Driven by grit and determination during the Depression, John Ruan parlayed a one-truck business into Ruan Transportation Management Systems, one of the nation’s leading trucking, leasing, and logistics companies. The trucking business made John Ruan one of the wealthiest and most influential people in Iowa and was the foundation for his vast fortune which included interests in insurance, banking, financial services, international trade, and real estate.

In the 1970s and 80s, Ruan led Des Moines’s renaissance with the construction of the 36-story original Ruan Center, the Marriott Hotel tower, and the Two Ruan Center office complex. But his contributions reached far beyond the confines of Iowa. As a philanthropist, Ruan was a long-time sponsor of the World Food Prize, which recognizes the importance of a nutritious and sustainable food supply for all people.

Based on extensive interviews with Ruan, family members, business associates, friends, and colleagues, as well as privately held papers and archives, In for the Long Haul presents a discerning portrait of this hard-charging yet compassionate businessman.

William Friedricks is professor of history at Simpson College and director of the Iowa History Center. He was recently named the inaugural winner of the Iowa History Prize, awarded by Humanities Iowa to help support and promote awareness of and interest in Iowa history. He is the author of several books, including Investing in Iowa: The Life and Times of F. M. Hubbell and Covering Iowa: The History of the Des Moines Register and Tribune Company, and editor of the book series Iowa and the Midwest Experience.