Khrushchev Comes To Iowa

September 23, 1959:

 Iowa farmer and corn breeder Roswell Garst hosts Soviet premier Nikita Khrushchev.

A little bit about Garst, and the Soviet Premier's visit, from the Des Moines Register:

Roswell "Bob" Garst, perhaps Iowa's most famous farmer, was a colorful man and an unusual diplomat who helped bring warmth to the Cold War. Garst was a confidant of Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev, who accepted the Iowan's invitation to tour his Coon Rapids farm on Sept. 23, 1959. On that day, an estimated 600 members of the international press descended on the quiet farm to witness the unprecedented visit between an Iowa man of the soil and a controversial head of state - who brought along his wife, Nina, and an entourage of at least 90 people.
Garst and Khrushchev enjoyed good rapport. Garst was the son of Coon Rapids merchant Edward Garst and his wife, Bertha. Garst attended Iowa State College, Northwestern University and the University of Wisconsin but did not earn a degree. He began his farming career in 1917, then lived in Des Moines from 1926 to 1930 to try his hand at real estate. In the capital city, Garst met Henry A. Wallace and became enthusiastic about Wallace's ideas for hybrid seed corn. In 1930, Garst and Coon Rapids friend Charles Thomas established the Garst & Thomas Hybrid Corn Co. and became the Midwest marketers of Wallace's Pioneer Hi-Bred brand corn. Garst, a master salesman, became wealthy. In 1955, he made his first visit behind the Iron Curtain to market corn to the Russians.

I find it interesting that Garst started out by partnering with Henry A. Wallace selling Wallace's Pioneer Seed Corn.  More on Garst here.