Humanities Iowa, KUNI radio,KMA radio and KWIT radio have partnered to present "Voices of Humanities Iowa," a program devoted to showcasing the opinions, ideas and viewpoints of humanists from around the state.

Join us for your weekly dose of Iowa's cultural heritage every Friday morning at 7:51 a.m. on KWIT FM 90.3 as well as Sunday morning at 7:55 a.m. on KMA 960 AM and shortly after 8:30 a.m. on FM 90.9 KUNI.

KWIT Radio FM 90.3 broadcasting from the campus of Western Iowa Tech Community College in Sioux City, Iowa, brings public radio to communities within a 100-mile radius of Sioux City, including northeast Nebraska and southeast South Dakota.

Broadcasting from Shenandoah, KMA 960 AM has a large listening audience including towns such as Lamoni, Creston, Clarinda, Winterset, Red Oak and Council Bluffs.

KUNI’s listening area covers most of eastern Iowa, plus parts of northwest Illinois and southwest Wisconsin. Major cities served by KUNI’s main signal at 90.9 FM include Waterloo, Cedar Falls, Cedar Rapids and Iowa City. KUNI can also be heard in Des Moines at 101.7 FM, in Dubuque at 98.7 FM, in Eldridge at 102.7 FM and in the Quad Cities at 94.5 FM. In north central Iowa, programming can be heard on 91.5 FM KUNY and northern Iowa and southern Minnesota are serviced by KRNI 1010 AM from Mason City.

Here's a listing of our "Voices of Humanities Iowa" broadcasts

December 30, 2001: In Iowa, a person injured by a drunken driver can sue the bar that sold the driver alcohol. Did you know that this law was passed during the Civil War and was partly a reaction against slavery? To read more about this presentation entitled "Slave to the Bottle" by Elaine Frantz Parsons (Professor of history at The University of Wisconsin, Oshkosh, WI) follow this link.

December 23, 2001: This installment entitled "The Rebirth of The Iowa Socialist Party" by Duncan Stewart (Librarian, The State Historical Society of Iowa) and Matt Schaefer (Archivist, The State Historical Society of Iowa) describes the ongoing work on "The Iowa Social History Project." To read more about the Iowa Socialist Party and its role in Iowa follow this link.

December 16, 2001: This presentation entitled "The Heist Heard Around the World" by Dr. Rudolph Daniels (Dean, Department Chair of Railroad Operations Technology and instructor of railroad history at Western Iowa Tech Community College in Sioux City, Iowa) describes one of the most famous train robberies that ever happened, took place near Adair, Iowa in 1873. To read about Jesse James and his notorious band of outlaws, who were responsible, please follow this link.

December 9, 2001: This presentation entitled The Mormon Trail: A Journey through Iowa is an excerpt from a book entitled Iowa Past to Present by Dorothy A. Schwieder, Thomas Morain and Lynn Nielsen. This presentation chronicles the Mormons on their arduous journey through Iowa. Follow this link to read a text version of this presentation.

December 2, 2001: This presentation entitled Iowa's Annie Wittenmyer: A Different Kind of Civil War Soldier is an excerpt from a book entitled Iowa Past to Present by Dorothy A. Schwieder, Thomas Morain and Lynn Nielsen. This presentation points out the extraordinary efforts this Keokuk resident made in service to her country at a time of war. Follow this link to read a text version of this presentation.

November 25, 2001: This presentation entitled Minnie B. London: Memories of Iowa's Coal Mining Camps is an excerpt from the memories of Mrs. Minnie B. London, an African-American schoolteacher in the mining communities of southern and eastern Iowa. This presentation describes the historical impact African-Americans made in this region of our state. To read more of this presentation follow this link.

November 18, 2001: This presentation entitled Iowa's Famous General Grenville Dodge is an excerpt from a book entitled Iowa Past to Present by Dorothy A. Schwieder, Thomas Morain and Lynn Nielsen. This presentation describes the important contributions this engineer from Council Bluffs made not only to the history of Iowa but to the history of the U.S. To read more of this presentation follow this link.

November 11, 2001: This presentation entitled African Americans in the Civil War is by Pamela Nosek. Pamela Nosek is a research curator at the African American Historical Museum and Cultural Center of Iowa in Cedar Rapids. In this presentation she describes the many roles African Americans played during the Civil War in Iowa and nationwide. To read a text version of this presentation follow this link.

November 5, 2001: This presentation entitled Iowa's Early Commitment to Education describes findings of the 1869 Report to the Iowa General assembly. It provides a historical perspective of the creation of new educational opportunities for Iowans, namely the creation of Iowa State University in Ames in 1869. Follow this link for the text of this presentation.

October 14, 2001: This presentation entitled Charles Mason of Iowa was written by Kenneth L. Lyftogt (Lecturer in the Department of History at the University of Northern Iowa, Cedar Falls). This presentation provides us a historical perspective of the legal issues of slavery in Iowa prior to and during the Civil War. To read a text version of this presentation follow this link.

October 7, 2001: This presentation entitled The Evolution of American Local History is an excerpt from Nearby History: Exploring the Past Around You by Drake University Professor of History Myron A. Marty, and his colleague David E. Kyvig. It features a discussion of the way American historians have interpreted American history. To read a text version of this presentation follow this link.

September 16, 2001: This presentation entitled Changes in Farming Life is first of a two part series by Michael Carey, a farmer from Farragut, in Southwestern Iowa. The text is from a speech he delivered to the Montgomery County Historical Society in Red Oak, IA on the occasion of the dedication of the Nims barn on the Montgomery County Historical Society Grounds. Follow this link to read a text version of this presentation.

September 2, 2001: This presentation is the final installment of a three part series featuring a new book entitled Dairies of Girls and Women: A Midwestern American Sampler (The University of Wisconsin Press) edited by Suzanne L. Bunkers, professor of English and director of the Honors Program at Minnesota State University, Mankato, MN. In her book chronicling the diverse lives of forty-six girls and women who lived in Minnesota, Iowa and Wisconsin, Professor Bunker offers readers insight into the self images of girls and women and perhaps - a view of all of us mirrored in their recorded impressions. Follow this link to read a text version of this presentation.

August 26, 2001: This presentation is the second of a three part series featuring a new book entitled Dairies of Girls and Women: A Midwestern American Sampler (The University of Wisconsin Press) edited by Suzanne L. Bunkers, professor of English and director of the Honors Program at Minnesota State University, Mankato, MN. In her book, Professor Bunker captures and preserves the diverse lives of forty-six girls and women who lived in Minnesota, Iowa and Wisconsin between 1837 and 1999. Follow this link to read a text version of this presentation.

August 19, 2001: Today's presentation is the first of a three part series featuring a new book entitled Dairies of Girls and Women: A Midwestern American Sampler (The University of Wisconsin Press) edited by Suzanne L. Bunkers, professor of English and director of the Honors Program at Minnesota State University, Mankato, MN. Dairies of Girls and Women captures and preserves the diverse lives of forty-six girls and women who lived in Minnesota, Iowa and Wisconsin between 1837 and 1999. By approaching dairies as historical documents, Professor Bunker offers readers insight into the self-images of girls and women, the dynamics of families and communities and the kinds of contributions girls and women have made, past and present. Follow this link to read a text version of this presentation.

August 5, 2001: Today's installment is the third of a series on the history of the Chautauqua movement in the nation and in Iowa. This presentation entitled "The Chautauqua Experience: Highbrow and Sideshow" is by Dr. Charlotte Canning from The University of Texas. Follow this link to read a text version of this presentation.

July 29, 2001: Today's installment is the second of a series on the history of the Chautauqua movement in the nation and in Iowa. This presentation entitled "Keith Vawter and the Heyday of Chautauqua" is by Dr. Charlotte Canning from The University of Texas. Read a text version of this presentation by following this link.

July 22, 2001: Today's installment begins a four part series on the history of the Chautauqua movement in the nation, and in Iowa, where the movement enjoyed its most enthusiastic reception. This presentation entitled " The Chautauqua Movement and its Beginnings" is by Dr. Charlotte Canning, a professor of theatre history from The University of Texas. Dr. Canning is the author of an upcoming book to be published by The University of Iowa on the Chautauqua movement. To read a text version of this presentation follow this link.

July 8, 2001: Today's installment features Jacquelyn Litt's book entitled Medicalized Motherhood (Rutgers University Press). In her book Ms. Litt examines the rise of medicine's role in child health, its impact on mothers and its consequences for race relations. Ms. Litt is a Sociology and Women's Studies professor at Iowa State University in Ames. Follow this link to read a text version of this presentation.

June 24, 2001: Today we begin a two part series entitled "Early German Immigrant Perspectives of Iowa," which comes to us from an edited volume entitled IMMIGRANTS, O.J. Fargo, editor. This presentation is an 1851 excerpt written by a German immigrant to his friends back in the homeland. To read a text version of this presentation follow this link.

June 17, 2001: There has been a lot of talk recently about the changing make-up of Iowa, the influx of immigrants to the state and whether this demographic development is a good thing. But did you know that this talk about immigrants is not really new? In today's presentation entitled "IOWA:The Home for Immigrants" we see that as early as 1870 the Iowa Board of Immigration published a treatise on the resources of Iowa which includes some now familiar notions. To read a text version of this presentation follow this link.

June 10, 2001: Today's feature entitled "American Identity: The Role of Historians" is an excerpt from NEH Chairman William Ferris' April 26th address to the Organization of American Historians. To read a text version of this presentation follow this link.

June 3, 2001: This presentation features John C. Skipper's book entitled Meredith Willson: The Unsinkable Music Man (Savas Publishing Company, 2000). In his book, Mr. Skipper, a Mason City newspaperman, chronicles the remarkable story of Meredith Willson a young boy from Mason City that grew up to become one of his generation's finest musicians: author of "The Music Man, " composer of music for "The Unsinkable Molly Brown" and author of over 400 songs. To read a text version of this presentation follow this link.

May 27, 2001: Today's feature is entitled "What's in a Name— especially a name like Iowa?" This presentation describes the history behind the naming of our state. A history as seen from a variety of perspectives that may leave us with more questions than answers. To read a text version of this presentation follow this link.

May 20, 2001: Today we conclude our two-part series on "African Americans and the Civil War", by Ken Lyftogt, a Civil War historian and lecturer at the University of Northern Iowa. Mr. Lyftogt is also a member of Humanities Iowa's speakers bureau. To read a text version of this presentation follow this link.

May 13, 2001: This presentation begins a two-part series on "African Americans and the Civil War", as submitted by Ken Lyftogt, a Civil War historian from the University of Northern Iowa in Cedar Falls. Mr. Lyftogt is also a member of Humanities Iowa's speakers bureau. To read a text version of this presentation follow this link.

May 6, 2001: This presentation is the second in a series containing an excerpt from a speech delivered by former Congressman David Skaggs to the Federation of State Humanities Councils. It touches on the issues that Humanities Iowa, through its Art of Association project, has been addressing statewide relating to civility and multiculturalism. To read the text of this presentation follow this link.

April 29, 2001: Humanities Iowa, through its Art of Association project, has been addressing statewide questions relating to civility and multiculturalism. This presentation and the one to follow are excerpted from a speech delivered by former Congressman David Skaggs at the National Federation of State Humanities Councils annual meeting in Washington D.C. last November. The themes of this presentation blend nicely with our Art of Association project. To read the text of this presentation follow this link.

April 22, 2001: This presentation is the second of a two part series also excerpted from a speech delivered by Scott Russell Sanders at the National Federation Conference of State Humanities Councils held in November of 2000. Mr. Sanders' speech is entitled "Our Address on Earth: Sense of Place in a Cybernetic Age" it is adapted from "Beneath the Smooth Skin of America".

April 8, 2001: This presentation entitled "Iowa's Cultural Landscape" is a story by Mark Grey (Associate Professor of Anthropology at the University of Northern Iowa). This is an excerpt from an article professor Grey wrote for the Humanities Iowa quarterly newsletter the Scene, Spring 1999. He is one of Iowa's leading experts on demographic changes in Iowa and has published extensively on the growth of minority populations in Iowa's rural meatpacking communities. For more information follow this link

April 1, 2001: This presentation entitled "The New Ball Game" is from a film documentary by the same name written by Iowa City filmmaker Steve Holmes. Holmes a fan of minor-league baseball created a one-hour documentary that looks at a slice of Americana that's fast going the way of the soda fountain and the drive-in movie. To read more please follow this link

March 25, 2001: This presentation entitled "Letters of a German American Farmer" is from a book by the same name written by Johannes Gillhoff and translated from its original German to English by Richard Trost. The central character, Jurnjakob Swehn, is the archetype of the upright, honest mensch who personified the German immigrant. He was a farmer-hero, planting and harvesting his northeast Iowa acres, enduring the snowy winters and building a church with his own hands. Please follow this link to read more.

March 18, 2001: This presentation entitled "The Heist Heard Around the World" by Dr. Rudolph Daniels (Dean, Department Chair of Railroad Operations Technology and instructor of railroad history at Western Iowa Tech Community College in Sioux City, Iowa) describes one of the most famous train robberies that ever happened, took place near Adair, Iowa in 1873. To read about Jesse James and his notorious band of outlaws, who were responsible, please follow this link.

March 11, 2001: This installment entitled "The Rebirth of The Iowa Socialist Party" by Duncan Stewart (Librarian, The State Historical Society of Iowa) and Matt Schaefer (Archivist, The State Historical Society of Iowa) describes the ongoing work on "The Iowa Social History Project." To read more about the Iowa Socialist Party and its role in Iowa follow this link.

March 4, 2001: In Iowa, a person injured by a drunken driver can sue the bar that sold the driver alcohol. Did you know that this law was passed during the Civil War and was partly a reaction against slavery? To read more about this presentation entitled "Slave to the Bottle" by Elaine Frantz Parsons (Professor of history at The University of Wisconsin, Oshkosh, WI) follow this link.

February 25, 2001: Did you know that Iowa State University scientists played a critical role in the Manhattan Project during World War II? This presentation entitled "Iowa State University and the ‘A’ Bomb" by Dr. Joanne Abel Goldman (Associate Professor of History at the University of Northern Iowa) describes this connection. To read a text version of this presentation follow this link.

February 18, 2001: As part of Humanities Iowa's celebration of Black History Month this presentation entitled "Iowa's Railroad without Rails" by Rudolph Daniels ( Dean, Department Chair of Railroad Operations Technology and instructor of railroad history at Western Iowa Tech Community College in Sioux City, Iowa) describes a different type of railroad that was very active in the history of Iowa. Follow this link to read a text version of this presentation.

February 11, 2001: This installment is entitled "Josiah Bushnell Grinnell: Abolitionist " by Kenneth L. Lyftogt (Lecturer in the Department of History at the University of Northern Iowa, Cedar Falls) recalls the story of young Congregational minister whose ministry became devoted to the abolitionist movement. In 1853 he helped establish an Iowa community that today bears his name and one that served as an important link on the Underground Railroad. Follow this link to read a text version of this presentation.

February 4, 2001: This installment is entitled "Iowa's Battle Flags: Honoring the Memory of Fallen Soldiers " describes the State of Iowa's collection of 225 battle flags that represent the service and sacrifice of thousands of Iowans. During February in celebration of Black History month, Humanities Iowa facilitated a discussion and special screenings of a History Channel documentary "The Unfinished Civil War." The film which aired in February on the History Channel addressed the meaning of flags such as these. To read a text version of this presentation follow this link.

The flag of Company C, 19th Iowa Volunteer Infantry. Defended at Prairie Grove, Arkansas, Dec. 7, 1862. - Photo courtesy of the State Historical Society of Iowa

January 28, 2001: This installment is entitled "Matthew Mark Trumbell" by Kenneth L. Lyftogt (Lecturer in the Department of History at the University of Northern Iowa Cedar Falls) is the story of a courageous leader of the Union forces from Iowa during the Civil War. To read a text version of this presentation follow this link.

Kenneth L. Lyftogt

January 21, 2001: This installment entitled "German-American Studies in Iowa" by William Roba (Professor of Social Sciences, Scott Community College, Bettendorf, Iowa) looks at the German-American ancestry of Iowa. Professor Roba points out how important it is to consider this link, which according to the 1990 Census shows, the Iowa descendants of Europeans migrating from Germany, the German Empire, the Austro-Hungarian Empire, Switzerland and other smaller political entities comprise 52% of Iowa's population. To read a text version of this presentation follow this link.

January 7, 2001: This installment entitled "On Encyclopedias" is excerpted from a speech recently delivered by William Ferris, the Chairman of the National Endowment for the Humanities. Chairman Ferris' speech focused on the history of the encyclopedia and the NEH's emphasis on supporting this great human accomplishment. To read a text version of this presentation follow this link.

December 31, 2000: This installment is excerpted from "The Meaning of Poetry in Everyday Life" by Mary Swander, a renowned poet and professor of English at Iowa State University. This portion of her keynote address on the importance of poetry in everyday life was delivered at Humanities Iowa Day 2000 in the Quad Cities. To read a text version of this presentation follow this link.

December 24, 2000: "21st Century Country Schools in Iowa" by Dr. William H. Dreier is the fourth and final installment of the series on Iowa's Country Schools. In this installment Dr. Dreier describes the present state and future of one-room schools in Iowa. To read a text version of this presentation follow this link.

December 17, 2000: "The Country School in Iowa: The Effects of Consolidation" by Dr. William H. Dreier is the third installment of a four part series on Iowa's Country Schools. In this installment Dr. Dreier describes the consolidation of school districts and its impact on the one-room school. The read the text version of this presentation follow this link. 

December 10, 2000: "The Country School in Iowa: As Iowa Claims Statehood" by Dr. William H. Dreier is the second installment of a four part series on Iowa's Country Schools. In this installment Dr. Dreier describes the one-room school as Iowa becomes a state. The read the text version of this presentation follow this link.

November 19, 2000: "The River Trails" by Gail G. Holmes is the third and final installment of the series on famous pioneer trails in Iowa. In this installment Mr. Holmes describes the earliest pioneer trails of Iowa, its rivers, the Mississippi River which bounds Iowa to the east and the Missouri River on the west. To read more about these river trails follow this link.

November 12, 2000: "The Mormon Trail" by Gail G. Holmes is the second of a three part series on famous pioneer trails in Iowa. In this installment Mr. Holmes describes the 1846 Mormon Trail across southern Iowa which provided the westward way for scores of successive covered wagon trails. To read more about this great westward movement follow this link.

November 5, 2000: "The Dragoons" by Gail G. Holmes is the first of a three part series on famous pioneer trails in Iowa. In this installment Mr. Holmes recounts how a band of United States mounted infantry soldiers, known as "Dragoons", criss-crossed the state and carved out some of Iowa's pioneer trails. Gail G. Holmes is an avid historical writer, Past President of Kanesville Restoration Inc., Board member of the Nebraska Mormon Trails Association, Advisory Board member to the Western Historic Trails Center, Chair of the Lewis and Clark Heritage Trail Foundation and member of the Humanities Iowa speakers bureau. Follow this link for the text version of this presentation. 

October 29, 2000: This installment entitled "The Bunn Special" is the final of a four part series on Iowa's railroading history by Rudolph Daniels (Dean, Department Chair of Railroad Operations Technology and instructor of railroad history at Western Iowa Tech Community College in Sioux City, Iowa). Follow this link for the text version of this presentation.

October 22, 2000: This installment entitled "Lorenzo Coffin and the Airbrake" is the third of a four part series on Iowa's railroading history by Rudolph Daniels (Dean, Department Chair of Railroad Operations Technology and instructor of railroad history at Western Iowa Tech Community College in Sioux City, Iowa). Follow this link for the text version of this presentation. 

October 8, 2000: This installment entitled "Lorenzo Coffin and the Coupler" is the second of a four part series on Iowa's railroading history by Rudolph Daniels (Dean, Department Chair of Railroad Operations Technology and instructor of railroad history at Western Iowa Tech Community College in Sioux City, Iowa). Follow this link for the text version of this presentation. 

October 1, 2000: This installment entitled "Kate Shelley" begins a four part series on Iowa's railroading history by Rudolph Daniels (Dean, Department Chair of Railroad Operations Technology and instructor of railroad history at Western Iowa Tech Community College in Sioux City, Iowa). Follow this link for the text version of this presentation. 

September 17, 2000: The following 3 installments of "Voices of Humanities Iowa" are part of a series by Peter Alexander (Arts Center Relations Director at the University of Iowa) describing the work of Czech composer Antonin Dvorak. This third and final installment entitled "The Importance of Spillville for Dvorak" completes our series by Peter Alexander (Arts Center Relations Director at the University of Iowa) describing the work of Czech composer Antonin Dvorak. To read a text version of this presentation please follow this link.

September 10, 2000: This presentation entitled "America's Impact on Dvorak" follows in our series by Peter Alexander (Arts Center Relations Director at the University of Iowa) describing the work of Czech composer Antonin Dvorak. To read a text version of this presentation please follow this link.

August 20, 2000: This installment is the third of the 4 part series on the history of the Iowa State Fair. This presentation entitled "Phil Stong's State Fair" by Chris Rasmussen (Assistant Professor of History at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas) describes the highly acclaimed novel State Fair by written by Iowa native, Phil Stong. 

July 30, 2000: This presentation entitled "Shall We Surf the Internet, or Censor It?" is by Phil Hey (Professor of English and writing at Briar Cliff College in Sioux City). This presentation describes a historical perspective of censorship and questions the role it has in today's society. Has censorship maintained a steady grasp on society? And what of it's future in terms of our newest form of communication, the Internet? Have we learned from our history lesson?

July 23, 2000: This presentation is the final installment of the 4 part series on Chautauquas. This presentation is entitled "The University of Iowa Redpath Chautauqua Collection" by Richard M. Kolbet - Special Collections Librarian from the University of Iowa Libraries. This installment showcases the Redpath Lyceum Bureau document collection, which is the finest collection of circuit Chautauqua material in existence. To learn more about this Chautauqua collection follow this link. http://sdrc.lib.uiowa.edu/traveling-culture/

June 25, 2000: "Aristotle's Legal Significance: Lessons from the western legal experience on the meaning of justice."

June 18, 2000: "Marie Curie-Sklodowska (1867-1934)" by Dr. Danuta Zamojska Hutchins (Buena Vista University). Discussion of the contributions to humanity by the Polish two-time Nobel laureate.

June 11, 2000: "General Francis Jay Herron, Iowa's Forgotten Hero" by Kenneth L. Lyftogt (Lecturer in History, University of Northern Iowa) and Thomas Colbert (Professor of History, Marshalltown Community College). A recollection of Iowa Brigadier General and Congressional Medal of Honor winner Francis Jay Herron's celebrated but now forgotten heroics during the Civil War.

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If you are interested in our "Voices of Humanities Iowa" program and would like further information or would like to make a submission, contact Humanities Iowa at info@humanitiesiowa.org. For more information on KUNI, visit KUNI at www.kuniradio.org and to visit our station affiliate in western Iowa you can follow this link KMA 960 AM. 

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