Naturalization Ceremony

Herbert Hoover Presidential Library and Museum
West Branch, IA

The Herbert Hoover Presidential Library and Museum will host a naturalization ceremony to celebrate Constitution Day. 75 candidates will become new citizens of the United States on Friday, September 15 at 1:30 p.m., two days prior to the official Constitution Day holiday.

This marks the first naturalization ceremony held at the Library and Museum since 2019. While the event had been held annually for 13 consecutive years, the event will return for the first time to the Library and Museum since the COVID-19 pandemic.

Leaders with the Hoover Library and Museum say the impact of the event goes beyond the candidates, making it a moment worth the experience.

“Nearly 900 people have taken the Oath of Allegiance to the United States of America here in West Branch, on the campus commemorating Iowa’s only President of the United States,” said Tom Schwartz, director of the Herbert Hoover Presidential Library and Museum. “This event is always emotional, powerful, and special for the candidates, their families, and everyone involved. Bringing this event back to the Hoover campus around Constitution Day allows us to celebrate those who have dedicated themselves to the United States, the Constitution, and becoming a U.S. citizen.”

The ceremony will be held on the east lawn of the Library and Museum, within the Hoover National Historic Site. The event is open to the public and there is no admission to attend. In the event of inclement weather, the ceremony will be moved indoors to the Library and Museum’s Auditorium and space will be limited.

This event is made possible by the U.S. District Court Northern District of Iowa, League of Women Voters, Daughters of the American Revolution Nathaniel Fellows Chapter, the Extension Chords singers, the American Legion Post 514, Hoover Presidential Foundation, the Herbert Hoover National Historic Site, and the Herbert Hoover Presidential Library and Museum.