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History - The Hall Era 1937-1981
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Click here to go back . . .
Howard Hall, an ambitious industrialist, married Margaret Douglas in 1924. Mr. Hall served as president of the Iowa Steel and Iron Works and established the Iowa Manufacturing Company (present day Cedarapids, Inc.) He was chairman of a number of banks and a director of such companies as Amana Refrigeration and The Quaker Oats Company. Mr. Hall was also a catalyst for the economic development of the city. On many Sunday mornings, the business elite of Cedar Rapids gathered at the Brucemore swimming pool and planned informally for the city’s future. These sessions were referred to as the "Sunday School."
Before moving into the mansion, Margaret and Howard Hall lived in the Garden House from 1924 through 1937. During their tenancy, the Halls sold property along Forest Drive, reducing the estate to its current size of 26 acres. The couple enclosed the west porch and installed picture windows in the library, dining room, and master bedroom. The paneling in the first and second floor halls was lightened and the library woodwork was antiqued.
The Halls brought their love for animals to the estate. Two German Shepherds were a constant presence on the property along with a collection of Mrs. Hall’s birds, some of which were kept in an aviary atop the mansion’s servants’ porch. The most famous of the Hall’s pets were their three lions, all named Leo. One of the Leos was related to Jackie, the famous MGM lion who roars on screen. Today, the second Leo is buried along with 20 dogs in the pet cemetery located near the formal garden.
Like Margaret’s parents, the couple brought their considerable influence to bear on a variety of philanthropic concerns, sometimes anonymously. The Halls established The Hall Foundation, which continues to fund educational, civic, and charitable causes in Cedar Rapids. In 1955, Mr. and Mrs. Hall gave to the community the Margaret and Howard Hall Radiation Center located at Mercy Medical Center, the first cobalt-beam radiation treatment center in the state. The couple provided funding for the Hallmar Convalescent Wing, also at Mercy Medical Center.
The Halls frequently opened their home to business leaders and nationally prominent visitors to Cedar Rapids. In 1962, the Halls entertained former presidents Herbert Hoover and Harry Truman prior to the dedication of the Hoover Presidential Library in West Branch.
In 1981, ten years after her husband’s death, Margaret Hall died at the age of 84. Described by a friend as a "gracious lady who did so many nice things that were never credited to her," Mrs. Hall bequeathed Brucemore to the National Trust for Historic Preservation for use as a historic site and community cultural center.
Brucemore’s use in the community serves as a fitting reminder of the generous families who lived here. More information on the life of Howard Hall can be found in the book, Call Me Howard, by Elinor Day. The book is full of beautiful pictures and stories recounted by the Halls’ family and friends. It is on sale in the Brucemore Museum Store.
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