iowans, visit these Web sites: traveliowa.com iowa.gov iowahistory.org Grant Wood Studio and Visitor Center, Cedar Rapids Bob Feller Museum, Van Meter ER IC H E Rn ST Facts_6-7_TG10.indd 6 10/29/09 4:52:39 PM