Iowa's First Gentleman Kevin Reynolds Is A Doll, Literally

DES MOINES, IA — If you approach Kevin Reynolds, husband of Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds, and tell him he's a doll, he'll probably blush as much as he did today when the state unveiled the first "first gentleman" doll in his likeness at the Iowa Capitol. The doll is the 45th in the state's collection that was started to represent the governor's spouses and their inaugural gowns — or in his case, tuxedo.

The porcelain-faced doll was crafted by Jean Edsall of Colorado Springs, Colo., a master caster and one of the few dollmakers that could be found in the United States to create a likeness, said Diane Becker, administrator at Terrace Hill.

"It's really hard to find dollmakers that make adults, and especially males," Becker said.

The doll was paid for by the Terrace Hill Foundation and became the 45th in the collection located in the south rotunda of the Capitol. The collection began in 1976 by then-First Lady Billie Ray, who had seen the national exhibit of first ladies' inaugural gowns and wanted to design something similar for Iowans to enjoy.

The doll case is one of the more popular stops on Capitol visits for school children, said Joni Arnett, who has been conducting tours for 41 years. She said while boys typically enjoy the battleship USS Iowa replica most, girls are fascinated with the First Ladies.

Make that First Spouses now.

Arnett said when she was a fairly new tour guide and the doll collection was unveiled Dec. 28, 1976, there were two things that she never dreamed of: That in four decades she would see only four dolls added and that it would take so long for Iowans to elect a female governor.

"It shows that no matter what your gender is, you can aspire to the highest office," she said, adding to Kevin Reynolds: "I imagine this (doll) probably is not your life's dream, but it makes me proud that we have come to this."

Joe Reynolds, the 95-year-old uncle of the governor, also said he was proud to have his nephew's name and face be on the first male doll in the exhibit.

"He's going to be there a long time. It's an honor," Joe Reynolds said. "He's always been a good man — and he was such a good kid."

Kevin Reynolds, speaking briefly at the unveiling and blushing at the attention, said it was an honor to be the inaugural First Gentleman in the display. Additional male dolls were created and will remain in state storage until another First Gentleman is needed for display, so each will have the same male face, just as the First Lady dolls all are modeled after Billie Ray.

Reynolds laughed when asked if he thought the doll looked like him. "The hair does," he said.

And showing his lack of red carpet and fashion expertise, Reynolds had little to say about the outfit he was depicted in as his inaugural attire.

"It's just a tux that I own," he said. "There's nothing special about it that I'm aware of."

Reynolds said the governor had not yet seen the doll so he wasn't sure what her reaction would be. But he said he had an idea that would have made the process much simpler:

"I said 'Just get a G.I. Joe doll' for it," he said.

Photos by Melissa Myers, Patch