Club History |
The Capital Area Iowa Club has been serving the Washington, D.C., area for over 25 years and continues to extend its outreach well beyond the beltway. Like all great groups, ours didn't start out large and organized, but took many hours of volunteers and alumni to help build a strong tradition.
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Humble Beginnings |
There was actually an Iowa gamewatch as early as 1986, at the Sign of the Whale (19th & M) for the 1986 Rose Bowl game; organized by a little notice in the Post Weekend section. This was not an official "Club" event, but evidence that there was potential.
In 1988/89, the Alumni Association Director at the time Rich Emerson brought some of his troops to Washington for an organizational meeting. As a result, a few dedicated souls decided to pitch in. John Bowers agreed to serve as the first president and they started organizing. From these humble beginnings, an Iowa Club was born. The first Board of Directors used to meet at people's offices and then settled on meeting every 6 weeks or so at the Key Bridge Marriott on Saturday mornings for breakfast and planning. They also launched a quarterly newsletter. The Club's first event was a gamewatch at Champions in Georgetown for the Iowa -ISU game in 1989, but over the next couple of years, the slate of activities diversified. They did things like a trip to a winery in Virginia, a dessert event at Cheri Price's Capitol Hill house to meet UI grads working in DC, and Orioles games (our first game was Ben McDonald's ML debut, a 2-0 4-hitter in 1991). We also started those "Iowa Night" receptions. Our most elaborate outing was a jazz concert, featuring a UI School of Music jazz group, held in Georgetown at the backyard gardens of an art gallery owned by Rep. Jim Leach's wife. |
Growth and Recognition |
In 1991, a formal structure and organization was crafted. The Club was formally incorporated under the UIAA and a strong period of growth ensued. All along the principal motivation has been to celebrate the University of Iowa. Toward that end, we organize events for UI officials when they visit Washington, D.C., host receptions for UI students working in the area, honor prominent Iowans for their accomplishments, organize trips to support Iowa athletes, and provide venues where UI alums can share experiences and build lasting friendships. We've taken several trips to Penn State for Hawkeye football, traveled to Richmond to support women's basketball, took half the Club to Baltimore for men's basketball, arranged several "Iowa Nights" to honor UI professors, organized an annual pilgrimage to Camden Yards, and taken countless tours of Washington, D.C.'s famous landmarks.
After some searching, we found a home for gamewatches at the Crystal City Sports Pub in Arlington, VA. The first "Club of the Year" recognition followed shortly thereafter. The Capital Area Iowa Club has secured this distinction 14 times - more than any other Iowa Club in the country. The first award came in 1992-1993. A second followed a year later in 1994-1995. We were the first repeat winners, securing the distinction for 1995-1996. After letting some other clubs gain notoriety, the banner came back to Washington, D.C. and stayed for thirteen years straight. With new leadership and volunteers, the award toured the country for a couple years before it returned home in 2014-2015. |
Maintain the Tradition |
The steady growth of interest in the Club reflects the continued commitment and enthusiasm of our most valuable asset - our members. We now have well over 250 members and continue to attract more everyday. Over the years, the Capital Area Iowa Club has been blessed with a strong and active Board of Directors. Their advice, support, enthusiasm, and dedication are critical to our past and present success. We look to our newest editions from the many new faces in the DC area.
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Awards |
Large Club of the Year Winner: 1992, 1995, 1996, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2014-2015, 2016-2017
Program of the Year: 2014-2015 | "Kinnick East" |