Campus News

Simpson center sponsors Khrushchev event

August 27, 2009

The Iowa History Center at Simpson College is joining organizations across the state in commemorating the 50th anniversary of Soviet Union Premier Nikita Khrushchev’s visit to Iowa.

In 1959, Khrushchev came to Iowa to learn more about the state’s innovative agricultural practices after being invited to the farm of Iowa native Roswell Garst.

The celebration, which is sponsored in part by the Iowa History Center, consists of three free public events.

  • Aug. 27 – William Taubman will present a lecture at Drake University in Sheslow Auditorium at 7 p.m. Taubman, winner of the Pulitzer Prize, is the author of Khrushchev: The Man and His Era.
  • Aug. 28 – The Hotel Fort Des Moines will host the “Khrushchev in Iowa” Conference and Banquet. The conference’s featured speakers are Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack, Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak and Sergei Khrushchev, son of Nikita Khrushchev.
  • Aug. 29 – The Agricultural Process Festival will take place in Coon Rapids, Iowa. The festival will include a ceremony at the Garst Farm, in addition to a variety of other events throughout the day.

Learn more about Khrushchev’s visit to Iowa or get more information about the 50th anniversary celebration.

Last Updated: 8/27/09