The Iowa Capitol Planning Commission has approved plans to remove the "Iowa ... A Place to Grow" monument on Southeast 14th Street near East Grand Avenue, where it has stood since 1984.
The slogan and cloverleaf figure are well-known to many Iowans as part of a state, local and national marketing campaign launched in 1970 by Gov. Robert Ray to create jobs and business. The campaign continued through at least the late 1980s.
Similar symbols were placed at the Iowa State Fairgrounds and at the former westbound rest area in Dallas County on Interstate Highway 80. But the Capitol complex monument — it is in deteriorating condition, although still structurally sound — is believed to be the only one that still exists. Commission Chairman William Dikis, of Clive, a retired architect, said state historical officials have assured him that the remaining structure will be retained.
State Sen. Matt McCoy, D-Des Moines, who serves on the Capitol Planning Commission, said he supports removal of the monument because of its diminished physical condition and because the slogan is no longer used by Gov. Terry Branstad's administration. The fiberglass symbol on the structure has been removed, but the concrete base, which includes the slogan, was in place as of Friday.
Newspaper editorials, along with full-page advertisements in state and national publications, sold the campaign to the public. The symbol also appeared on Iowa road maps and on stickers, and a central Iowa jewelry store created a necklace with the symbol as a pendant, state historical officials said.
Since then, Iowa has had a host of other slogans to promote business and tourism. They include "Discover Iowa Treasures," introduced in 1987 by state tourism officials, and "Iowa, You Make Me Smile" in 1994.
But the Iowa Department of Transportation dropped a controversial 1983 plan to put the slogan "Iowa: A State of Minds" on license plates. While the slogan was intended to be a compliment to Iowa's schools, the late DOT Commissioner Austin Turner, of Corning, said he worried that some out-of-state people might get the impression "we're a bunch of pompous asses."
When Gov. Tom Vilsack assumed office in 1999, he frowned on the "You Make Me Smile" slogan, saying it did little to entice outsiders to move to Iowa or persuade young people to stay.
The "Iowa ... A Place to Grow" concept was created for state economic development officials by Creswell, Munsell, Schubert and Zirbel of Cedar Rapids, one of the premier marketing firms in Iowa. It was part of a larger 1970s effort to promote rural development nationally. Many Iowa communities adopted the symbol and slogan for local marketing initiatives.
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