The launching of a warship usually does not bring controversy, but in America even this event could not escape the political subject of the day. The event was scheduled to take place at the William Cramp Shipyard in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, the battleship Iowa was to be launched. The ship's sponsor was Miss Mary Lord Drake, the daughter of the Governor of Iowa. As customary she would break a bottle of champaign on her bows to christen her, but the Women's Christian Temperance Union, an anti-alcohol group, sent her several letters protesting against the use of champaign and suggested that Iowa water be used as a substitute. Miss Drake, with unusual political savvy, replied to them that while she was in complete agreement with their cause, the programme had been set by the Navy and she had no control over it.

When the day came Mr. Henry Cramp presented her with a bottle of champaign, which she dutifully broke on the ship's bows sending her sliding down the ways at 1:14 p.m. on March 28, 1896. No less than 300 people came down from Washington D.C., including the Secretary of the Navy Hilary A. Herbert, to witness the launch along with thousands of local people.

When she entered the water the whistle on the battleship Massachusetts was sounded and loud cheers were heard from the crowd. Shortly thereafter her anchors were dropped to check her speed and she was brought to a stop on an even keel.

Governor Francis M. Drake of Iowa later told reporters "I consider it a great honor for our State to be chosen as the name of the largest and finest battleship which has thus far been built in this country. Mr. Cramp told me that her contract called for sixteen knots an hour, but that he expected her to do more than this when she was actually tried.

Everything about the launching went off propitiously. The moment my daughter struck the ship with the bottle of champaign the ship seemed to drop into the water without a single second's hesitation. Mr. Cramp said it was the most perfect launching that had ever occurred in his experience."

USS Iowa (BB-4) served until Mar. 22, 1923 when "the largest and finest battleship" was sunk as a target off Panama.