Welcome to the online version of The Biographical Dictionary of Iowa,
edited by David Hudson, Marvin Bergman, and Loren Horton. Written by an
impressive team of more than 150 scholars and writers, The Biographical
Dictionary of Iowa was created to spotlight prominent Iowans throughout the
history of the region.
Iowa has been blessed with citizens of strong character who have made invaluable
contributions to the state and to the nation. In the 1930s alone, such towering
figures as John L. Lewis, Henry A. Wallace, and Herbert Hoover hugely influenced
the nation’s affairs. Iowa’s Native Americans, early explorers, inventors,
farmers, scholars, baseball players, musicians, artists, writers, politicians,
scientists, conservationists, preachers, educators, and activists continue to
enrich our lives and inspire our imaginations.
The Biographical Dictionary of Iowa includes each subject’s name, birth
and death dates, place of birth, education, and career and contributions. Many
of the names will be instantly recognizable to most Iowans; others are largely
forgotten but deserve to be remembered. Beyond the distinctive lives and times
captured in the individual biographies, readers of the dictionary will gain an
appreciation for how the character of the state has been shaped by the character
of the individuals who have inhabited it.
This online edition of The Biographical Dictionary
of Iowa is a collaborative project created by the
University of Iowa Press and
The University of Iowa Libraries. The print version of the Biographical
Dictionary of Iowa was published for the State Historical Society of Iowa
by the University of Iowa Press. It is available for purchase on the UI Press site.
If you have questions or comments about the site,
please contact lib-digital@uiowa.edu.
To see more digital content from The University of Iowa Libraries, visit Iowa
Digital Library and Iowa
Research Online.