By CHUCK OFFENBURGER
WASHINGTON, D.C., June 21, 2026 — In this summer when we are celebrating the 250th anniversary of the founding of the nation, it seemed like a great time for my wife Mary Riche and me to spend a long weekend in and around our capital.
We did that Friday thru Tuesday, June 5-9, and it was terrific.
The monuments and historical sites seemed more inspiring than ever. Ditto for two art museums we toured. I’m still raving about the lunch we had at the elegant Old Ebbitt Grill, the nation’s oldest saloon dating to 1856, but the Ebbitt’s owners surely are outraged about all the disruptive construction the neighbor just to the west is doing. (And, wow, I hope you saw Caitlin Clark’s last-second, 31-foot swisher to lead the Indiana Fever to a 78-76 victory over the host Washington D.C. Mystics. We saw it in-person, and it immediately became one of my favorite Clark memories.)
A view you never tire of seeing in Washington, D.C.
In doing all that, I came up with an idea for an interesting way for all of us to celebrate “America 250,” wherever we are: Make your case for who is the most notable American of our 250 years.
And then share your conclusion with me, in the space for comments below here, or by emailing me at chuck@offenburger.com.
This idea occurred to me when Mary and I were touring the National Portrait Gallery that’s part of the Smithsonian American Art Museum.
In this gallery are portraits of America’s presidents — all of them. In one adjacent room are portraits and busts of great American advocates for social justice, and in another room right there are portraits and photos of some of the nation’s greatest entertainers and cultural icons.
As we finished our tour, I mentioned to Mary that it was like we’d just walked through the American Hall of Fame. Oh, maybe there were a few other categories of people who might be considered, too. Maybe business leaders, philanthropists, religious figures, scientists. Add those.
“So,” I said, “who was or is the greatest? The most notable?”
The portrait of President Franklin Delano Roosevelt in the National Portrait Gallery in Washington, D.C. (Photo by Mary Riche)
And the portrait of President Abraham Lincoln in the National Portrait Gallery. (Photo by Mary Riche)
I reminded myself then how I was involved in a similar exercise when Iowa was celebrating its Sesquicentennial in 1996. I was part of a discussion then about who the most influential, greatest or most notable Iowan had been in our 150 years of statehood.
Our committee back then picked Henry A. Wallace, the early 20th century pioneer of hybrid corn, editor of Wallace’s Farmer magazine, eventually the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture, then the Vice-President of the U.S., the U.S. Secretary of Commerce, unsuccessful candidate for President, “the American Dreamer” as he was admiringly called.
That was then, in Iowa. This is now, “America 250.” Who’s our greatest or most notable?
We pondered that over a walk up the street to the Penn Quarter downtown neighborhood and iced lattes at a neat coffeehouse-bakery there, “maman.”
I finally said, “Since we’re talking about 250 years of our nation, I think the choice almost has to be one of the presidents.”
Mary agreed and said, “I’m leaning toward Abraham Lincoln.”
I countered with “FDR” — Franklin Delano Roosevelt.
We discussed his World War II leadership, his leading us out of the Great Depression, his creation of Social Security and more.
We both eventually settled on FDR.
I’m not arguing he was our greatest president, but my pick for the most interesting portrait of an American president is the portrayal of President John F. Kennedy by the artist Elaine de Kooning.
I’ve subsequently shared this challenge with my two coffee groups and other gatherings of friends. Most have settled on FDR or Lincoln, but two of my college classmates in a Sunday afternoon Zoom call balked and agreed “it has to be George Washington. He started it all!”
Now, over to all the rest of you out there: Who’s your pick and why?
Make your case in the comments section below here, or by email directly to me, and know that I will possibly share all answers.
Who’s your choice as “the greatest or most notable person in America’s 250 years?”
And God bless us all!
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Two Iowans are included in the National Portrait Gallery exhibition — suffragist Carrie Chapman Catt and U.S. President Herbert Hoover. Here are photos of their portraits.
The suffragist and founder of the national League of Women Voters, Carrie Chapman Catt, of Charles City, Iowa, and Iowa State University.
U.S. President Herbert Hoover, of West Branch, Iowa.
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You can comment on this column below or write the columnist directly by email at chuck@offenburger.com.
From Ambassador Kenneth Quinn, a native Iowan and former president of the World Food Prize in Des Moines:
Chuck, I am writing to you during the commercial breaks of the Indiana fever game on Saturday, to respond to your challenge about indicating who is the most notable American in our 250 year history. While I consider the “logo 3“ one of the truly incredible an additions to American history, I will limit my suggestions of nominees to the following two individuals:
1) Norman Borlaug. It sounds like you perhaps didn’t have time for a stop in Statuary Hall at the Capitol, or else Norm might have warranted a mention in the same way Henry Wallace had previously appealed to you. On the base of his statue it reads “The Man Who Saved a Billion Lives.” The Atlantic magazine said he is the person who “has saved more lives than anyone who has ever lived.” Borlaug is arguably the greatest agricultural scientist in America’s 250 year history, and as the “Father of the Green Revolution,” the individual who led the single greatest period of food production and hunger reduction in all human history, the greatest ever period.
Revered in Tehran as he is in Texas (where he taught at Texas A&M), he is one of just three Americans who have received the Nobel Peace Prize, the Presidential Medal of Freedom and the Congressional Gold Medal ( the other two being Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Holocaust survivor Elie Wiesel).
The only mark against Borlaug is that he went to the University of Minnesota instead of Iowa State
2) If that egregiously poor decision does disqualify him, my second choice is Purdue grad Heather “Lucky” Penney, who is not an ag scientist, but an Air National Guard pilot who (with one other pilot) carried out what I consider to be the most profound act of military bravery in the history of our country.
On 9 /11, with United Flight #93, one of the hijacked airliners, headed toward the U.S. Capitol, Penney was one of two pilots on alert at Andrews AFB. She urgently got her plane airborne but without any rockets or ammunition. The only way to bring down the airliner would be to ram it with her aircraft ensuring her certain death. Penney accepted that fate and began the hunt for their target. She is alive today only because the hijacked airliner crashed in Pennsylvania.
What was profoundly heroic in my view is that she had made the decision to accept certain death in undertaking her mission. Her male counterpart made the same heroic decision, but given the antipathy of the current Secretary of War toward women in combat, having a woman held up as the model of utmost bravery in our country’s history, makes her my choice for your recognition.
I realize neither of my nominees will likely make your number one choice, I hope I have nonetheless provided some interesting copy.
Ken
PS — Loved your recounting visiting the Old Ebbitt Grill.
From Bob Shreck, retired oncologist, supporter of the Des Moines Metro Opera and other cultural amenities, something of a Renaissance man:
Iowa Boy,
Great column, and timely as well. I agree with Washington, Lincoln and FDR each representing their centuries as the greatest and most impactful. But I go out of my way to define a modestly different time frame—my lifetime. Born two months after FDR’s demise I have been interested in politics since my fellow undergraduate Branstad activated at the U of I in the 1960s. In this 80+ year time period I don’t hesitate: Ronald Reagan is my man.
His resuscitation of our animal spirits from the Carter “malaise” alone would win him this award. Then add in his tax cuts, the taming of the 13+% inflation he inherited, his revival of the US defense budget and the resurgence of the US economy. The latter, along with his alliance with Thatcher, Pope John XXIII, and Walęsa brought Gorbachev, realizing the Soviet Union could not compete, to sue for an end to the Cold War. Freedom came to Eastern Europe and Central Asia and communism literally fell into the ash bin.
Although favorably disposed to social issues, I consider myself a “fiscal Reaganite,” maintaining that federal government spending on social programs commonly leads to unintended consequences. Add in my dislike for identity politics (they are all “victims,” seeking rent) and I suppose I expose a conservative underbelly.
Greatly appreciate your perspective and work—the two of you (RicheBurgers) are a great team!
Bob Shreck
From ol’ friend Gary Schmidt, Democratic Party activist and advocate:
Chuck,
Thank you for letting me give my humble opinion on whom I think is one of the most notable Americans in our nation’s 250 years. There are many of them but here are my choices:
1. John Fitzgerald Kennedy — naturally would pick him because he was one of my favorite POTUS. I was just out of high school and he came into popularity and was an inspiration to me. I liked his vigor and thought he had a great story for our nation. His life was cut too short, and I often wonder what he could have accomplished with his leadership if he would have lived longer.
2. FDR — I was born in 1942 and he died only a couple of years following. I heard good things about him from my parents on how he saved America in the Great Depression. He helped save many family farms and was a leader in social change for people and their lives. In memory of my parents and grandparents, I place him as one of the top Americans.
3. Dr. Jonas Salk — He developed the polio vaccine that saved many people from that crippling disease.
4. Thomas Jeffferson — He was one of our greatest American leaders.
5. Abraham Lincoln — His leadership held this country together.
6. Military leaders like Eisenhower and MacArthur who were pivotal in keeping our nation and the world free.
There are many notables in our history, too many to mention.
Thank you,
Gary Schmidt
From Bonnie Trede, a reader in Ames:
Dear Chuck,
If we consider only notable presidents of the last 250 years, that leaves out all women. My suggestion would be Carrie Chapman Catt and all of the suffragists who worked tirelessly for years to get women the right to vote.
Bonnie Trede
From Bonnie Phipps, a reader in the east central Iowa town of LeGrand:
Norman Borlaug who fed the stomachs of the world, likely Billy Graham who fed the souls of mankind, as the greatest.
The woke socialist democrats are trying to destroy this great country. Just sit back and let Trump and the republicans get us out of the mud. USA USA
I’m going with everyone who fought/fights cis straight white male privilege ✊
From Don Hicks, retired educator and coach in Stanton in southwest Iowa:
Chuck,
I’m sure many will say George Washington or Abraham Lincoln, but my choice would be FDR because of the impact he had on a significant time in our history as our leader through the depression and WWII. Also being our leader through 3 plus terms is pretty significant. Many of our federal programs that we have today originated during the depression. WWII changed our society in many ways such as women joining the industrial work force, Blacks moving north to work in the factories, some racial justice beginning although fairly slowly, and the U.S. truly becoming a world power.
Best regards,
Don Hicks
From Ronn J. King, another native of Shenandoah IA, now retired after a long career in radio:
Chuck O, it is with passionate fervor that I select the 3rd President of the United States, THOMAS JEFFERSON as The Greatest American of all time! I submit his name for a multitude of reasons. The two most vital: At the tender age of 33, he single-handedly wrote our Declaration of Independence.
Much later, during his presidency, Mr. Jefferson set the very boundaries of our fledgling young nation by signing the Louisiana Purchase from France into law, thus sending Lewis & Clark on a gargantuan exploration, blazing a myriad of trails to the Great NorthWest. It also made the Mississippi, Missouri, & Ohio Rivers accessible to steamboat travel.
Beyond these great attributes, Mr. Jefferson was a farmer, and he came up with the concept of crop rotation. He was an architect, having designed his Monticello mansion, along with several buildings on the University of Virginia campus. Jefferson was an inventor, having installed a rope driven dumb-waiter to hoist food stored in his cool cellar, into his kitchen. He was a gifted musician, becoming quite proficient on the violin, having studied the great composers in depth.
Thomas Jefferson was extremely intellectual. While John F. Kennedy was in office, he hosted a dinner for Nobel Prize winners. President Kennedy quipped, “This may be the greatest gathering of intellectual brilliance in one room, with the possible exception of when Thomas Jefferson used to dine here alone.”
Therefore, I humbly and proudly submit President Thomas Jefferson as the Greatest American of all time, unequivocally.
~Ronn J. King~