Iowa History Journal Volume 2, Issue 5 Now Available

Wednesday, September 1st, 2010 | Iowa History Journal | No Comments

With football season kicking off all across the state of Iowa and the nation, now is the perfect time to revisit the story of one of the greatest football players in the history of our state. Johnny Bright played his first game at Drake University in the fall of 1949 – and over the next three years blazed a trail that is simply amazing.

Bright led the entire nation in total offense as a sophomore, as a junior, and was leading the nation as a senior when he suffered one of the most reprehensible occurrences in the history of college sports. Bright and the Bulldogs took a 6-0 record into Stillwater, Oklahoma, on October 20, 1951, to meet the Oklahoma A&M Aggies. What happened that day has been a dark spot ever since.

Bright was badly injured and missed two of the next three games but still finished fifth in the Heisman Trophy balloting that year. He went on to a tremendous career in the Canadian Football League and eventually became a highly regarded educator in Edmonton, Canada.

This issue of Iowa History Journal offers the compelling story of Johnny Bright along with some fabulous pictures. You won’t want to miss it.

Read more to see what’s inside this issue…

Tags: Britt, John Wayne, Johnny Bright, National Cattle Congress, Underground Railroad

Iowa Public Radio Hosts Mike About Iowa History Journal

Tuesday, August 31st, 2010 | Iowa History Journal, Radio | No Comments

Mike was interviewed by Iowa Public Radio on Monday. He was on the show Talk of Iowa, which airs during the work week from 10 to 11 am.

A synopsis of the show reads:
Writing About Iowa
What are the challenges and opportunities facing writers who write about Iowa people, places and events for a regional and national audience? Guests are Trevor Meers, Executive Editor, Midwest Living magazine; Mike Chapman, publisher, Iowa History Journal; and Beth Wilson, editor, The Iowan magazine. (46:30)

Click here to listen to the show.

Iowa author, historian has booth at state fair – offering free magazines with new subscriptions

Thursday, August 12th, 2010 | Iowa History Journal | No Comments

Mike Chapman, a well-known Iowa author and public speaker, will be appearing Aug. 12-22 at the Iowa State Fair, in the Iowa History Journal booth in the Ralph H. Diets Historical Museum. He will have copies of the magazine Iowa History Journal and many of his 22 books for sale.

A native of Waterloo, Chapman retired from a 35-year newspaper career in 2002 to devote his time to writing books. Among his published books are Lowell Park, a novel about Ronald Reagan as a lifeguard in Dixon, Illinois, in the summer of 1932, and Gotch: An American Hero, the story of the Humboldt, Iowa, native who was world heavyweight wrestling champion from 1908 to 1915.

Continue reading…

Tags: Iowa State Fair

Come Visit Mike at State Fair & Cattle Congress

Wednesday, July 21st, 2010 | Iowa History Journal, Speaking | No Comments

Mike Chapman is a public speaker who has appeared at dozens of events the past several years, to talk about Iowa History Journal magazine in particular and Iowa history in general.

In the past year, he has given speeches in Des Moines, Marshalltown, Newton, Osage, Waterloo, Ankeny and Stanton, drawing rave reviews every where.

In the coming months, Mike will be appearing at the Iowa State Fair on August 12-22 and at the National Cattle Congress in Waterloo, September 16-19. You are invited to come meet Mike and his wife, Bev, and browse over the numerous books he has written (21 to date) and see the ten issues of Iowa History Journal that have been published so far. If you buy any of the books or magazines, Mike will be happy to sign them for you.

Both the books and the magazines make tremendous gifts for Iowans who live anywhere!

Click here to read dates and times…

Tags: Iowa State Fair, National Cattle Congress