150 Years of the Unexpected Rachel Vipond Iowa State University
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Spring 2014 Article 11 May 2014 150 Years of the Unexpected Rachel Vipond Iowa State University Alexandra Collins Iowa State University Rahemma Mayfield Iowa State University Follow this and additional works at: http://lib.dr.iastate.edu/ethos Part of the Higher Education Commons, Journalism Studies Commons, Social History Commons, and the United States History Commons Recommended Citation Vipond, Rachel; Collins, Alexandra; and Mayfield, Rahemma (2014) "150 Years of the Unexpected," Ethos: Vol. 2014 , Article 11. Available at: http://lib.dr.iastate.edu/ethos/vol2014/iss3/11 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Student Publications at Iowa State University Digital Repository. It has been accepted for inclusion in Ethos by an authorized editor of Iowa State University Digital Repository. For more information, please contact [email protected]. OF 150 YEARS THE UNEXPECTED BEFORE DISMISSING AMES AS ANOTHER COLLEGE TOWN SURROUNDED BY CORNFIELDS, CONSIDER ITS UNIQUE HISTORY. BY RACHEL VIPOND DESIGN ALEXANDRIA COLLINS PHOTO RAHEMMA MAYFIELD Albert Cadwell, the principal of Ames High School from 1914 to 1917, had an interesting experience—he survived the sinking of thethe Titanic.Titanic. Remember a few years back, when ethanol was being marketed as a new fuel? It turns out Ames was ahead of the game. A blend of corn ethanol was fi rst sold commercially in Ames as early as 1932. Ames resident and ISU student Herman Banning became the fi rst black man to make a transcontinental fl ight in 1932. He fl ew a plane supplemented with surplus parts from Los Angeles to Long Island, N.Y.; Banning named his plane “Miss Ames.” Th anks to Iowa’s political draw, Ames has hosted 11 presidents—or future presidents— The Science over the years, including Ronald Reagan and William Howard Taft. Ames has been home to Hollywood actors, of War as well. In an interview with the Ames Historical Society, lifelong Ames resident Jay IowaIowa StateState scientistsscientists producedproduced aa Simster recalls playing with actor Nick Nolte (from(from “Cape“Cape Fear,”Fear,” “Th“Th ee PrincePrince ofof Tides”Tides” andand pure uranium ingot that played an “Gangster“Gangster Squad”)Squad”) asas aa child.child. NolteNolte spentspent fi ve years of his childhood in Ames. importantimportant rolerole inin WWII.WWII. Scandalous new dance moves are often BY JACK CARNEY DESIGN JORDAN WELCH cause for controversy. For example, the PHOTO COURTESY OF AMES LABORATORY, USDOE Inter-fraternityInter-fraternity CouncilCouncil bannedbanned tangotango fromfrom fraternityfraternity dancesdances inin 1913.1913. We’dWe’d hatehate toto seesee JustJust southsouth ofof HamiltonHamilton Hall,Hall, onon thethe may have realized, this is no ordinary stone, what would roughly amount to $24 billion what they’d think of twerking. east end of campus, lies a stone roughly and these were no ordinary men. Th e work inin currentcurrent U.S.U.S. currency.currency. ThTh ee operationoperation hadhad Have you ever heard of “partner cities?” thethe heightheight ofof aa carcar tire.tire. ThTh ee stonestone goesgoes accomplished at the very location of this labslabs throughoutthroughout thethe country.country. OneOne ofof thethe Sometimes, international or local mostly unnoticed, as it is not located in a stonestone revolutionizedrevolutionized sciencescience andand impactedimpacted most famous sites was in Chicago, where a partnerships are made between towns for busy sector of campus. But, if one were to thethe worldworld inin aa wayway thesethese menmen maymay havehave renownedrenowned physicist,physicist, EnricoEnrico Fermi,Fermi, workedworked diplomatic reasons or because of similarities. approach this stone, they would notice an never understood, and this is their story. under Arthur Compton, who was in charge aged bronze plaque with an inscription of the Chicago lab, in hopes of creating the Ames has been a partner to Koshu City, Th e Manhattan Project was conceived in elieve it or not, our beloved college town had humble beginnings. Containing only protruding from the metal, that reads: “A fi rst man-made nuclear reactor. JapanJapan sincesince SeptemberSeptember 14,14, 1993.1993. 1939 and placed under the direction of 12 blocks and 844 residents when it was incorporated in 1870, Ames now has 58,965 strikingstriking achievementachievement amongamong thethe manymany United States Major General Leslie Groves, InIn thethe fallfall ofof 1942,1942, Dr.Dr. FrankFrank Spedding,Spedding, aa residentsresidents includingincluding ISUISU students.students. InIn 1864,1864, AmesAmes waswas chosenchosen asas aa locationlocation forfor aa stationstation ISU’sISU’s MorrillMorrill HallHall hashas hadhad manymany eclecticeclectic usesuses associated with the Wartime Atomic with the backing of allies Canada and the professor at Iowa State College (ISC), was stopstop forfor thethe CedarCedar RapidsRapids andand MissouriMissouri Railroads.Railroads. AmesAmes waswas namednamed byby thethe railroadrailroad over the years. Since its construction in 1890, Energy Project in the United States was the B United Kingdom. Th is top-secret project brought on the scene. Spedding, a graduate president for his friend Oakes Ames, who never actually visited the town. Th e Hub, now a zoology, entomology and geology classes have production of many tons of pure Uranium was created to research and develop the of Berkeley, had been working at Iowa favoritefavorite spotspot forfor coffcoff eeee oror aa quickquick sandwich,sandwich, waswas thenthen aa bookstorebookstore andand waitingwaiting areaarea forfor thethe been held there. It has also served as a home by a group consisting of faculty and students materials that eventually composed the State since ’37 as the head of the physical Ames College Railway, which connected the town to the college campus. Ames turns 150 this forfor printingprinting services,services, anan offioffi cece forfor agricultureagriculture working in a disused building on the campus fi rst atomic bombs, costing the program chemistry department, and was an expert in year and quite a few interesting things have happened here—maybe more than you’d expect. extension and get this—a barber shop. It now of the Iowa State College at Ames.” As you servesserves asas anan artart andand textiletextile museum.museum. 24 ethosmagazine.org OF 150 YEARS THE UNEXPECTED BEFORE DISMISSING AMES AS ANOTHER COLLEGE TOWN SURROUNDED BY CORNFIELDS, CONSIDER ITS UNIQUE HISTORY. BY RACHEL VIPOND DESIGN ALEXANDRIA COLLINS PHOTO RAHEMMA MAYFIELD Albert Cadwell, the principal of Ames High School from 1914 to 1917, had an interesting experience—he survived the sinking of thethe Titanic.Titanic. Remember a few years back, when ethanol was being marketed as a new fuel? It turns out Ames was ahead of the game. A blend of corn ethanol was fi rst sold commercially in Ames as early as 1932. Ames resident and ISU student Herman Banning became the fi rst black man to make a transcontinental fl ight in 1932. He fl ew a plane supplemented with surplus parts from Los Angeles to Long Island, N.Y.; Banning named his plane “Miss Ames.” Th anks to Iowa’s political draw, Ames has hosted 11 presidents—or future presidents— The Science over the years, including Ronald Reagan and William Howard Taft. Ames has been home to Hollywood actors, of War as well. In an interview with the Ames Historical Society, lifelong Ames resident Jay IowaIowa StateState scientistsscientists producedproduced aa Simster recalls playing with actor Nick Nolte (from(from “Cape“Cape Fear,”Fear,” “Th“Th ee PrincePrince ofof Tides”Tides” andand pure uranium ingot that played an “Gangster“Gangster Squad”)Squad”) asas aa child.child. NolteNolte spentspent fi ve years of his childhood in Ames. importantimportant rolerole inin WWII.WWII. Scandalous new dance moves are often BY JACK CARNEY DESIGN JORDAN WELCH cause for controversy. For example, the PHOTO COURTESY OF AMES LABORATORY, USDOE Inter-fraternityInter-fraternity CouncilCouncil bannedbanned tangotango fromfrom fraternityfraternity dancesdances inin 1913.1913. We’dWe’d hatehate toto seesee JustJust southsouth ofof HamiltonHamilton Hall,Hall, onon thethe may have realized, this is no ordinary stone, what would roughly amount to $24 billion what they’d think of twerking. east end of campus, lies a stone roughly and these were no ordinary men. Th e work inin currentcurrent U.S.U.S. currency.currency. ThTh ee operationoperation hadhad Have you ever heard of “partner cities?” thethe heightheight ofof aa carcar tire.tire. ThTh ee stonestone goesgoes accomplished at the very location of this labslabs throughoutthroughout thethe country.country. OneOne ofof thethe Sometimes, international or local mostly unnoticed, as it is not located in a stonestone revolutionizedrevolutionized sciencescience andand impactedimpacted most famous sites was in Chicago, where a partnerships are made between towns for busy sector of campus. But, if one were to thethe worldworld inin aa wayway thesethese menmen maymay havehave renownedrenowned physicist,physicist, EnricoEnrico Fermi,Fermi, workedworked diplomatic reasons or because of similarities. approach this stone, they would notice an never understood, and this is their story. under Arthur Compton, who was in charge aged bronze plaque with an inscription of the Chicago lab, in hopes of creating the Ames has been a partner to Koshu City, Th e Manhattan Project was conceived in elieve it or not, our beloved college town had humble beginnings. Containing only protruding from the metal,