Margaret Keyes
| Margaret Keyes | |
|---|---|
| Born | Margaret Naumann Keyes March 4, 1918 Mt. Vernon, Iowa |
| Died | October 14, 2015 (aged 97) Iowa City, Iowa |
| Nationality | American |
| Fields | Home Economics, heritage conservation |
| Institutions | University of Iowa |
| Alma mater | Cornell College, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Florida State University |
| Doctoral advisor | Janet Katherine Smith |
| Known for | Preservation of the Old Iowa Capitol |
Margaret Naumann Keyes (March 4, 1918 – October 14, 2015) was an American academic and heritage preserver. She was a professor of Home Economics at the University of Iowa and is a nationally recognized leader in the field of heritage conservation, best known for her work to preserve the Iowa Old Capitol Building.
Margaret Naumann Keyes was born in Mount Vernon, Iowa on 4 March 1918 to Charles R. Keyes and Sarah "Sadie" Naumann Keyes. As a child, Keyes had often accompanied her father on travels to Germany and on his archaeological expeditions, leading to her interest in academics. She attended Cornell College in Mt. Vernon, Iowa and graduated in 1939 with a B.A. in Home Economics. After graduation, Keyes taught at several Iowa high schools and undertook graduate studies at the University of Wisconsin during summer terms, earning a master's degree in 1951. She was appointed to the Home Economics faculty at the State University of Iowa in September, 1951. A decade later, she won the Ellen H. Richards Fellowship from the American Home Economics Association to undertake doctoral studies at Florida State University, earning a Ph.D. in Historic Preservation in 1965.
Upon returning to the University of Iowa and Keyes taught a variety of courses including Textile Design, Historic Interiors, and research seminars. In the 1970s and 1980s, Keyes led Iowa's drive to preserve and renovate its historic structures. She served as a board member for the State Historical Society of Iowa, the Terrace Hill (the Iowa governor's mansion) Authority, the Iowa City Urban Renewal Design Review Board, the Victorian Society of America, and the National Trust for Historic Preservation. Keyes's most important work in historic preservation was her 1975 to 1999 direction of the restoration of the Old State Capitol in Iowa City, converting it to a state historical museum. Keyes's commitments as director of Old Capitol, speaking engagements, and service work left her with little time to fulfill her duties as professor in the Home Economics department. She gradually decreased her course load and officially retired as full professor and was granted emeritus status in 1984. She was active as a researcher and active scholar well into her retirement.
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