Iowa Women's Archives

08/19/2026

We are happy to announce Anna Holland as the Iowa Women’s Archives’ new curator! Anna is an Iowa woman through and through. She was raised in Bettendorf and attended the University of Iowa, where she earned a master’s degree in library and information science and a certificate in book studies.

Anna has been working in the Iowa Women’s Archives since 2015. She has grown in her knowledge of Iowa women’s history and archival science in her previous positions at IWA: graduate assistant, processing archivist, associate curator, and interim curator. She considers IWA a gem of the university and looks forward to extending its legacy far into the future.

07/31/2026

Although we cannot project the films we hold in IWA, using a lightbox helps us describe them and prioritize them for digitization. Here, you can see Preservation Reformatting Librarian Katie teaching IWA student Christian to use the lightbox with film from the Dieman-Bennett Dance Theatre of the Hemispheres records.

07/02/2026

To commemorate the 250th anniversary of the U.S. this year, the Society of American Archivists is hosting a permanent digital repository to highlight one item each from archives across the United States. IWA contributed an amazing photograph from our collection of records of the National Organization for Women, Dubuque chapter.

Check it out here: https://td52e01bc4f4b6253.starter1ua.preservica.com/portal/en-US/asset/sdb%3AIO%7Cad390ea1-4209-4c02-82a0-817be67f8c85

and browse the full collection here: https://td52e01bc4f4b6253.starter1ua.preservica.com/portal/en-US/collection/sdb%3ASO%7C596fc5db-2dec-41cb-94f7-c2e591f60a42

06/24/2026

Called "one of America's most unique organizations" by Des Moines-based music shop Jones Piano Co., the Des Moines Ladies Band traveled and performed from 1923 to 1928. They played such numbers as the Grand March from Verdi's Aida and Call Me Thine Own (Bright Star of Hope) with a complete orchestral ensemble and soloists such as trumpeter Lorene Compton and singer Mabel Wagner-Shank. This scrapbook, featuring photos and newspaper clips about the band and its members, was donated to IWA by Maryjo Welch and William Angrick.

Material from IWA0095

06/24/2026

Today we honor the memory of Kathleen "Kay" Halloran Chapman, pioneering Iowa attorney, politician, and public servant, who passed away June 14. We are fortunate to hold her papers in our archives. She also served on the Friends of the Libraries Board from 1996 to 2012.

Born in 1937 in Estherville, Iowa, Halloran graduated from the University of Iowa in 1959 with a bachelor's degree in political science before returning to UI for law school as the mother of two young sons. In 1974, Halloran became the first woman in private law practice in Cedar Rapids history. She later represented the area in the Iowa House for more than 10 years before serving as the city's mayor from 2005–2009, providing key leadership during the devastating flooding of 2008.

This photograph from Halloran's papers at IWA shows her with students from Lucas Elementary in Cedar Rapids, who she invited to visit her in the Capitol. We salute Rep. Halloran's lifetime of service and encourage anyone interested in learning more about her legacy to visit us in IWA!

06/09/2026

Tune into your local NPR station for Talk of Iowa this Thursday (June 11) at 10 a.m. to hear former Iowa legislator and visionary IWA supporter Jean Lloyd-Jones discuss her new political memoir, A Woman's Place: My Life as a Public Servant! Starting on Friday June 12, you can find the episode in podcast format here: https://www.iowapublicradio.org/podcast/talk-of-iowa

Need even more Jean Lloyd-Jones? Explore video clips of her and other Iowa legislators discussing their time in office at our Iowa Women in Politics website: https://dsps.lib.uiowa.edu/orp

or stop by IWA during our open hours to view her fascinating papers in person!

05/26/2026

With a new online guide, we've made it easier than ever for students and researchers to use IWA's primary sources on Latina/o Iowans for papers, dissertations, art projects, and more!

We recently hosted Dr. Cynthia Orozco, historian for the national League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC), who believes IWA's LULAC materials are among the best two or three related collections anywhere in the world. We're proud of that distinction and encourage you to learn more about all of our amazing Latino/a materials at: https://guides.lib.uiowa.edu/latinas

05/06/2026

It‘s Iowa Women Wednesday! Here’s a snapshot of the life of Ayako “A. Mori” Costantino, a Japanese American human rights activist.

In 1942, Mori and her family were interned at the Tule Lake Japanese American internment camp. In 1943, students were permitted to leave the camps to attend college, and Mori moved to Chicago, eventually working for the U.S. Civil Service in St. Louis. After the end of World War II, Mori worked as a stenographer in Japan where she met her husband Tony Constantino, a military serviceman. In 1950, they returned to California where Tony taught at a university, later accepting a professorship at the University of Iowa in 1956. Here in Iowa City, Mori helped found the Iowa City Human Relations Commission in 1963, opened her house to meetings, recruited supporters, and assisted in drafting the Human Rights Ordinance that passed the Iowa City City Council. She served on the Commission as chairwoman and vice chairwoman, leading investigations into employment discrimination, affirmative action, and housing discrimination in partnership with the League of Women Voters.

Material from IWA0905

04/22/2026

In honor of this year's 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, Iowa PBS is airing a special lineup of American history documentaries each Sunday at 1 p.m. through June. The first of these documentaries, "The Legacy of 4-H," features Jessie Field Shambaugh, whose papers we hold at IWA, many of which have been digitized.

Browse Shambaugh and 4-H history materials in the Iowa Digital Library here: https://digital.lib.uiowa.edu/solr-search/content/grid?search_api_fulltext=%224-H%22+OR+%22jessie+field+shambaugh%22

and check out the documentary on the Iowa PBS site here: https://www.iowapbs.org/about/newsroom/13987/iowa-pbs-showcases-revolutionary-iowans-through-statewide-exhibits-and-new

04/08/2026

Mildred Wirt Benson was the star of the show on this KCRG segment for We The People: Celebrating 250 Years. Benson, an Iowa native, was the first author of Nancy Drew, originating America's favorite girl detective. In this clip, Interim Curator Anna Holland talks about Mildred, Nancy, and their legacy at IWA!

The author behind the world's most famous teenage detective books is from Iowa