Six Famous People From Iowa

SIX FAMOUS PEOPLE

FROM IOWA

 KEOKUK  a chief of the Sauk Native American tribe who cooperated with the U.S. government which conflicted him with Black Hawk who had led part of the tribe into the Black Hawk War.  Keokuk County, Iowa and the town of Keokuk-where he’s buried are both named after him.  He was born in 1767 and died in 1848.

 APPANOOSE  was a Meskwaki chief who lived in Iowa during the 19th century.  Several places are named for this Native American;  Appanoose County, Appanoose County Community Railroad, USS Appanoose, a Crater class cargo ship was also named for him.

 Influential American evangelist BILLY SUNDAY was born in Ames, Iowa on November 19, 1862.  He played in major baseball leagues for 8 years until he converted to Christianity in the 1880s and went into the ministry.  He was a famous evangelist with his ‘colloquial sermons and frenetic delivery.’  He attracted large crowds.  He died of a heart attack on November 6, 1935, at the age of 72.

 GEORGE HORACE GALLUP was an American pioneer of survey sampling techniques and the inventor of the Gallup poll.  He was born in Jefferson, Iowa on November 18. 1901.  He earned his bachelor’s, master’s and doctorate degrees at the University of Iowa.  Gallup died from a heart attack at his summer home in Switzerland on July 26, 1984 at the age of 83.

 DONNA BELLE MULLENGER  (Reed is her stage name)was born on a farm in Denison, Iowa on  January 27, 1921.  She was a film and television actress known for her role in The Donna Reed Show, for 8 seasons beginning in 1958.  Her credits also included the film It’s a Wonderful Life (1946).  Donna died in Beverly Hills on January 14, 1986, of pancreatic cancer.

 HOWARD ANDREW WILLIAMS was born at Wall Lake, Iowa on December 3, 1927.  He had other names -  Andy Williams, A Voice of National Treasure, Mr. Moon River, to name a few.  Mr Williams sang traditional pop, jazz, and country music.  He was also a songwriter, actor, and producer. 

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