When Neal Smith was born the 19th amendment to the Constitution, which gave women the right to vote, had yet to be ratified. He was elected to the United States House of Representatives in 1958 during the Dwight D. Eisenhower administration and is Iowa's longest-serving congressman (1959-1995).
On this edition of River to River, host Ben Kieffer traveled to Smith's residence in Des Moines to interview the former congressman about growing up during the Great Depression, his military service in World War II, the story behind the National Wildlife Refuge that bears his name and much more.
Smith died earlier this month at the age of 101.
This episode was originally produced in December 2019.
Guest:
Neal Edward Smith, former Iowa Congressman and World War II Veteran
