Our chapter was organized March 24, 1923, in Mount Pleasant, Iowa. The first meeting was held at the state hospital, with 18 members attending. We are celebrating our 100th anniversary in 2023.
James Harlan
The chapter was named for James Harlan, one of our most prominent citizens. Harlan was a United States senator from 1855-1861, and secretary of the interior from 1867-1873. His daughter, Mary, married Abraham Lincoln's son, Robert.
A statue of James Harlan stood in the Hall of Fame in our National Capitol until 2014, when it was moved to the campus of Iowa Wesleyan College in Mount Pleasant. James Harlan served as president of this college from 1853 to 1855.
Harlan's home, which was also the summer home of Robert Lincoln, is now known as the Harlan-Lincoln House. It is on the National Register of Historic Places and is open to the public as a museum.
Last Updated: 3/6/2023
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Photos courtesy of chapter members. Photo of James Harlen courtesy the National Archives and Records Administration.
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