SHSMO Center for Missouri Studies
605 Elm St.
Columbia, Mo.
Born in Ireland, Tom Connor lived the classic American rags-to-riches story. He witnessed several of the Civil War’s major battles as a newsboy with the 8th Ohio Volunteer Infantry, then spent a decade wondering around the U.S. before ending up in southwest Missouri. Connor soon developed a knack for knowing which tracts of land had rich zinc deposits underneath. He bought thousands of acres of land containing the ore and was a millionaire by age 31.
Unlike Joplin’s other mining kings, Connor never built a mansion for himself, preferring to spend his money on others. He gave thousands of dollars to churches and charities in Joplin and his hometown of Tiffin, Ohio, but his greatest gift was “the finest hotel property in this part of the country.” The magnificent Connor Hotel, which opened in 1908 and featured an Italian marble rotunda and grand staircase, would serve as the city’s main gathering spot for the next 50 years. Notorious guests included outlaws such as “Pretty Boy” Floyd, and more reputable visitors that included movie stars, famous athletes, Harry Truman, Richard Nixon, Eleanor Roosevelt, Gene Autry, and Robert Wardlow, the world’s tallest man. Local residents rallied to “Save the Connor” in the 1970s but couldn’t stop its demolition and the tragic ending that caught the nation’s attention.
About the Presenter: Chad Stebbins, PhD, taught courses in journalism/communications and international studies at Missouri State University and oversaw MSSU's mission in global education. He led student and alumni study abroad trips and advised the student newspaper. After retiring from MSSU following a 40-career, Stebbins became executive director of the Missouri Press Association in January 2025. He is the author of two books, All the News Is Fit to Print: Profile of a Country Editor, published by the University of Missouri Press, and Joplin’s Connor Hotel, published by The History Press. The latter won the Walter Williams Award presented by the Missouri Writers Guild in 2022.