Iowa History Journal
Iowa History Journal Volume 4, Issue 1 Now Available
Monday, January 16th, 2012 | Iowa History Journal | No Comments
Carol Morris put her hometown of Ottumwa, Iowa, on the international stage in the summer of 1956 when the twenty-year-old student at Drake was crowned Miss Universe. Earlier she has won the right to compete in the world’s most famous beauty contest by winning the Miss Iowa and Miss USA competitions. After a brief career in show business, Carol married and settled in to a Texas lifestyle and more or less disappeared from the scene. Michael Swanger caught up with her recently and in an exclusive interview she recalls those magic days of long ago.
Readers will also be treated to feature stories on Humboldt’s Harry Reasoner who gained considerable fame for his roles as a television news anchor; the amazing story of an Iowa bred horse named Alix, the most famous race horse in America in the 1880s, and the story of a United States Senator who helped save President Andrew Johnson from being removed from office.
Also included in this issue:
- In basketball and in life, Iowa basketball star and coach, Sharm Scheuerman was a real hero
- How the city of Clear Lake got its name and the many famous people who have played a part in its history
- Viking Pump of Cedar Falls has just celebrated 100 years of incredible success and now has its own museum
- A book review of the devastating flood that ravaged much of eastern Iowa in 2008
- The Iowa History Quiz
- Columns by our regulars – Arvid Huisman, John McNeer and Mike Chapman
…and much more!
Iowa History Journal Volume 3, Issue 5 Now Available
Tuesday, August 30th, 2011 | Iowa History Journal | No Comments
Meredith Willson marched his way into immortality (with 76 trombones leading the way) with his hit play and movie “The Music Man”. Willson grew up in Mason City, Iowa, and used his hometown as the backdrop for the fictional town of River City, Iowa, in the play. The movie debuted in Mason City on June 9, 1962, and today the city has returned the favor with the Music Man Square in downtown Mason City. Willson was a major success in the entertainment world for decades and John Skipper, noted Mason City journalist, has written a riveting story for the current issue of Iowa History Journal. There are several powerful photographs that tell the story of Meredith Willson’s impact on his beloved hometown.
Readers will also be treated to feature stories on the fabulous Salisbury House, a castle in the heart of Des Moines; the restored Orpheum Theater in Marshalltown; the Kinze Manufacturing Company near Interstate 80, west of Williamsburg, and how Gene Baker of Davenport made his mark with the Chicago Cubs in the 1950s. Also included in this issue:
- Samuel Kirkwood became Iowa governor in 1860 just as Abraham Lincoln took over as President, and then was talked into serving again despite his own reluctance
- How the city of Mitchellville came by its name
- Review of a book called the Quiet Hero, about Kenny Ploen and his role in leading the Iowa Hawkeyes to their Rose Bowl victory in 1957
- The Iowa History Quiz
- Columns by our regulars – Arvid Huisman, John McNeer and Mike Chapman
…and much more!
Upcoming Events This Summer and Fall
Wednesday, August 3rd, 2011 | Book Signing, Iowa History Journal, Speaking | No Comments
Mike has a busy summer lined up, with a variety of speeches and appearances. He and Bev will be at the Iowa State Fair for 11 straight days (August 11-21) in the Iowa History Journal booth at the Varied Industries Building, along with several columnists and writers for IHJ. The booth will have most of the back issues of IHJ for sale, as well as many of Mike’s 22 books – including his latest book, Triumph and Tragedy: The Inspiring Stories of Iowa Football Legends Fred Becker, Jack trice, Nile Kinnick and Johnny Bright, The book makes a perfect gift for anyone as Iowa colleges head into football season this fall.
Working at the booth at some point during the 11 days will be Arvid Huisman, longtime newspaper veteran and author of the book Country Roads; John McNeer, who writes the IHJ column “The Way We Were”, and feature writers Bill Sherman and Jessica Lowe. None of the dates are pinned down yet but we will post them as soon as they are.
Iowa History Journal Volume 3, Issue 3 Now Available
Wednesday, May 11th, 2011 | Iowa History Journal | No Comments
Bill Tilghman of Fort Dodge, Iowa, is considered one of the greatest lawmen and gunfighters of the Old West. According to top experts, he ranks alongside such legends as Wild Bill Hickok, Wyatt Earp, Bat Masterson, and Doc Holiday when it comes to his gunfighting exploits.
And yet, Tilghman is not near as well known as the Hickok group, for a variety of reasons. In the current issue of Iowa History Journal, Alan F. Nelson of Fort Dodge, perhaps the nation’s leading authority on Tilghman, offers a historical portrait of this fascinating Iowan and his legacy.
Readers will also be treated to a special story on the five occasions that the King of Rock ‘n’ Roll, Elvis Presley, appeared in the state of Iowa. Also, the Ladora woman behind the very popular Nancy Drew mystery books is profiled, as well as Davenport golfer Jack Fleck, who set the sports world on its ear in 1955 when he won the U.S. Open.
On the more serious side, we take a look back at the Credit Island Battle of 1814, the only time foreign troops were engaged in combat in Iowa, and we offer a penetrating look at the development of the Iowa caucuses.
Also included in this issue:
- The rise of the Palmer School of Chiropractic into a top Iowa business
- How the city of Harlan came by its name
- Review of three new Iowa sports books
- The Iowa History Quiz
- Columns by our regulars – Arvid Huisman, John McNeer and Mike Chapman
…and much more!
Author to Sign Book on Drake Legend Johnny Bright Before Home Football Game
Wednesday, September 29th, 2010 | Books, Iowa History Journal | No Comments
DES MOINES, IOWA — The legend of Johnny Bright, Drake’s greatest athletic hero, springs back to life this month as Johnny graces the cover of two new publications – a magazine and a book.
A beautiful artwork of Bright is on the cover of Iowa History Journal, a magazine that covers all aspects of Iowa history, from sports to entertainment, to business and politics, and various historical figures and events.
The Bulldog star led the entire nation in total offense in both 1949 and 1950, and was leading it again in 1951 when he was knocked out of action in one of the ugliest incidents in college football history. Bright was a first team All-American and finished fifth in the balloting of the 1951 Heisman Trophy despite missing two of the Drake games due to the incident.
Bright is also one of four Iowa football stars featured in a new book, Triumph and Tragedy: The Inspiring Stories of Football Legends Fred Becker, Jack Trice, Nile Kinnick and Johnny Bright.
There will be a book signing by Mike Chapman, author of Triumph and Tragedy: The Inspiring Stores of Football Legends Fred Becker, Jack Trice, Nile Kinnick and Johnny Bright, prior to Drake’s homecoming football game against Marist this Saturday.
Johnny Bright: Drake’s Greatest Legend
Friday, September 3rd, 2010 | Columns, Iowa History Journal | No Comments
by Mike Chapman (excerpt from Iowa History Journal, Volume 2, Issue 5)
When Johnny Bright strolled onto the cozy Drake University campus in the fall of 1948, no one could have realized what was in store for the Des Moines college in particular, and the game of football in general. After his three-year varsity career wound up in 1951, Bright left a legacy of achievement that may never be matched at any college.
The dynamic, athletic young man from Indiana had it all, including a name that lent itself to visions of grandeur. And it is sad that today very few Iowa football fans even know who Johnny Bright was and what he once meant to Drake University and to the state as a whole.
National Dairy Cattle Congress
Thursday, September 2nd, 2010 | Columns, Iowa History Journal | No Comments
Publisher’s Perspective – Volume 2, Issue 5 of Iowa History Journal
When I was a kid growing up in Waterloo in the 1950s, I was a city slicker that didn’t know a darn thing about farm animals and implements. Still, other than Christmas, the most exciting time of the year for me, and most kids I knew, was opening day of the National Dairy Cattle Congress. It was a huge, weeklong show that took place on the western edge of the city, and offered attractions galore, for a very wide variety of people.
It was so much more extravagant than any local fair I had ever seen that it couldn’t even be compared. It was such a big event in the 1950s that the Waterloo schools gave all students a day off to attend it. All the previous week, it was the subject of talk among all the kids in the school I attended. We laid plans for the big day off, and how much fun we were going to have.
Iowa History Journal Volume 2, Issue 5 Now Available
Wednesday, September 1st, 2010 | Iowa History Journal | No Comments
With football season kicking off all across the state of Iowa and the nation, now is the perfect time to revisit the story of one of the greatest football players in the history of our state. Johnny Bright played his first game at Drake University in the fall of 1949 – and over the next three years blazed a trail that is simply amazing.
Bright led the entire nation in total offense as a sophomore, as a junior, and was leading the nation as a senior when he suffered one of the most reprehensible occurrences in the history of college sports. Bright and the Bulldogs took a 6-0 record into Stillwater, Oklahoma, on October 20, 1951, to meet the Oklahoma A&M Aggies. What happened that day has been a dark spot ever since.
Bright was badly injured and missed two of the next three games but still finished fifth in the Heisman Trophy balloting that year. He went on to a tremendous career in the Canadian Football League and eventually became a highly regarded educator in Edmonton, Canada.
This issue of Iowa History Journal offers the compelling story of Johnny Bright along with some fabulous pictures. You won’t want to miss it.
Iowa Public Radio Hosts Mike About Iowa History Journal
Tuesday, August 31st, 2010 | Iowa History Journal, Radio | No Comments
Mike was interviewed by Iowa Public Radio on Monday. He was on the show Talk of Iowa, which airs during the work week from 10 to 11 am.
A synopsis of the show reads:
Writing About Iowa
What are the challenges and opportunities facing writers who write about Iowa people, places and events for a regional and national audience? Guests are Trevor Meers, Executive Editor, Midwest Living magazine; Mike Chapman, publisher, Iowa History Journal; and Beth Wilson, editor, The Iowan magazine. (46:30)
Iowa author, historian has booth at state fair – offering free magazines with new subscriptions
Thursday, August 12th, 2010 | Iowa History Journal | No Comments
Mike Chapman, a well-known Iowa author and public speaker, will be appearing Aug. 12-22 at the Iowa State Fair, in the Iowa History Journal booth in the Ralph H. Diets Historical Museum. He will have copies of the magazine Iowa History Journal and many of his 22 books for sale.
A native of Waterloo, Chapman retired from a 35-year newspaper career in 2002 to devote his time to writing books. Among his published books are Lowell Park, a novel about Ronald Reagan as a lifeguard in Dixon, Illinois, in the summer of 1932, and Gotch: An American Hero, the story of the Humboldt, Iowa, native who was world heavyweight wrestling champion from 1908 to 1915.
Upcoming Speeches and Appearances
- January 24, 2012 – Fred Becker Elementary School Dedication
- February 26, 2012 – Father/Son Banquet - Windsor Heights Lutheran Church
- March 2, 2012 – Adel High School "Character Counts" Event
- March 15, 2012 – WIN Memorabilia Show
- April 12, 2012 – Toledo Public Library
- May 18, 2012 – Winnie Hawks
Calendar of Appearances
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Father/Son Banquet - Windsor Heights Lutheran ChurchTriumph and Tragedy Available – $26.95 plus shipping!
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