Second lawsuit filed over closure of State Historical Society location in Iowa City

Hunter
02/05/26

A new lawsuit has been filed over the unexpected closure of the Iowa City location of the Iowa State Historical Society.

The Gazette reports the suit was filed last month by the State Historical Society, Inc, an Iowa City-based nonprofit that was founded over 40 years ago to preserve state history. They allege Iowa’s Department of Administrative Services acted irrationally, illogically and capriciously — and abused its discretion — when it exonerated itself of any wrongdoing in closing the Iowa City research center without warning or public discussion.

The suit asks a judge to reverse the department’s finding that it did nothing wrong, calling the order a product of, quote, “reasoning that is so illogical as to render it wholly irrational.”

State Historical Society Inc. was formed in the 80s as a result of litigation; a clause in the settlement gave them right of ownership and stewardship of items housed in or donated to the Iowa City location prior to 1974. The group claims items from that period have already been removed, violating the clause.