Wait, HE'S from Iowa?
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 on Broadway - Iowans have made a big impact in the world! Check out who's from Iowa:
President Herbert Hoover (West Branch, Iowa) 31st President and the first U.S. President born west of the Mississippi-was from West Branch, Iowa. Unfortunately, most people just remember him as the President that was unable to dig us out of the Great Depression
Vice President Henry A. Wallace (Orient, Iowa) Served under President Franklin D. Roosevelt and founded Pioneer Hi-Bred International
First Lady Mamie Doud Eisenhower (Boone, Iowa) Wife of General and President Dwight D. Eisenhower. Known as a penny-pincher who clipped coupons for White House staff!
Carrie Chapman Catt (spent her childhood in Charles City, Iowa) Suffragist leader whose efforts resulted in women’s right to vote
5 Sullivan Brothers (Waterloo, Iowa) Five siblings who were all killed in action when the USS Juneau was sunk in World War II
Norman Borlaug (Cresco, Iowa) American agronomist, humanitarian, and Nobel laureate who has been called "the father of the Green Revolution”
Grant Wood (Winterset, Iowa) Artist, leader of the Regionalist art movement and painter of American Gothic. Upon returning from Europe where he studied art Wood was quoted as saying “I realized that all the really good ideas I’d ever had came to me while I was milking a cow. So I went back to Iowa.”
Shawn Johnson (West Des Moines, Iowa) Gymnast. Fourth U.S. woman to win a world all-around title at the 2007 World Artistic Gymnastics Championships in Germany. And winner of Dancing with the Stars!
Kurt Warner (Burlington, Iowa) NFL Quarterback and Super Bowl MVP
Zach Johnson (Iowa City, Iowa) Professional Golfer and Masters Champion
Glenn Miller (Clarinda, Iowa) American jazz musician, arranger, composer and bandleader of the Swing Era
Simon Estes (Centerville, Iowa) Internationally acclaimed opera singer. Helped break down the barriers of racial prejudice in the opera world.
Meredith Willson (Mason City, Iowa) Composer of the Broadway musical “The Music Man”
John Wayne (Winterset, Iowa) Oscar-winning actor remembered for cowboy and combat hero roles
Ashton Kutcher (Cedar Rapids, Iowa) American actor, producer, former fashion model, comedian and husband of famous cougar Demi Moore
Brandon Routh (Des Moines, Iowa) and George Reeves (Woolstock, Iowa) Superman
Elijah Wood (Cedar Rapids, Iowa) Actor best known for his high-profile role as Frodo Baggins the Lord of the Rings trilogy
Donna Reed (Denison, Iowa) Academy Award-winning actress for her role in “It’s a Wonderful Life”, best known as the star of the Donna Reed Show
Johnnie Carson (Corning, Iowa) Comedian and Host of the Tonight Show
Cloris Leachman (Des Moines, Iowa) Academy award winning actress
Tom Arnold (Ottumwa, Iowa) Actor and comedian
Robert Waller (Rockford, Iowa) Author of “Bridges of Madison County”
Laura Flynn Boyle (Davenport, Iowa) Television actress
