New state exhibit showcases Iowa’s caucus history
BUSINESS RECORD STAFF Sep 22, 2015 | 8:29 pm
1 min read time
310 wordsAll Latest News, Arts and CultureWith images, film clips, newspaper articles and more than 160 artifacts, the State Historical Museum of Iowa will showcase the history of the Iowa caucuses in a new exhibit opening Friday, Oct. 2.
Evoking an exciting, caucus-like atmosphere, “First in the Nation: Shaping Presidential Politics Since 1972” is densely populated with images and artifacts from around the state, museum officials said in a release.
The exhibit explores candidates’ journeys from early visits to the state, to declaring a presidential bid and organizing an Iowa campaign, to caucus day and onward to the primaries. It also makes the case for why Iowa is uniquely positioned to hold the first-in-the-nation caucuses and describes Iowa’s success in selecting candidates who go on to be nominated by their party and win the presidency.
Opening day events include two high-profile political panels. The first features Dr. Andy McGuire, Iowa Democratic Party chair, and Dr. Mariannette Miller-Meeks, a former Iowa congressional candidate and a member of the Iowa GOP State Central Committee.
Moderating the panel will be David Yepsen, director of the Paul Simon Public Policy Institute at Southern Illinois University and former Des Moines Register chief political writer, editor and columnist. In 34 years with the paper, Yepsen covered nine presidential caucus campaigns.
The opening-day speaker series continues with Iowa State University panelists discussing the importance of the Iowa caucuses and sharing stories and perspectives about the process. Moderating the panel will be Kelly Winfrey, assistant professor of journalism and communication. Panelists include:
- David Andersen, assistant professor of political science.
- Dianne Bystrom, director, Carrie Chapman Catt Center for Women and Politics.
- Steffen Schmidt, professor of political science.
- Mack Shelley, professor of political science and statistics and chair of the department of political science.
Exhibit and political panel admission is free and open to the public. Advanced registration is encouraged for the speaker panels and is available online.
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