Keep Harlan, Kirkwood statues in U.S. Capitol

By Lynn Ellsworth

After reading about the Iowa Senate's proposal to replace U.S. Sen. James Harlan's statue in the U.S. Capitol Building with a statue of Norman Borlaug, I encourage Iowa legislators to vote against the resolution and keep Harlan's statue in Washington, D.C.

Several years ago, the Des Moines Register published an article in which the author proposed that a statue of Henry Wallace take the place of the Harlan or Samuel Kirkwood statues, which have stood in the Capitol Building since the early 1900s.

Undoubtedly, throughout our state's history there have been many notable Iowans deserving the honor of a statue placed in our national hall, and there are likely to be more. However, I advocate continuing to honor the contributions of our pioneer leaders. Harlan and Kirkwood were on the scene in the early years, shaping the development of our state and country.

Kirkwood was Iowa's Civil War governor. Area 10 Community College took his name in 1969 to become Kirkwood Community College.

In Mount Pleasant, we are familiar with the contributions of James Harlan, an early president of Iowa Wesleyan College. Harlan served as Iowa's first Superintendent of Public Instruction, and in that role, he organized the first school districts across the new state.

He served in Congress as Iowa's first Republican senator during a time of war and expansion in our country. He passionately called for freeing the slaves and for arming them during the Civil War. His leadership as a Senate committee chairman was instrumental in the authorization to build the Union Pacific Railroad that connected the West Coast with the remainder of the country. He also provided leadership in the passage of the Homestead Act of 1862, which provided structure for settlement of the western reaches of the nation.

In 1865, President Abraham Lincoln appointed Harlan to serve as Secretary of the Interior during his second administration, making Harlan the first Iowan to serve on the Cabinet. Harlan and Lincoln established a personal relationship beyond the political relationship, which resulted in the marriage of their children. Upon Lincoln's death, Harlan served as Secretary of the Interior under President Andrew Johnson and later returned to the Senate.

We live in an age of expendables. Rather than dismiss the memory of our early public servants, let us remember them and learn about their work establishing our foundations.

Lynn Ellsworth is Executive Director, Friends of the Harlan-Lincoln House, Iowa Wesleyan College, Mount Pleasant. Contact her at iwcarch@iwc.edu