The Khrushchev Committee (2008-2009) was a statewide committee involving thirty organizations, formed to plan for the 50th anniversary of Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev's visit to the Garst farm in Coon Rapids, Iowa on September 23, 1959. Roswell "Bob" Garst was a farmer and hybrid seed company executive who helped transform American agriculture during the 20th century. He was an aggressive promoter of hybridization, mechanization, fertilization, and the utilization of cellulose as fodder for cattle. He also advocated for the use of herbicides, pesticides and irrigation in the United States and abroad to achieve dramatic increases in agricultural productivity. Garst sold some of his hybrid corn to Khrushchev in the early 1950s, and after enjoying the Khrushchev's vacation home on the Black Sea, invited Khrushchev to visit Iowa. Khrushchev, his wife Nina, and a Soviet delegation came to Iowa in 1959 for two days, also visiting California and the United Nations. Khrushchev's purpose in coming to Iowa was to learn about American agriculture, corn production and livestock feeding in order to help increase food production in his country. Garst's citizen diplomacy helped to briefly ease the tensions between the United States and the leader of the Soviet Union during the Cold War. After Khrushchev's visit, Roswell Garst made subsequent trips, with his nephew John Chrystal, to the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe in 1960 and 1963 as citizen ambassadors and agricultural advisors.

"Khrushchev in Iowa" was a four day (August 27-30, 2009) celebration of Khrushchev's historic Cold War visit to Iowa. Celebrations took place in both Des Moines and Coon Rapids at the sites Khrushchev had visited. Individuals from both the United States and Russia participated in the events, including Khrushchev's son Sergei Khrushchev and Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack. The celebrations included a banquet at Hotel Fort Des Moines which recreated the banquet there in 1959, an "Agricultural Progress Day" in Coon Rapids and several agricultural tours. Before the banquet on the evening of August 28th, a conference took place which featured Russian agribusiness leaders and speakers from the United States involved in agriculture at the government, university and agribusiness level. In 2009 the Garst farmstead was listed on the National Register of Historic Places, and a ceremony for this took place during Saturday's "Agricultural Progress Day" in Coon Rapids.

Events related to the "Khrushchev in Iowa" celebrations also took place elsewhere in Iowa, including author Peter Carlson's visit to the Des Moines Public Library on Tuesday, July 28th and Iowa Public Television's series of programs on Khrushchev and his visit to Iowa.

The collection (1955-2009, n.d.) contains programs, fliers, brochures, schedules, press packets, news clippings, filmed footage of the events, and publication excerpts of the 1959 visit. The media and press packets contain brochures and a press release on the event or company. The media packet for the "Khrushchev in Iowa" events contains media contacts, a press advisory and a press release on the celebrations and original 1959 visit. Some of the events (such as the agricultural tours) were not open to the public, but press members could attend, and these are listed in the press advisory. A biography of Roswell Garst and a history of his numerous agricultural activities, including the Khrushchev visit, can be found in the National Register of Historic Places draft grant application. The news clippings include coverage of the Khrushchev visit, the anniversary events, and the original 1955 editorial by Lauren Soth, often cited as the catalyst for the exchange visits between Russians and Americans on agricultural issues. Information on the "Khrushchev in Iowa" commemoration events can be found in the programs, news clippings and the Commemoration schedule which contains a listing of the planning Committee members, Russian delegates, a schedule of public events and background material related to the activities. Gifts were distributed to the Russian delegates, and included in the collection are images of these items. A cloth bag, plaque, lapel pin, and biodegradable pen with the "Khrushchev in Iowa" inscription are also in the collection.

The Special Collections Department holds several collections related to the Garst family and its operations, including the Roswell Garst Papers (RS 21/7/12), Garst and Thomas Hybrid Corn Company Records (MS 173), Garst Family Papers (MS 579), John Chrystal Papers (MS 422), and the Garst Company Records (MS 642). Collections related to the Khrushchev visit (including his visit to Iowa State University) include the John Chrystal Papers (MS 422), the Garst Family Papers (MS 579), Damon Von Catron Papers (RS 9/11/55), and Dignitary Visits Records (RS 0/7).

The files are arranged alphabetically.