How has Iowa made a significant impact on the world?
Many Iowans tend to feel that important things occur and important people live "Somewhere Else." History has shown that this is not true. Iowans have made a significant impact on agriculture, technology and world events.
Agricultural and Science Innovators
The American Midwest has been a world leader in improvements in plants, livestock and agricultural technology. Three names are especially significant. George Washington Carver graduated from and taught botany at Iowa State College (now Iowa State University), the first African-American appointed to the ISC faculty, before taking a faculty and research position at the Tuskegee Institute. There he developed a successful career breeding crops, especially peanuts, that could raise the income of southern African-American farmers. Henry Wallace was another Iowa State alumnus. Like his father and grandfather, he became editor of Wallaces’ Farmer Magazine, where he promoted the use of hybrid seed that he had helped develop. He also served as vice president of the United States during World War II. Norman Borlaug was born in Howard County along the Iowa-Minnesota border. He became a leading proponent for the use of hybrid grains in developing countries, exponentially boosting crop yields in what became known as the Green Revolution. His biographers credit Borlaug with saving the lives of one billion people from starvation. For his efforts, he received the Nobel Peace Prize and was a driving force behind the creation of the World Food Prize centered in Des Moines.
Iowa has also produced an impressive list in the fields of science and technology. John Atanasoff was teaching at Iowa State College (now Iowa State University) during WWII when he invented the first electronic computer. Robert Noyes, a Grinnell College graduate, was the inventor of a computer chip that revolutionized the electronics industry and a co-founder of the very successful Intel Corporation. James Van Allen, an astronomy professor at the University of Iowa, discovered a radiation field around the earth that became known as the Van Allen Belt. George Gallup of Jefferson, Iowa, developed a statistical survey technique to sample public opinion with a high degree of accuracy.
Humanitarian Leaders
Iowans have also led humanitarian efforts. Annie Wittenmyer drew together the efforts of women across the state during the Civil War to improve diets and care conditions in Union hospitals. Carrie Chapmen Catt headed the national organization that led the fight to grant women the right to vote. At the end of WWI, Iowa-born Herbert Hoover accepted the assignment to head up relief efforts to feed the starving in Europe until farms and the economy could be restored. His very successful efforts made him a revered figure for saving the lives of countless children through efficient food programs. Governor Robert Ray demonstrated Iowans’ compassion when he promoted a resettlement program for Vietnamese and Laotian refugees. Many other Iowans have served in international relief and rural development projects to raise the standards of living among the world’s poor.
Iowa has a distinguished record in agriculture, science, technology and humanitarian efforts. Residents in Iowa towns and cities readily volunteer for community service and relief programs that make their communities better places to live.
Supporting Questions
What contributions have Iowans made to agriculture around the world?
- Froelich Tractor in Iowa and South Dakota, 1892 (Image)
- Biography of John Froelich from Iowa Inventors Hall of Fame Pamphlet, 1994 (Document)
- IPTV's "Borlaug Receives Congressional Gold Medal," 2006 (Video)
How have Iowans impacted the rest of the world in the field of science and technology?
- "The Invention of the Electronic Digital Computer" from The Palimpsest, September/October 1984 (Document)
- Biography of Clair Cameron Patterson, 1998 (Document)
- Biography of John Robinson Pierce, 2004 (Document)
- NASA Astronaut Peggy Whitson Interview, September 1, 2017 (Document)
- NASA Astronaut Peggy Whitson Returns from the International Space Station with Record-Breaking Accomplishments, September 4, 2017 (Document)
How have the unique lives of famous Iowans influenced the lives of people both nationally and around the world?
- Letter from Annie Wittenmyer to the Soldiers’ Aid Societies of Iowa Ladies, 1861 (Document)
- Letter from Annie Wittenmyer to Governor Samuel Kirkwood, 1863 (Document)
- American Red Cross Letter to Herbert Hoover, March 4, 1918 (Document)
- Address from Carrie Chapman Catt to U.S. Legislatures about Women's Suffrage Movement, 1919 (Document)
- First Lady Lou Henry Hoover Comments on her Husband's Career and Public Service, 1932 (Document)
| Iowa's Connection to the World Source Set Teaching Guide |
| Printable Image and Document Guide |
Froelich Tractor in Iowa and South Dakota, 1892
Description
These photographs show the Froelich Tractor in Iowa and South Dakota in 1892. The tractor was created by John Froelich, an American inventor who lived in Froelich, Iowa, a small village in northeast Iowa. His invention, shown in the photos, was the first stable gasoline/…
Biography of John Froelich from Iowa Inventors Hall of Fame Pamphlet, 1994
Description
This document is a brief biography of John Froelich, who was inducted into the Iowa Inventors Hall of Fame in 1991. Froelich was an American inventor who lived in Froelich, Iowa, a small village in northeast Iowa. He is best known for inventing the first stable…
IPTV's "Borlaug Receives Congressional Gold Medal," 2006
Description
This is a 2006 video from Iowa Public Television's program "Market to Market" that covered native Iowan, Dr. Norman Borlaug, receiving the U.S. Congressional Gold Medal. The video shows Borlaug, a world-renowned agricultural scientist, being presented the honor by then-…
“The Invention of the Electronic Digital Computer” from The Palimpsest, September/October 1984
Description
This 1984 article from The Palimpsest focuses on the invention of the electronic digital computer by John Vincent Atanasoff and Clifford Berry. Their invention is credited as the first computer invented in the world.
Biography of Clair Cameron Patterson, 1998
Description
This National Academy of Sciences document is the biography of Claire Cameron Patterson, an American geochemist. Patterson was born in Mitchellville, Iowa, who spent his entire professional career at the California Institute of Technology (Caltech). In collaboration with…
Biography of John Robinson Pierce, 2004
Description
This document is the National Academy of Sciences biography for John Robinson Pierce, an American engineer and author. Pierce was born in Des Moines, Iowa, and he worked extensively in the fields of radio communication, microwave technology, computer music,…
NASA Astronaut Peggy Whitson Interview, September 1, 2017
Description
This document is a 2017 interview with Iowan and astronaut Peggy Whitson about her recent time on the International Space Station. Whitson also speaks about her record-setting accomplishments throughout her NASA career.
NASA Astronaut Peggy Whitson Returns from the International Space Station with Record-Breaking Accomplishments, September 4, 2017
Description
This document is a 2017 article from the NASA website celebrating Peggy Whitson's return from the International Space Station and her record-breaking accomplishments. She and fellow astronaut Jack Fischer are shown speaking on the phone with President Donald Trump after…
Letter from Annie Wittenmyer to the Soldiers’ Aid Societies of Iowa Ladies, 1861
Description
This document is a letter from Iowa humanitarian Annie Wittenmyer that was published in the Keokuk Weekly Gate City. This letter was to the Soldiers' Aid Societies of Iowa Ladies in 1861 and it shared the conditions for recovering soldiers from the Civil War and…
Letter from Annie Wittenmyer to Governor Samuel Kirkwood, 1863
Download Resource Download Resource
Description
This document is a letter from Annie Wittenmyer to Iowa Governor Samuel Kirkwood that was published in the Keokuk Weekly Gate City in 1863. Wittenmeyer outlined her efforts and the needs that remained in caring for Iowa's Civil War casualties. The letter also…
American Red Cross Letter to Herbert Hoover, March 4, 1918
Description
This document is a copy of a letter from Henry P. Davison, chairman of the American Red Cross, to Herbert Hoover, who at the time was the chairman of the Commission for Relief of Belgium. The letter was sent March 1918.
Address from Carrie Chapman Catt to U.S. Legislatures about Women's Suffrage Movement, 1919
Description
This document is an address given by Carrie Chapman Catt, president of the National American Women’s Suffrage Movement, to the legislatures of the United States in 1919.
First Lady Lou Henry Hoover Comments on her Husband's Career and Public Service, 1932
Description
This document is a letter written by President Herbert Hoover's wife, Lou Henry. In the letter, Lou Henry Hoover wrote about her husband's career in public service during his campaign in 1932.
Additional Resources
- Peggy Whitson Video Interview
This 2017 video interview, produced by the State Historical Society of Iowa, features NASA astronaut and native Iowan Peggy Whitson. Whitson speaks about her illustrious career with NASA and the influence her Iowa upbringing had on her pursuit of going to space. - "Annie Wittenmyer, Iowa’s Civil War Heroin:"
This issue of The Iowan Magazine focuses on the work of humanitarian and Iowan Annie Wittenmyer. The document features biographical information about Wittenmyer and a number of newspaper articles written to and by her.
Iowa Core Social Studies Standards (6th-12th Grade)
Listed below are the Iowa Core Social Studies content anchor standards that are best reflected in this source set. The content standards applied to this set are elementary-age level and encompass the key disciplines that make up social studies for students 6th through 12th grade.
| No. | Standard Description |
| SS.7.27. | Analyze the role that Iowa plays in contemporary global issues |
| SS-US.9-12.27. | Evaluate Iowans or groups of Iowans who have influenced US history |
| SS-WH.9-12.26. | Assess Iowans or groups of Iowans who have influenced world history |