Featured Heroes
Alfred C. Haynes
Aviation experts still haven't been able to explain how Hayne and Fitch were able to land a jet with no hydraulic pressure. But thanks to their heroics most of the passengers onboard flight 232 survived what should have been an un-survivable crash. More
Peggy Whitson, Ph.D.
As a young girl growing up in Beaconsfield Iowa, Dr. Peggy Whitson reached for the stars. As an adult, she visited them as commander of the International Space Station. More
Darryl Putz
One minute Daryl Putz was just an ordinary Iowan on his way to finish up some last minutes Christmas shopping. In the next, he was a Hero, having saved the life of a trucker trapped in the burning wreckage of an 18-wheeler. More
August Samuel Duesenberg
In 1921 seven of the top ten finishers at the Indianapolis 500 drove Duesenbergs, leading onlookers to remark "It's a doozy!" The Iowa craftsmen built the finest automobiles of the era, leading everyone from Clark Gable to the Duke of Windsor clamoring to get their hands on a 'doozy.' More
Frank W. Cyr, Ph.D.
The sky is blue, grass is green and school buses are yellow, but it wasn't always that way - for school buses, at least. In 1939 Grinnell resident Dr. Frank Cyr became the father of the yellow school bus when he convened a national council that declared yellow as the standard color for school buses. More
General Grenville Mellen Dodge
The Civil War general from Council Bluffs left behind an impressive legacy. Dodge was a pivotal force in building the transcontinental railroad, the chief engineer of the Union Pacific Railroad and a savvy politician who represented Iowa as a republican congressman. More
Dr. Robert Breedlove
In 2002, Breedlove set a record by riding his bike from Los Angeles to Atlantic City, N.J. in nine days, 19 hours and 47 minutes. The record is one of many impressive feats in the life of a man who, having traveled the world pursuing his passion was most at home on the bike trails surrounding Des Moines. More
Cecil Reed
As an African American in the 1950s, racial prejudices led most hotel owners to refuse African American patrons. Realizing that something needed to be done, Reed opened the Sepia Motel in 1953. It was one of the first hotels in the country that welcomed people of all races and religions. More
honoring the people that
make life go...
Transportation keeps our country moving, but what makes transportation go?
People. Heroes. And each one has a story to tell.
The Heroes Center is a web-based exhibit from the Iowa Transportation
Museum, located in Grinnell, Iowa. Here you will discover those who have
contributed to our state's rich transportation legacy, and meet those
who continue to make a difference in our lives today. To get started,
simply click on one of the featured names above. Afterward, nominate the
Transportation Hero from your life and help our experience grow.
