116 3rd St SE
Cedar Rapids, Iowa 52401
Piece of History: Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Speakers
Grant Wood & friends were seriously kind to guest lecturers in Iowa City
The Gazette offers audio versions of articles using Instaread. Some words may be mispronounced.
The Times Club was an organization that sponsored a lecture series for University of Iowa students and faculty and Iowa City townspeople.
Some of the club members, including artist Grant Wood, formed the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Speakers and made sure the guest speakers were welcomed and comfortable.
For example, a Society questionnaire sent to one speaker asked, "Do you wish us to make hotel reservations? Or, do you wish to be entertained at a private home? Do you wish to be met at the train? If so, when do you expect to arrive? Do you wish to be undisturbed after your arrival, or may we take you for an automobile ride to 'see the university’?“
Wood and Thomas Benton created the photograph accompanying this article to supplement the welcome, and Wood sketched the cover for the questionnaire.
The group met on the second floor of Smith's Cafe, 11 S. Dubuque St. in Iowa City. Roland Smith, the cafe’s proprietor, let the club members use the space for free and would send up food to the meetings via a dumbwaiter.
(Note: I am submitting this on behalf of the Linn County Historical Society, with all due respect for the Johnson County Historical Society and the wonderful work they do.)
Tara Templeman is curator at The History Center. Comments: curator@historycenter.org
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