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09/04/2026

Before Kinnick Stadium was the roaring home of Hawkeye football, it started from small beginnings. Built in six months and completed in October 1929 at a cost of about $497,000, the stadium opened with a dedication game against Illinois (a 7-7 tie) and quickly became a cornerstone of the community.
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Nearly a century later, the bones of that original structure still stand, even as the stadium has grown from 53,000 seats to today's capacity of over 69,000. It was renamed in 1972 to honor Nile Kinnick, Iowa's 1939 Heisman Trophy winner.
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Here’s a glimpse from then and now of the stadium's construction in the 1930s alongside what it looks like today. � �

Nearly 100 years of history, one gameday at a time. It all starts this season with Northern Illinois.

Go Hawks! 🏈

📸 Photos from the 1930s are from the Frederick W. Kent Collection of Photographs.

08/31/2026

New semester, new exhibit!  ‘It’s Been Wonderful Knowing You: Wildlife Conservation and Advocacy Through the Lens of Jay N. “Ding” Darling’ is now open in the Main Library Gallery. 
Curated by Lindsay Moen and Collin Vandewalle, the exhibition marks the 150th anniversary of Darling’s birth and explores his nationwide wildlife conservation efforts. Highlights include materials from the Jay N. “Ding” Darling Papers and specimens from the University of Iowa Museum of Natural History. 
Join us for an open house, meet the curators, and enjoy light refreshments:   Exhibit Opening Celebration 🗓️ Thursday, Sept. 10 ⏰ 4-5:30 p.m. 📍 Main Library Gallery 
The Main Library Gallery is open daily, free of charge.

08/24/2026

It’s back to campus time!

As students head to their first lectures of the semester, all seven of our libraries are ready and waiting to support them all year long.

Here's to a great year ahead for our students.

08/21/2026

Before classes even start, new students attend On Iowa! — a welcome immersion program where they foster friendships, discover what it means to be a Hawkeye, and explore the university community.

They also walk away with a swag bag full of goodies, including our bookmark with 10 things every student should know about the Libraries. It's a quick, easy reference to everything we have to offer and a good first step toward a strong semester.

We are so excited to welcome this new class to campus.

08/19/2026

The transformation has begun.

Our team is working hard behind the scenes putting the finishing touches on our fall exhibit, “It’s Been Wonderful Knowing You: Wildlife Conservation and Advocacy Through the Lens of Jay N. “Ding” Darling.”

Opening day is August 24. Save the date.

08/14/2026

Soaking up all the sunshine every chance we get. 😎
Can’t wait to see you soon!

08/13/2026

It’s Iowa State Fair time, so we had to share these fair-going cartoons from Jay N. “Ding” Darling.

Before he began his wildlife conservation work, Darling was illustrating everyday Iowa life for The Des Moines Register, including fair season: the fun, the food, the family time, and the exhaustion by day’s end.

Heading to the fair this weekend? What’s your favorite part?

See more of Darling’s cartoons and legacy at “It’s Been Wonderful Knowing You: Wildlife Conservation and Advocacy Through the Lens of Jay N. “Ding” Darling,” opening August 24 in the Main Library Gallery.

08/04/2026

Who is Ding Darling?

Pulitzer Prize-winning cartoonist. Advisor to a president. One of the most influential voices in American conservation history. Jay N. “Ding” Darling left a mark on Iowa and the nation that’s still shaping how we think about the environment today.

This fall, in celebration of the 150th anniversary of his birth, the Main Library Gallery is opening
“It’s Been Wonderful Knowing You: Wildlife Conservation and Advocacy Through the Lens of Jay N. “Ding” Darling,” a new exhibition exploring his life, his legacy, and other Iowans who have carried his conservation work forward.

Save the date.

Exhibit opens August 24 in the Main Library Gallery.
Official Open House: September 10.

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Jay N. “Ding” Darling Papers [MsC0170], Special Collections and Archives, University of Iowa Libraries.

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Website

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