Voices from the Prairie A publication of Humanities Iowa • Fall 2016
Ding Darling One Act Play Driftless Education and Visitor Area Interview With Cloris Leachman and Eddie Rissien
Voices from the Prairie Fall 2016
Voices from the Prairie Contents
Humanities Iowa Board of Directors & Staff
Humanities Iowa Mission Statement
3 Ding Darling Back to Life: Tom Milligan’s One-Act Play
president Sam Mulgrew, Peosta
6 Driftless Area Education and Visitor Center
vice-president Jack Wertzberger, Dubuque
The mission of Humanities Iowa is to promote understanding and appreciation of the people, communities, cultures, and stories of importance to Iowa and the nation.
8 Interview With Cloris Leachman and Eddie Rissien
secretary Harry Brod, Cedar Falls
11 Grants Awarded in 2015-2016
treasurer Cindy McLaughlin, Sioux City
12 Council Conducted Partnerships 2015-2016 13 New Humanities Iowa Board Members 14 Statement of Activity 15 2015-2016 Donors and Partners Cover: Star Brewing Co. and Zig’s Bar Dubuque, IA, © by David Plowden, 2004
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Find news and information on speakers, library programs, and ways to get involved with Humanities Iowa on our website @ www.humanitiesiowa.org 2 · Voices from the Prairie
past-president Mark Felderman, Ankeny directors Georgina Dodge, Iowa City Ellen Hay, Davenport Bruce Kittle, Iowa City Ken Lyftogt, Cedar Falls Mike McCormick, Sioux City Charissa Menefee, Ames Kurt Meyer, St. Ansgar Ric Nelson, Ames Sandra Norvell, Ames Richard Ramsay, Des Moines Marina Sandquist, Des Moines Larry Simons, Mt. Vernon Rosemarie Ward, Des Moines executive director Christopher R. Rossi: c-rossi@uiowa.edu administrative and progr am officer Yu-Hsin Lin: yu-hsin-lin@uiowa.edu gr ants and finance director Heather Plucar: heather-plucar@uiowa.edu art director David Richmond: david.richmond@ simpson.edu
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Voices from the Prairie Voices from the Prairie is published by Humanities Iowa and distributed to its friends and interested Iowans. To subscribe please contact us: Humanities Iowa 100 lib rm 4039 Iowa City, Iowa 52242-1420 phone: (319) 335-4153 fax: (319) 335-4154 email: humanities-iowa@uiowa.edu
An Iowa Actor Brings Ding Darling Back to Life: Tom Milligan’s One-Act Play
Originally from Des Moines, Tom Milligan has lived in the Amana Colonies since 2006. He has been a working actor, director, scene designer, and producer for the last 45 years. His resume is a roll call of Des Moines and the Amana Colonies area theaters, including Charlie’s Showplace Dinner Theater, the Des Moines Playhouse, Drake Opera Theater, Hoyt Sherman Place Theater, the Drama Workshop, the Old Creamery Theater, and the Iowa Theater Artists Company. Tom became one of Humanities Iowa’s speakers 18 years ago with a one-man show, “Grant Wood: Prairie Rebel”, and since then he has added two more presentations to his offering. Earlier this year, Humanities Iowa partnered with the Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR) to invite Tom to write and perform a show about Ding Darling. This one-act play, which Tom titled “The Art of Conversation, a Visit with Ding Darling”, had its very first public read at Drake Community Library in Grinnell, and shortly after that, premiered the full production on August 17 at the DNR courtyard during the Iowa State Fair 2016. Following the premiere, there will be a few other showings with the DNR and the Friends of Lake Darling, and eventually it will become available with the Humanities Iowa’s Speakers Bureau. Recently Voices from the Prairie interviewed Tom about his latest project: Humanities Iowa: Tell us about the project.
Image: Tom Milligan playing Ding Darling
Tom Milligan: I have titled this oneact play “The Art of Conversation, a Visit with Ding Darling”, and that’s exactly what this play is about, but Ding does all the talking. Set in his office at the Des Moines Register, Ding reminisces about those enjoyable times with the audience as with an old friend. Everything from growing up in Sioux City, where both art and conservation became interests of his, all the way through his life as a Pulitzer Prize winning cartoonist and leader in the modern conservation movement. The play right now runs about 40 minutes leaving time for discussion at the end. As with most theater pieces, I expect to continue refining the script as time goes on, but I am currently rehearsing the second draft.
Humanities Iowa: Tell us about your background. Why did you decide to play Ding Darling? Tom Milligan: Theater and history for me have always been locked together. The concept that good theater should entertain and educate at the same time has worked well for myself. Many of the touring shows I’ve done as well as shows I’ve produced with the (Iowa) State Historical Building have all had an Iowa History base. Growing up in Des Moines, I had always heard of Ding Darling and at one time owned a home on the same block as his home. He had always been one of those Iowans in the back of my mind, but this opportunity really just came out of the blue. Fall 2016 · 3
Ding Darling Continued
Humanities Iowa: What have you learned about Ding Darling that you didn’t know before? Tom Milligan: You couldn’t live in Des Moines without knowing about his editorial cartoon work for The Des Moines Register. What I found was the conservation side of his life both here in
Tom Milligan: Like I said, this opportunity really came out of the blue. In early May I received a forwarded e-mail from Humanities Iowa sent by Michelle Wilson at the Iowa Department of Natural Resources. The DNR was working with a man named Sam Koltinsky from Florida on developing the Ding Darling legacy here in Iowa and other areas as well. One
Tom Milligan: Sam and I met in a restaurant in Iowa City sometime in May and he supplied a vast amount of reference materials from which I pulled all of the material for the script, but as with the other three Iowans that I portray, the big trick is telling their wonderful stories in 45 minutes. In order to do so, you really have to be selective, but at the same time all inclusive of their very full life and their contributions to whatever field they worked in at the time. Humanities Iowa: How did you decide what to include in your script and how did you come up with the setting for the play?
Image: Tom Milligan playing
Ding Darling
Iowa as well as the nation maybe was more than I ever expected to see. Things that he did for conservation are still being felt today and that’s why this play and person are still relevant. Humanities Iowa: This project is a partnership with the Iowa Department of Natural Resources. Tell us about how this started. 4 · Voices from the Prairie
of the projects they had been considering was a one-man presentation of Ding Darling and they wondered if HI knew of anyone in Iowa who did this type of thing. I have been doing one-man shows since I joined HI’s Speakers Bureau 18 years ago, and I guessed that’s why I was approached. Humanities Iowa: What is the biggest challenge that you have faced preparing the play?
Tom Milligan: I was provided a large amount of background material for this show as well as numerous sites on the internet dealing with Darling. I spent about a month just reviewing all of that material to determine how to tell this story. When there is a limited time to be presenting the material, I tried to highlight things that would show the broad span of his influence and achievements. Part of my job as a presenter is to hopefully increase the awareness of the person to the point where people might start to research and learn about the person on their own. As far as the setting, I used the last cartoon that he drew, featuring his office to construct the world in which we see Darling. Obviously he put things in the drawing that meant something to him so I just tried to replicate some of those features to include 3 of the 4 cartoons that I reference in the play. Humanities Iowa: Now that the play
presentation topics that you have been doing.
Image: Tom Milligan playing Grant Wood
Tom Milligan: “Grant Wood: Prairie Rebel” has been with the Speaker Bureau for over 18 years and still remains the most popular presentation I have, for now any way. The second, “American Dreamer: The Life and Times of Henry A. Wallace“, has been going for 15 years and is pretty close to Grant Wood in popularity. The last “Forrest Spaulding, The Not So Quiet Librarian” is in its 12th year. Humanities Iowa: What do you enjoy most about being a Humanities Iowa speaker?
has been performed a few times, what are some of the comments that you have received? Tom Milligan: I have received some very positive feedback from the show. It’s always hard to know if you are giving too much information too fast for people to follow the story, but this doesn’t seem to be the case. It’s always good to hear the comment, “I didn’t know that” when I am finished and I’ve heard that several times in the short amount of time the show has been going. Good theater should always entertain you and educate you at the same time. Humanities Iowa: As you mentioned
earlier that you would expect to continue refining the script as time goes on, have you made any changes after the premiere? If yes, what are those changes? And why did you make them? Tom Milligan: I haven’t done anything with the script as of yet. I think I need to step away from it for a little while and let the actor have his turn at it. I will go back to it eventually and see what needs to be reworked if anything. But as far as any major additions, I think it’s ready. Humanities Iowa: You have been on Humanities Iowa’s Speakers Bureau for almost 20 years, tell us about the
Tom Milligan: I love all of the places it takes me around this state and the wonderful people that I meet. You speak with someone on the phone or by e-mail to set up a presentation maybe a year in the future but when you finally greet them face to face, that’s the payoff. Humanities Iowa: You have always received very good reviews from the organizations that have had you presented. What’s your secret? Tom Milligan: The people that I portray are real Iowans with a story to tell and I let them tell the story. I always enter in character and exit the same way so the audience has the feeling that they’ve spent 45 minutes with that famous Iowan. I think that is what appeals to most people about these presentations and I can’t wait for all Iowans to have a visit with Ding! Fall 2016 · 5
Driftless Area Education and Visitor Center: Allamakee County Conservation Board’s major project to preserve nature and promote education opportunities in the area
Image: Driftless Area Scenic Byway, photo taken at the Mount Hosmer scenic overlook in Lansing. Photograph courtesy of Northeast Iowa Resource Conservation & Development. Photograph © Michael Marti, 2010.
A $3.6 million project, begun in 2007, will soon yield a center aimed at facilitating access to a picturesque region rich in natural and cultural history.
Allamakee County Conservation Board’s Plan
Having broken ground on November 3, 2015, the Driftless Area Education and Visitor Center is getting ready to welcome its first visitors in Spring/Summer 2017. What is the Driftless Area? The Driftless Area encompasses 24,000 square miles, including portions of Iowa, Illinois, Minnesota, and Wisconsin. Also called the Paleozoic Plateau, it is one of the few regions that was left untouched by the last glacial period. When glaciers carved paths across the Upper Mississippi River Valley 12,500 years ago, their paths skirted Allamakee County 6 · Voices from the Prairie
Image: The role played by glaciers in forming the Driftless Area. Photo Credit: Allamakee County Conservation Foundation.
and the greater Driftless Area. The existing topography was preserved, and the animal and plant species of the area were mostly protected from the loss of habitat that other species experienced in the surrounding areas.
The Allamakee County Conservation Board oversees more than 158 acres, including 19 parks, access to the river, and canoe landing areas. In 2007, the Conservation Board took on the responsibility of managing and developing an expanse of land south of Lansing and along the Mississippi River in far Northeast Iowa. This land will be the site of the Driftless Area Education and Visitor Center. The new Center is not only expected to provide educational and recreational opportunities to regional residents, it is also anticipated that it will positively influence the county’s economy by providing a new tourist attraction in the Iowa Great River Road Corridor. The visitor center will provide meeting and office space for public use, multiple observation decks, recreational trails, and
classrooms and group learning spaces to educate visitors on the importance of the Driftless Area.
Image Top: A corner of the Driftless Area Education and Visitor Center that shows fish
species of the upper Mississippi River. Photo courtesy of Allamakee County Conservation Foundation.
Rare species and landscapes in the Driftless Area
Image Middle Left:
Northern Wild Monkshood
Image Center Bottom:
Algific Talus Slopes (a.k.a. cold-air slopes)
The 10,000-square-foot, three-level Driftless Area Education and Visitor Center is expected to house interpretive and dimensional displays covering topics such as geology, limnology, archeology, conservation and wildlife studies, river town industries and economies, American Indian cultures, local history and more. Construction on the Driftless Area Education and Visitor Center is expected to be completed in Spring 2017. It will be a free attraction open to the public. Humanities Iowa’s Participation
Image Bottom Left: Iowa Pleistocene Snail
“These photographs are courtesy of the US Fish & Wildlife Service”
Humanities Iowa has established a $40,000 partnership with Allamakee County Conservation Board. In recognition of HI’s contribution, HI will have a naming opportunity for the Authors and Artists area in the Center. This area will provide visitors opportunities to browse books and art works that reflect the Driftless Area and the history of the Mississippi River and it will feature various displays that will change periodically. The area will also provide an opportunity to host speakers for small group presentations. Fall 2016 · 7
Cloris Leachman the Performer and Eddie Rissien the Producer – still connected to their Iowa roots By John Busbee Two nonagenarians returned to their Iowa home town, Des Moines, this time in late August of 2016. Cloris Leachman and Edward (Eddie) Rissien, classmates at Theodore Roosevelt High School, forged their life-long friendship during their days in school and throughout the community. The third member of this special group, Jack Mishler, remained close to his friends until his death in 2013. Cloris the performer, Eddie the producer, and Jack the record industry success story. Private conversations with the remaining two friends often referenced Jack. Their individual career ascensions were always shared with one another, with Cloris even providing that first “break” for Eddie as a stagehand on her Broadway production of South Pacific. This Humanities Iowa sponsored dialogue between these two friends was presented in the Roosevelt High School auditorium, with support from the Theodore Roosevelt High School Alumni Foundation and Drake University. The TRHS Foundation made this presentation the second of their Teddy Talks, giving community members the opportunity to participate in a humanities presentation anchored by the connections to the school. Cloris Leachman started reaching outside of her high school boundaries at young age, doing performing work through Drake University and at the Kendall Community Playhouse. She parlayed a part in a Drake University radio show into a regular role on KRNT radio in Des Moines. From Des Moines, Leachman attended and graduated from Northwestern University in Chicago. Theatre classmates included Paul Lynde. In the early years of Miss America, Chicago and New York City could also be 8 · Voices from the Prairie
Image: Cloris Leachman, Eddie Rissien, and John Busbee at Theodore Roosevelt High School “Photograph courtesy of John Busbee” represented, so in 1946, she participated in the Miss America Pageant after winning the Miss Chicago title. New York City was Leachman’s destination after college, and she immediately found work, including as Mary Martin’s understudy as Ensign Nellie Forbush in one of Broadway’s greatest shows, Rodgers and Hammerstein’s South Pacific. Soon after, she appeared in the Broadway-bound production of William Inge’s Come Back, Little Sheba. However, she left that show before its Broadway premiere when she accepted Katherine Hepburn’s offer to co-star in a production of Williams Shakespeare’s As You Like It. The small screen quickly, but not exclusively, became Leachman’s main performing medium. From an early, short-lived run as Timmy’s mother in Lassie (she said the role didn’t challenge her), she appeared in episodes of Rawhide, Twilight Zone and Alfred Hitchcock Presents. A breakthrough career moment came when she won the Best Supporting Actress Oscar for her performance in The Last Picture Show. From there, her stellar career would earn her more Emmy Awards (9) than any other actor, and appearances in iconic Mel Brooks’ comedies, such as Young Frankenstein. Her portrayal of Phyllis Lindstrom in The Mary Tyler Moore Show and its spin-off, Phyllis, anchored many of those Emmy Awards. Leachman continues to work, having
made a record-breaking appearance at 82 in Dancing with the Stars and will be seen in next year’s Robert de Niro film, The Comedian. Eddie Rissien readily admits his initial opportunity was given by Cloris when she encouraged him to go to New York City to seek production work in theater. He is the son of Russian Ukrainian immigrants who settled in Des Moines. From high school, he attended Grinnell College, then served during World War II in the Army Air Force. After the war, he went to Stanford University, graduating with a Political Science degree. Upon his return to Des Moines, he quickly realized that he was seeking greater opportunities than Des Moines had to offer, which prompted that phone call to Cloris, who already was in New York City. From that first stagehand job on the production of South Pacific, he found steady work backstage for Rodgers and Hammerstein. He also worked on such noteworthy productions as A Midsummer Night’s Dream, which introduced the world to Geraldine Page. Eddie’s skills quickly yielded steady work in summer and winter stock, in New York and Florida, respectively. Rissien moved to Hollywood in 1954, where his credits include producing at Screen Gems Columbia Pictures and establishing Harry Belafonte’s production company,
HarBel Productions. Producer credits include many iconic television shows, such as Hogan’s Heroes, Ben Casey, The Bing Crosby Show, and The Beverly Hillbillies. He was Executive VP of Production for Playboy for sixteen years. He also produced a play for the Royal Shakespeare Company. HI: Please talk about how each of you met. Eddie Rissien: Theatre and extracurricular activities seemed to be the bond which brought us all together. I do believe Jack and I first met at Reed’s Ice Cream on 42nd Street, but it was at the Kendall Community Playhouse on 35th Street in Des Moines where we formed our friendship. We both loved performing, and this was the forerunner of the current Des Moines Playhouse. Our experiences at the Playhouse gave us an early exposure to theatre, and we loved it. Cloris Leachman: Yes, although we were classmates at Roosevelt, it was the Playhouse that provided many opportunities for us. Jack and I were both in a production of “Ah, Wilderness!” in 1941, and that is where Jack gave me my first stage kiss. Jack and I first met in dance class. His mother had been advised to enroll her son to strengthen his body from polio, and we were in many of the same classes. Eddie and I met at high school, and were in productions there. HI: Do you recall some of your earlier memories of being drawn into the world of entertainment? Eddie Rissien: We had an early exposure
to theater, and we loved it. At that point, I didn’t think my career was going to be in entertainment. That came later. Certainly, the grounding of my career was that exposure. Roosevelt, I loved being here. I remember the principal calling me into his office about doing some performance in the hallway. It was a tremendous place to learn to communicate with others and one of the ways that I got further interest was when I became the chairman that introduced the programs or speakers every Friday. I had a chance to address the school body. The introduction that I spent most of my time trying to figure out how to do this well was for Glenn Cunningham, who was a world renowned American distance runner who became a doctor. My introduction for him was to act as if I was introducing the grand rabbi from Tel Aviv, or some great nobility, and I paced it in such a way that I loved the sound of what I was saying, “Doctor… Glenn…Cunningham.” I figured I was either very corny or I was going to continue doing this because I liked it. (NOTE: Glenn Verniss Cunningham received the James E. Sullivan Award as the top amateur athlete in the United States in 1933.) Cloris Leachman: My mother was a powerful influence in my life. Not so much as someone who would push me into doing things, but instead would open up my creativity. She was always an encouraging force, but would instill in me a personal drive. I remember one time when Drake University was holding auditions for a radio show, and Mama said I could go, but had to find my own way there. We lived three miles east of the city limits, so
I went to the Route 6 road, and got a ride in a truck to Drake. I did get a part in that radio show, which led to a regular role on KRNT radio. Outside of high school, there were other chances to perform. The Kendall Community Playhouse was one such place, and we enjoyed and learned much from those experiences. My mother never critiqued me or offered advice about what to do. She never told me anything, just, “If you like it, just keep doing it.” And, that’s what I did. HI: It seems as if the Leachman house was a major gathering space during your early years. Eddie Rissien: I would hang out at Cloris’ home not just because of the proximity of the Leachman home to Roosevelt, but because of the inhabitants of the home. It was “Buck.” Or, as I referred to him as a kid, “the suit.” He was always in a suit. Pleasant, but he was business. He represented business. Big Cloris, her mama, was the sweetest, most joyful woman I had ever met. She loved to laugh. There was Mary, the serious one. And, Cloris at the piano. And, there was Claiborne. Cloris Leachman: I remember we all had jobs to do around supper time. Mine was to set the table, which I loved to do. Then, after supper, while my sisters and father cleared the table and washed the dishes, my job was to play the piano. Eddie Rissien: She would sit there, playing the piano, and sing, and you knew that someday this was going to develop into a different ball game than living room Fall 2016 · 9
Interview With Cloris Leachman and Eddie Rissien Continued Image: Young Cloris entertainment. Years later, I remembered those times in Cloris’ living room. I was the second assistant stage manager on South Pacific on Broadway, so I was always hanging around. Cloris was the Nellie Forbush understudy, and to hear her rehearse was a rare and wonderful thing. Everyone acknowledges Cloris’ great ability as an actress, a comedienne, and certainly as a dancer. But, it was the singing that still thrills me.
Leachman at the piano “Photograph courtesy of John Busbee”
HI: Eddie, you started out acting in your younger days, but switched to working the other side of the curtain. Tell us about that. Eddie Rissien: It didn’t take me long to realize that I was a lousy actor. But, I still wanted to spend time in the theater. That’s when I started paying attention to what was happening backstage. It was amazing to me, the transformation. All of a sudden, a dozen men were moving flats, getting them into place, dressing the set. It was realizing my limits as an actor, but still wanting to be as close as I could and doing the next best thing for me and being backstage. Let me say this about Cloris. It was Cloris who I turned to when I graduated from college. I said I’m back in Des Moines but I want to pursue something else. She was under contract with Rodgers and Hammerstein, and she said, “Come to New York.” I asked, “And do what?” To which she replied, “I don’t know – we’ll figure it out when you get here!” And, that’s what I did. The career that I have I owe to the urging of my longtime friend, Cloris. We have remained close, and I will forever be grateful for what she did as my dear, dear friend. HI: Looking at your career, Cloris, you have a wide range of roles that you have 10 · Voices from the Prairie
played. Please share some thoughts about such versatility.
is a wonderful community, and gave me a strong sense of home wherever I was.
Cloris Leachman: She (her mother) never said anything to me. Just that I had a mobile face. I never knew what that meant. I was 15 when I was in a play at the Playhouse, and I asked how it was, and she said, “Just keep going.” She was very matter of fact. It was maybe more instinct than anything else, but I knew that for whatever role I was cast, I needed to become that character, that person. There were times that I would remain affected by a role I had just played, long after the final curtain or after the final take onscreen. But, that’s what you do as an actor, you have to become the character you are playing.
Cloris Leachman: I always love coming back to Des Moines. It has been an important part of my life throughout my career.
HI: Your careers have taken you far from your hometown, yet you have returned many times. There seems to be a connection you will always carry with you. Eddie Rissien: I will forever be grateful for having grown up in Des Moines. This
Following this presentation, both Cloris and Eddie remained in the auditorium until everyone who wanted to have a word with them, share a memory, receive an autograph or have a photo taken was accommodated. Both demonstrated what many have come to see as “the Iowa way” of being. This trio of Des Moines Roosevelt High School friends continued building on their strong bond as their lives progressed. Their careers flourished, they had families and through the many successes and challenges life presented them, they relied on each other for support. That’s the kind of rich potential someone experiencing their formative years in Iowa can embrace. These three certainly did.
Grants Awarded 2015-2016
ames
Iowa State University — $10,000 KHOI FM — $810
ottumwa
German American Heritage Center —$1,000
Ottumwa Area Arts Council —$1,000 perry
A nkeny Kirkendall Public Library — $2,140 bettendorf
des moines
Des Moines Public Library—$5,000 Edmondson Art Foundation —$1,500 & $3,000 Grand View University —$10,000
Bettendorf Public Library — $2,000
dubuque
boone
Clarke University —$1,885 Dubuque Museum of Art —$3,000
Iowa Railroad Historical Society —$5,000 cedar falls
elk ader
Abdelkader Education Project —$1,000
University of Northern Iowa —$10,000
African American Museum of Iowa —$8,593 National Czech and Slovak Museum and Library —$4,015 clinton
Clinton Public Library —$3,000 Midwest Lumber Museum —$900 davenport
Azubuike African America Councils for the Arts —$4,550
protivin
Czech Heritage Partnership/FHDC —$525 sioux cit y
Morningside College—$10,000 Tolerance Week —$2,900 urbandale
CultureALL Inc—$5,00o winthrop
elkhorn cedar r apids
Carnegie Library Museum —$1,972
Museum of Danish America —$6,959
hiawatha
Prairiewoods Franciscan Spirituality Center — $500
iowa cit y
Friends of Cedar Rocks —$1,500 rock island , il
Ballet Quad Cities —$5,000 CommUniversity —$500 & $1000 wichita , ks
Kansas Public Telecommunications Services, Inc. —$9,750
Englert Theater — $5,000
marion
Intellitive Media — $3,000 Fall 2016 · 11
Council Conducted Partnerships 2015-2016
des moines
carroll
Iowa Department of Natural Resources Ding Darling Project—$6,500
Carroll Public Library, “Everybody on the same page”—$1,000
des moines /altoona
Drake University Roosevelt High School Foundation & Alumni Association, Des Moines Social Club J. Robert Hopson Inc. Myers Family Fund “Cloris Leachman Returns to Hometown”—$4,250 des moines / greenfield
Main Street Greenfield John Busbee Creative Services Sidey Collection Exhibit and Integrated Play Project—$48,378 des moines / lamoni
Des Moines Area Community College and Graceland University Massive Open Online Courses (MOOC)—$15,000 decor ah
Vesterheim Norweigan-American Museum “In Trunks, Hearts, and Hands: What Immigrants Bring to Iowa” Traveling Exhibit—$20,000
cedar r apids
African American Museum of Iowa, “Endless Possibility”—$40,000 elkhorn
Museum of Danish America, Exhibit Development — $47,000 harpers ferry
Driftless Area Education and Visitor Center, Naming Rights for the Authors and Artist area — $40,000 iowa cit y
University of Iowa Department of German, the Division of World Languages, Literatures, and Cultures, Department of History, Old Capital Museum, and the Obermann Center for Advanced Studies, “German Iowa and the Global Midwest” — $20,000
dubuque
Loras College, “Laughing Together” Interfaith Dialogue—$6,000 Dubuque Museum of Art, “River Sojourn: Sara Lubinski” Exhibit—$20,000 “Smithsonian in Dubuque” Exhibition Series – $64,600 Voice Productions, “Voices Mural Project” – $40,000 Steeple Square, “From St. Mary’s to Steeple Square”—$27,762 12 · Voices from the Prairie
okoboji
Okoboji Summer Theatre, “Diary of Anne Frank”—$9,650 sioux cit y
Lewis and Clark Interpretive Center, “Lewis and Clark in Iowa”—$19,759 waterloo
Grout Museum District, “Voices of Iowa”—$28,425
What are the Humanities?
New Board Member: Ellen Hay
Iowa and a Ph.D. from Iowa State. She started her professional life as a secondary teacher at Waverly-Shell Rock High School and Dubuque Wahlert.
New Board Member: Kenneth Lyftogt
The Humanities are our cultural and intellectual heritage-the sum of human experience, thought and expression. They give us knowledge of the past, insight about the present, and wisdom for the future. They teach us about others and help us to know ourselves. Contact us! Humanities Iowa 100 Library Room 4039 Iowa City, IA 52242-1420 www.humanitiesiowa.org info@humanitiesiowa.org Phone: 319.335.4153
Recently retired from Augustana College in Rock Island, Illinois, Ellen Hay was professor and held the Stuart and Virginia Harbour Chair of Communication Studies. In addition to teaching, Hay served in various administrative roles as department chair, associate dean, and twice as the interim dean and chief academic officer of the college. She directed the Community Engagement Center and established a certificate in nonprofit leadership development. Hay chaired the National Communication Association’s College and University Section and the Communication Assessment Commission. Volunteer activities in the community include tutoring at Longfellow School and the United Way after school reading program, and helping at Festival of Trees, and Race for the Cure. Prior to returning to Iowa in 1989, Hay and her family lived in Wisconsin and Virginia. She holds a BA. and M.A. from the University of Northern
Fax: 319.335.4154 Follow us on Twitter! twitter.com/humanitiesiowa Kenneth Lyftogt of Cedar Falls recently retired from the University of Northern Iowa where he held a lecturer position in the Department of History. Mr. Lyftogt taught introductory and advanced courses on humanities, American civilization and U.S. history. He specializes in the American Civil War, and is the author of four books including “Iowa’s Forgotten General: Matthew Mark Trumbull” (University of Iowa Press, 2005), “From Blue Mills to Columbia: Cedar Falls and the Civil War” (Iowa State University Press, 1993), “Left for Dixie: The Civil War Diary of John Rath (Mid Prairie Books, 2004) and “The Sullivan Family of Waterloo (Sunseri with the Waterloo Public Library, 1998).
Donate! Donations are tax deductible to the extent permitted by law. Online donations accepted at
www.humanitiesiowa.org
Fall 2016 · 13
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r e ve nue s
unr e str ic te d
te mpor ar ily
pe r mane ntly
r e str ic te d
r e str ic te d
total
NEH & private grants 589,346 10,000 599,346 Other grants 12,379 12,379 Program income 13,324 13,324 Gifts & membership 18,473 18,473 Dividends & interest 40,960 40,960 Realized gain on investments 137,459 137,459 Unrealized gains and losses on investments (167,939) (167,939) Purpose restrictions accomplished 66,530 (66,530) Total Revenues
698,153
(44,151) 654,002
Expenses Program Services 559,484 559,484 Support Services Management & general 91,385 91,385 Fundraising, newsletter 9,588 9,588 Total Support Services Total Expenses
100,973 660,457
100,973 660,457
Change in Net Assets 37,696 (44,151) (6,455) Net Assets—Beginning of Year Net Assets—End of Year
844,009 881,705
58,448 14,297
128,000 128,000
1,030,457 1,024,002
Donors 2015-2016
G.E. Anderson Violet M. Baker Ed and Ethel Barker Ted Bauer Sue Berger Claire Blong Tom and Liz Boyd Willard (Bill) Boyd III Willard (Sandy) and Susan Boyd Junius Brenton Harry Brod Jean C. Brown Richard Burton Graciela Caneiro-Livingston Community Fdn of Greater Des Moines Gracia Daveport Thomas Dean Frances DeJong Richard Dell J.P. Dietrich DNE Caplan Family Foundation Glenn Ehrstine Susan Enzle Mark Felderman Susan Frye E.C. Garlock Nancy A. Garretson Elizabeth Garst Lynne George Helen Goldstein Linda Groenendyk William Hamm Ms. Voanne Hansen Ellen Hay James P. Hayes
Patricia Headly J. Robert Hopson Sidney or Elizabeth Huttner Mary Ellen Kimball Dr. Randall Lengeling Lois Lindaman Sherry or Henry Lippert Helen Lockwood Marcia or Cedric Lofdahl Mary Lorber Myers Family Fund Esther Mackintosh Ronald Mavrias Cindy McLaughlin Charissa Menefee John Menninger T.W. Mott Samuel F. Mulgrew Harland Nelson Richard Nelson Mary Noble Sandra Norvell Russell Noyes A.E. Outzen Polly Pagliai Dale Patrick James Perry Chris and Heather Plucar Alta L. Price RPC Charitable Foundation Richard Ramsay Treva Reimer Thomas Romanin Roosevelt Foundation Christopher Rossi
Gerard and Carolyn Rushton Larry Simons Vladimir Skarda Cynthia Smith Eldon and Mary Snyder Larry Stone Sue Strauss David Tiffany Rhoda Vernon Jill Ward Rosemarie Ward Janet Wilcox
2015-2016 Partners Lewis and Clark Interpretive Center Graceland University Des Moines Area Community College Carroll Public Library Vesterheim Norweigan-American Museum Steeple Square Allamakee County Conservation Board Grout Museum District Kind World Foundation Dubuque Museum of Art Loras College The University of Iowa Main Street Greenfield African American Museum of Iowa Museum of Danish America Stephens College Drake University Iowa Department of Natural Resources Fall 2016 · 15
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Abandoned Tractor Wheel, Moscow, IA, Photograph © David Plowden, 2004.