{"id":3194,"date":"2025-06-03T13:44:40","date_gmt":"2025-06-03T13:44:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.lib.uiowa.edu\/gallery\/?post_type=exhibit&p=3194"},"modified":"2026-07-02T13:54:53","modified_gmt":"2026-07-02T13:54:53","slug":"ding-darling","status":"publish","type":"exhibit","link":"https:\/\/www.lib.uiowa.edu\/gallery\/exhibit\/ding-darling\/","title":{"rendered":"It’s Been Wonderful Knowing You: Wildlife Conservation and Advocacy Through the Lens of Jay N. “Ding” Darling"},"content":{"rendered":"

On view Aug. 24\u2013Dec. 18, 2026.<\/h3>\n
\"Two

Original watercolor painting (“Mallards Dropping In”) used for Ding Darling’s first wildlife conservation stamps in 1934. Jay N. “Ding” Darling Papers, Special Collections and Archives, University of Iowa Libraries.<\/p><\/div>\n

A Pulitzer Prize-winning cartoonist for\u00a0<\/span>The Des Moines Register<\/span><\/i>, Jay N. \u201cDing\u201d Darling (1876\u20131962) was also one of the nation\u2019s most influential figures in the American conservation movement. Appointed director of the U.S.\u00a0Bureau of Biological Survey (later part of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service) by President Franklin D. Roosevelt, Darling made historic attempts to answer\u00a0his\u00a0growing concerns\u00a0about\u00a0industrialism\u2019s impact on the environment.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

In celebration of the 150th anniversary of his birth, this exhibition explores the transformation of Iowa\u2019s environmental landscape during Darling\u2019s life and his contributions to environmental and wildlife conservation advocacy nationwide. It also\u00a0showcases\u00a0how his legacy\u00a0lives on\u00a0today both locally and across the country, and how other Iowans have played key roles in our state\u2019s conservation efforts. Curated by librarians Lindsay Moen and Collin Vandewalle,\u00a0<\/span>It\u2019s\u00a0Been Wonderful Knowing You\u00a0<\/span><\/i>highlights the Jay N. \u201cDing\u201d Darling Papers from Special Collections and Archives, specimens from the University of Iowa Museum of Natural History, and more from across the\u00a0Libraries.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\n

Credits<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Exhibition Curation<\/strong><\/p>\n

Lindsay Moen
\nLead Public Services Librarian
\nSpecial Collections and Archives<\/p>\n

Collin Vandewalle
\nExhibit Support Librarian
\nSpecial Collections and Archives<\/p>\n

Guest Curation:\u00a0BlueGAP<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Eric Gidal<\/span>
\nProfessor, English<\/span>
\nCollege\u00a0of\u00a0Liberal\u00a0Arts\u00a0and\u00a0Sciences<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Adelina Pineda Canganelli<\/span>
\nGraduate Student, English\u00a0PhD\u00a0and MA, Library and Information Science<\/span>
\nCollege of Liberal Arts and Sciences<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Preparation and Conservation<\/span><\/span><\/strong>\u00a0<\/span><\/strong>
<\/span>Bill Voss, Conservator Technician and Exhibit Preparator<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span>
<\/span>Giselle Sim\u00f3n, University Conservator\u00a0<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Design<\/span><\/b>
\nLauren Coghlan, Creative Coordinator<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Exhibition Project Coordination<\/span><\/b>
\nSara J. Pinkham, Exhibition and Engagement Coordinator, Main Library Gallery\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Exhibition and Program Support<\/span><\/b>
\nCecil Campbell, Exhibition and Engagement Student Lead, Main Library Gallery\u00a0\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Installation<\/span><\/b>
\nBill Voss, Lauren Coghlan, Sara J. Pinkham, Giselle Sim\u00f3n,\u00a0<\/span>Cecil Campbell,\u00a0<\/span>Kaleb Turnbough<\/span><\/p>\n

Materials Access Support<\/span><\/b>
\nLindsay Moen<\/span><\/p>\n

Exhibit Technology<\/span><\/span><\/strong>\u00a0<\/span><\/strong>
<\/span>Chris Clark, Senior IT Support Consultant<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span>
<\/span>Will Brown, IT Support Consultant<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Website<\/span><\/b>
\nKen Clinkenbeard, Web Services Specialist<\/span>
\nSara J. Pinkham<\/span><\/p>\n

Communications<\/span><\/b>
\nAnne Bassett, Senior Director, Strategic Communications and External Relations<\/span>
\nBrook Wilder, Communications Specialist<\/span>
\nKaleb Turnbough, Graphic Design Student Lead<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Financial Support<\/span><\/b>
\nUniversity of Iowa Libraries Exhibits and Galleries Fund<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Special Thanks and Additional Assistance<\/strong>
\nPeter Balestrieri<\/span>,\u00a0<\/span>Hailee McCormick, Diane Ray, Elizabeth Riordan, and Jenna Silver from\u00a0<\/span>UI Libraries\u00a0<\/span>Special Collections and Archives<\/span>;<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>Anna Holland and Kate Orazem from Iowa Women\u2019s Archives;\u00a0<\/span>Hope Bibens<\/span>\u00a0and Drake University Archives\u00a0<\/span>and<\/span>\u00a0Special Collections<\/span>;<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>Liz Crooks<\/span>,\u00a0<\/span>Elizabeth Fouts, and Cindy Optiz\u00a0<\/span>at<\/span>\u00a0the Pentacrest Museums;\u00a0<\/span>Allison Sheridan and Adrienne Gennett\u00a0<\/span>at<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>Iowa State University Museums;\u00a0<\/span>Kate Giannini\u00a0<\/span>at<\/span>\u00a0IIHR\u2014<\/span>Hydroscience<\/span>\u00a0and Engineering<\/span>; Meredith Roemerman at Bur Oak Land Trust;\u00a0<\/span>Pat Bowen, Deb Schoelerman, and the 100 Grannies;\u00a0<\/span>Mitchell Toda and Baasil Wilder at the Smithsonian National Postal Museum;\u00a0<\/span>Jenn Ackerman and Tim Gruber;\u00a0<\/span>the Sioux City Public Museum;\u00a0<\/span>and\u00a0<\/span>Alex Braidwood,\u00a0<\/span>Bethany Davis,\u00a0<\/span>Carmela Furio<\/span>,<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>Patricia Gimenez, Tracy Grimm,\u00a0<\/span>Sid Huttner<\/span>,<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>Damien Ihrig,\u00a0<\/span>Graci Moore<\/span>,<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>Jason Smith,\u00a0<\/span>Dick\u00a0<\/span>and<\/span>\u00a0Sharon Stilwell<\/span>, and Kevin Storey<\/span>.\u00a0<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span>
<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>
<\/span>We also share appreciat<\/span>ion<\/span>\u00a0for the<\/span>\u00a0Iowa Department of Natural Resources,\u00a0<\/span>Iowa Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, \u201cDing\u201d Darling Wildlife Society, J.N. \u201cDing\u201d\u00a0<\/span>Darling National<\/span>\u00a0Wildlife Refuge<\/span>, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and other<\/span>\u00a0individuals and teams<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>working in conservation.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"template":"","meta":{"_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"class_list":{"0":"post-3194","1":"exhibit","2":"type-exhibit","3":"status-publish","4":"hentry","5":"exhibit-syndication-next-exhibit","6":"","7":"gallery","8":"wp-json","9":"wp","10":"v2","12":"3194"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lib.uiowa.edu\/gallery\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/exhibit\/3194","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lib.uiowa.edu\/gallery\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/exhibit"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lib.uiowa.edu\/gallery\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/exhibit"}],"version-history":[{"count":11,"href":"https:\/\/www.lib.uiowa.edu\/gallery\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/exhibit\/3194\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3453,"href":"https:\/\/www.lib.uiowa.edu\/gallery\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/exhibit\/3194\/revisions\/3453"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lib.uiowa.edu\/gallery\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3194"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}