Simpson College hosts exhibit on the history of the Iowa Caucuses

The exhibit explores the unique history of the Iowa caucuses for 40 years.
The exhibit explores the unique history of the Iowa caucuses for 40 years. | Contributed photo

Simpson College in Indianola, Iowa, is set to host a traveling exhibit that will showcase why the Iowa caucuses became so important to our nation’s political history.

The exhibit, "First in the Nation: How the Iowa Caucuses Have Shaped Presidential Politics Since 1972,"  will take place from Feb. 15 through March 5 on the first floor of the Dunn Library on Simpson’s campus.

The traveling exhibit explores the unique history of the Iowa caucuses for 40 years with images, film clips and artifacts from the Iowa State Historical Museum’s political collection used to tell the story.

Tracing candidates’ journeys -- from early visits to the state, declaring presidential bids and organizing Iowa campaigns to caucus day and primaries -- the display will make the case for why Iowa is positioned to hold the first-in-nation caucuses. It will showcase the state’s success rate as it relates to choosing candidates who are likely to go on to be nominated by their party and win the presidency.

Dunn Library is open from 7:45 a.m. to midnight Monday through Thursday and from 7:45 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on Friday. On Saturday, the library is open from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., and on Sunday, it is open from noon to midnight.