Iowa State Remembers Catt


Seventy-five years ago, the 19th Amendment to the U.S. 
Consti-tution was ratified and women won the right to vote, 
thanks in large part to the efforts of ISU alumna and 
suffragist Carrie Chapman Catt. 

Iowa State will honor Catt during a week-long celebration in 
October that will bring to campus nationally known writers 
and lecturers, actors who portray historic figures, 
musicians, scholars, political leaders and artists.

The capstone of the week's festivities will be the dedication 
ceremony for and tours of Carrie Chapman Catt Hall and the 
Plaza of Heroines. 

The building that will be renamed for Catt currently is known 
as "Old Botany." A 19th century building, it has been 
completely ren-ovated and is listed on the National Register 
of Historic Places. It will house the College of Liberal Arts 
and Sciences and several academic programs, including the 
Carrie Chapman Catt Center for Women and Politics.

The Plaza of Heroines at the entrance of the building 
includes more than 2,500 bricks engraved with the names of 
women others have chosen to honor. To locate specific bricks, 
visitors will be able to access a computerized data system 
that also describes the women honored in the plaza.

Activities will be held on campus from Oct. 1 to Oct. 6.

The dedication ceremony will begin at 
3 p.m. Friday, Oct. 6. Program participants will include 
national leaders of the League of Women Voters, the 
organization Catt founded in 1920; national officers for Pi 
Beta Phi, the sorority in which Catt was an active member 
while at Iowa State and as an alumna; and Iowa political 
leaders such as Mary Louise Smith, past chair of the National 
Republican Party, and Iowa Lt. Gov. Joy Corning.

"We've been building up to this celebration for a year now," 
said Elizabeth Hoffman, dean of the College of Liberal Arts 
and Sciences. "In the dozens of places where (ISU theater 
professor) Jane Cox has portrayed the life of Carrie Chapman 
Catt, we've created a more vivid awareness of Carrie's 
achievements. As a result, we're getting calls from 
throughout the country from alumni and even from people who 
have no connection to Iowa State.  

"People are excited about what Iowa State is doing to advance 
the legacy of Carrie Chapman Catt and they want to share in 
our October celebration. Ours is a unique moment, as we 
combine the nation's suffrage celebra-tion with the 
dedication of a building named for the alumna who made it 
possible for American women to gain the right to vote."

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contact:  Phyllis Peters, ISU Foundation, (515) 294-8681
updated:  9-28-95