William Friedricks is professor of history at Simpson College and director of the Iowa History Center. He was recently named the inaugural winner of the Iowa History Prize, awarded by Humanities Iowa to help support and promote awareness of and interest in Iowa history. He is the author of several books, including Investing in Iowa: The Life and Times of F. M. Hubbell and Covering Iowa: The History of the Des Moines Register and Tribune Company, and editor of the book series Iowa and the Midwest Experience.