Chuck Grassley: “when I think of Iowa, I envision lush, rolling hills; wide, blue skies; and rich, black soil. Located in the heartland…”

“when I think of Iowa, I envision lush, rolling hills; wide, blue skies; and rich, black soil. Located in the heartland of America, Iowa's bounteous fields and streams feed the world. I'm sure most people across the country and throughout the world associate my State with its exceptional agricultural products and productive farmland. But today, I am going to share with America a different chapter of the Iowa story. Perhaps one that many already have read about or seen on the Big Screen--and that is, Iowa's contributions to film making and the performing arts. A handful of our Iowa-born friends have risen to celebrity status on TV, on the silver screen, and on stage. To name a few--singer Andy Williams was born in Wall Lake; the Everly Brothers, Don and Phil lived in Shenandoah; Cloris Leachman, who played Phyllis on ``The Mary Tyler Moore Show,'' hails from Des Moines, as did Harriett Nelson of the television series, ``The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriett.'' Marion Michael Morrison, better known as John Wayne, was born in Winterset. The famous musician/composer, Glenn Miller came from Clarinda. And who can ever forget the memorable sounds of the ``Music Man,'' Meridith Wilson is from Mason City. And, last but not least, Mr. President, internationally-acclaimed opera singer, Simon Estes, was born in Centerville, IA. In addition to the talents of Iowa's hometown celebrities, my State has opened its doors to reveal our scenic countryside to Hollywood film makers.”