Special Collections Department
403 Parks Library
Iowa State University
Ames, IA 50011-2140

MS 74
Ames American Revolution Bicentennial Commission
Records, 1974-1976


Descriptive summary

creator:

Ames American Revolution Bicentennial Commission
title:

Records
dates:

1974-1976
extent:

0.84 linear ft. (2 document boxes)
collection number:

MS 74
repository:

Special Collections Department, Iowa State University.

 

Administrative information

access:

Open for research
publication rights:

Consult Head, Special Collections Department
preferred citation:

Ames American Revolution Bicentennial Commission Records, MS 74, Special Collections Department, Iowa State University Library.

 

Historical note

The Ames Foundation, created in May 1975 for educational and charitable purposes, headed the Ames American Revolution Bicentennial Commission. The bicentennial celebration was held in the summer of 1976, and was held in various cities all over the state of Iowa, but planning for the event started in 1974. Events included concerts, speakers, several county fairs and festivals, tours, flag ceremonies, and themed events such as the Pioneer Farm Days.

 

Collection description

This collection (1974-1976) contains activities and events planning materials, correspondence, financial information, a scrapbook, material related to the time capsule, the Quilt Story, Town Hall Talks Series, and minutes of commission meetings. The scrapbook mostly contains public relations material including memorandums, news clippings programs, resolutions, and event schedules and the "Quilt Story" which describes the making of the Ames Bicentennial Quilt. An extensive part of the collection is the Town Hall Talks Series. The series, organized by the Heritage Committee, was one part of Ames' bicentennial celebration. Speakers' topics included what the Ames, Iowa State and surrounding communities were like in the past and topics related to United States history.

 

Organization

The collection is unorganized.

 

Container list

Box

Folder

Title

Dates

1

1-3

Activities and planning

1974-1976

1

4

Annotated bibliography on Ames community history (Dorothy Schwieder)

1976

1

5

Ames Foundation: articles of incorporation and by-laws, minutes, reports, board list

1975-1976

1

6

Bicentennial events chronologically arranged on cards

1975-1976

1

7

Chatauqua (Ames) - program, notes, correspondence (see also 1/9 - Financial information)

1976

1

8

Elementary school committee - minutes and newsletter

1975-1976

1

9

Financial information

1974-1976

1

10

Iowa American RevolutionBicentennial newsletter, Iowa State University staff newsletter

1976

1

11

Logos, stickers, symbols - used for display at City Hall headquarters

1976

1

12

Commission meetings - minutes

1974-1976

1

13

Parade material - committee; correspondence; parade line-up, judges, maps, forms, assignments, information; guest list for Reviewing stand, certificate of participation

1976

1

14

Public relations (Ellen Landon's scrapbook) - correspondence, memo, resolutions, programs, schedule of events

1974-1975

1

15

Public relations (Ellen Landon's scrapbook) - published material

1974-1975

1

16

Public relations (Ellen Landon's scrapbook) - Ames Daily Tribune newspaper clippings

1976

2

1

Quilt Story - story, postcards, brochure, photographs (2- 8x10, color)

1975-1976

2

2

Time Capsule material - Ames Daily Tribune Time Capsule edition, maps, participants, handguide, photographs (4- 5x7 b/w, 1- 4x5 color, 1- 8x10 b/w, 2 film sheets (8x10, b/w)

1976

2

3

Town Hall Talks Series: introduction to series - notes relating to transcribing talks

1976

2

4

Town Hall Talks Series: "Bicentennial Perspectives Beyond Patriotism: Partisan View of the Past"(David Gradwohl)

1976

2

5

Town Hall Talks Series: "Who Were the Revolutionaries and the Loyalists" and "Dilemmas of Decision Making During the American Revolution"(Claire Keller)

1976

2

6

Town Hall Talks Series: "Observations Since the Turn of the Century" and "History of the Iowa State University YMCA" (Ray Cunningham)

1976

2

7

Town Hall Talks Series: "Early Area Churches" (Mrs. Julius Black)

1976

2

8

Town Hall Talks Series: "Restoration of the Farm House on the Iowa State University campus" (Neva Petersen)

1976

2

9

Town Hall Talks Series: "Painting and Sculpture in the Pre-Revolution and Revolution Periods of American History" and "Architecture and Decorative Arts of Early America" (Marjorie Russell)

1976

2

10

Town Hall Talks Series: "An Ames Album" (Farwell T. Brown)

1976

2

11

Town Hall Talks Series: "A Birdseye View of Iowa State University" (Dorothy K. Bean)

1976

2

12

Town Hall Talks Series: "When We Were in School" (Dr. Margaret Sloss)

1976

2

13

Town Hall Talks Series: final booklet

1976

2

14

Final report of Iowa and the U.S. Bicentennial

1976

2

16

Photographs: Ames High singers, Glenn Connor, Main Street, Stuart Smith (2- 8x10 b/w, 1- 8x10 color, 1- 4x5 b/w, 2 film sheets (8x10, b/w))

1976

2

17

Photographs: Commission, Iowa Foundation flag presentation (6- 4x4 b/w) and Bicentennial colored slides - mostly of parade (including VEISHEA parade)

1975-1976