The State Historical Society of Iowa invites you to join State Curator Hanna Howard to learn about the life of botanist and educator Ada Hayden.
Ada Hayden was the first woman and fourth person to receive a doctorate from Iowa State College (now ISU). During her tenure, she collected more than 40,000 specimens for the college’s herbarium, which was later named in her honor. Ada’s work in prairie preservation has been called "possibly the best published native flora survey … of any part of Iowa"
Hanna Howard was named the State Historical Society of Iowa’s state and museum curator in 2025. She previously was coordinator for Iowa’s National History Day, organizing regional, state. and national contests. Howard has a Master of Arts degree in public history from North Carolina State University and a B.A. degree in history and rhetoric, media, and social change from Drake University.
The free, monthly Iowa History 101 webinars share Iowa stories and the history of the state through a cultural history lens. Registration is required for each event and to receive a link to the recorded program.