Famous Iowans
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 of the United States
Vice President Henry A. Wallace
Served under President Franklin D. Roosevelt and founded Pioneer Hi-Bred
International
First Lady Mamie Doud Eisenhower
Wife of General and President Dwight D. Eisenhower
Carrie Chapman Catt
Suffragist leader whose efforts resulted in women’s right to vote
William F. “Buffalo Bill” Cody
Celebrated frontier scout and Wild West showman
Norman Borlaug
Nobel Peace Prize laureate and father of the Green Revolution
John Vincent Atanasoff And Clifford Berry
Co-inventors of the digital computer
Grant Wood
Leader of the Regionalist art movement and painter of American Gothic
Bob Feller
Baseball Hall of Fame member; pitcher for the Cleveland Indians in the 1930s, ‘40s and ’50s
Mac Kinlay Kantor
Author and screenwriter whose work includes Civil War novels and the movie
classic The Best Years of Our Lives
Jane Smiley
Pulitzer Prize-winning novelist and author of A Thousand Acres
John Wayne
Oscar-winning actor remembered for cowboy and combat hero roles
Ashton Kutcher
Film and television actor seen in That ’70s Show
Elijah Wood
Actor and star of the Lord of the Rings trilogy
Donna Reed
Academy Award-winning actress and star of It’s a Wonderful Life
Glenn Miller
Big Band leader and popular musician of the Swing Era
Simon Estes
World-renowned opera singer
Meredith Willson
Composer of the Broadway musical The Music Man
Dan Gable
Olympic champion wrestler and coach, all-time leader in NCAA history for titles won. Visit the new Dan Gable International Wrestling Institute and Museum in Waterloo.
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