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Iowa's Wolf In Populist Clothing: Norman Baker, 1925-1936, Eric Scott Juhnke

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

During the depression years of the late 1920s and 1930s, Muscatine, Iowa's Norman Baker stood as both a powerful and controversial figure in rural eastern Iowa. Baker's successful business empire, which at its height included a radio station, mail order enterprise, newspaper, magazine, and a cancer quackery hospital, earned the Muscatine tycoon millions of dollars in revenue over the course of a decade. Despite this business success, Baker's brash personality, vituperative broadcasting style, and fraudulent medical claims were subjects of constant controversy.

Considering both Baker's suspect reputation and the poor agricultural conditions of the day, the question remains: How did …