Moving Ahead

Dr. Saheb Sahu, Chandramouli, Subash Sahai, Darshan Singh and Philip Althomsons were among the early leaders of the association.

Then came the late Mr. Akanad Koshy who was primarily responsible for the development of the by-laws and constitution and the change of name to Indo-American Association of Iowa.  In the early days it was difficult to find someone who would be President or Secretary and very often it was thrust on somebody, who usually took it as an obligation to the community.

Growing Indian Community

The association grew into the hundreds and it was decided to honor all major festivals in India. Music groups were often invited to come and perform and local talent was also encouraged to perform.

The Association went through periods of good cooperation, enthusiasm and activity and periods when there was little enthusiasm. For about 4 years we had a newsletter called “Voice” and there were interesting opinions and articles published. Many a time a President with a group of dedicated friends carried the association.

Overall the Association has been an organization that has tried to cater to the interests of Indian Community; it has been partially successful. We hope to see more exposure and better days ahead!

Proclamation

In 2016, The Governor of Iowa, Terry Branstad proclaimed August 15^th, 2016, commemorating Indian Independence day, dedicated to the services of Indian community towards overall development of Iowa – Economic, Social, Cultural & Philanthropic participation.

The Proclamation & announcement ceremony was held at Governor’s office in the State Capitol Building!! It was a proud moment for the entire Indian Community. This was Official Government event which was covered by the media. This would not have been possible with the efforts of community members and hard work of the  IAAI President and Board Members.