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Contact: Jeff
Morgan, Jeff.Morgan@iowa.gov,
(515) 281-3858
(DES
MOINES) – Tickets for trolley tours of
State Historical Museum and Terrace Hill exhibits
featuring Iowa’s governors and first ladies
are on sale today.
The “Lives & Legacies Trolley Tour”
will be October 22 at 1 and 3 p.m. Guests will arrive
at the State Historical Museum for coffee, biscotti
and guided tours of “Portrait of a Governor:
A Life, A Legacy” and a trolley ride to Terrace
Hill for tea, scones and a tour of “The First
Ladies of Iowa.” Tickets are $30 and can be
reserved by contacting Maureen Korte at 515-281-4132
or maureen.korte@iowa.gov
by October 20.
“Portrait of a Governor” features the
39 men elected to 40 governorships and the three men
appointed governor of the Iowa Territory – from
current Governor Tom Vilsack to the first governor
of the Iowa Territory, Robert Lucas, who held the
office 1838-1841. Governor Samuel J. Kirkwood was
elected to non-consecutive terms, 1860-1864 and 1876-1877.
The exhibit includes information, portraits and artifacts
from the governors’ public and personal lives,
and features Iowa’s four living governors –
Vilsack, Terry Branstad, Robert Ray and Robert Fulton
– in separate videos discussing their experiences.
In addition, the exhibit features Vilsack, Branstad
and Ray with their spouses – Christie Vilsack,
Chris Branstad and Billie Ray – in a video discussing
their motivation and decision-making process in seeking
the office, and their accomplishments and challenges
as chief executives and first ladies. Hosted by WHO-TV’s
John Bachman, the video also reveals the impact their
public roles had on their personal lives.
“The First Ladies of Iowa,” a permanent
display located in the lower-level reception area
of Terrace Hill, includes photos and brief biographies
of Iowa’s 43 first ladies, background photos
depicting the evolution of women’s roles in
Iowa history, and a context timeline of Iowa women’s
achievements and events significant to the lives of
Iowans in general. The exhibit opened September 28.
First Lady Christie Vilsack initiated the project
to tell the untold stories of the women who were not
only spouses, but political partners to the men who
governed Iowa. In addition, Vilsack wanted to correct
the record put forth by inaccurate biographies and
present a true image of Iowa’s first ladies.
The exhibit is the culmination of a three-year research
project funded by grants from U.S. Cellular and Prairie
Meadows and made possible by contributions from The
Integer Group, the State Historical Society of Iowa
and the Terrace Hill Foundation.
The State Historical Society of Iowa is a trustee
of Iowa’s historical legacy and an advocate
for understanding Iowa’s past. It identifies,
records, collects, preserves, manages and provides
access to Iowa’s historical resources. Its dual
mission of preservation and education serves Iowans
of all ages, conducts and stimulates research, disseminates
information, and encourages and supports historical
preservation and education efforts of others throughout
the state. Please visit www.iowahistory.org
or call 515-281-5111 for more information.
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