Latest News & Announcements

SHSMO Receives the Papers of Environmental Media Leader Hazel Henderson

The Hazel Henderson Papers, recently donated to the State Historical Society of Missouri’s National Women and Media Collection, offers study of an environmental thought leader whose work included nine books and hundreds of articles on sustainability and the growing “green” economy.  Henderson is best known as a futurist, whose book, The Politics of the Solar Age, published in 1981, forecasted the need for the current transition from the fossil fuel era to the 21st century green economy worldwide.

Opening Reception Ginger Rogers: Dressed to Impress Exhibition March 14

A public open house and reception will be held on Thursday, March 14, 5:30-7:30 p.m., at the State Historical Society of Missouri, 605 Elm St., Columbia, featuring costumes worn by Hollywood actress Ginger Rogers during her lengthy career as an entertainer. The exhibition Ginger Rogers: Dressed to Impress opened in March and runs through August 2024 at the SHSMO Art Gallery. A public reception is in conjunction with the Missouri Conference on History, which will be held in Columbia March 13-15.

Author of Newspaperwoman of the Ozarks: The Life and Times of Lucile Morris Upton to speak at SHSMO in Columbia

A trailblazing journalist who wrote stories about the Ozarks and covered much of its development throughout the 20th century is featured in a new biography, Newspaperwoman of the Ozarks: The Life and Times of Lucile Morris Upton, written by Susan Croce Kelly. The author will speak about her recent book as part of the State Historical Society of Missouri’s History on Elm series, Tuesday, March 12, noon- 1 p.m., at the Center for Missouri Studies, 605 Elm St., Columbia.

Stories from the Archives debuts this week on KSMU Ozarks Public Radio in Springfield

This week begins a new series, Stories from the Archives, on KSMU Ozarks Public Radio, written and hosted by SHSMO Archivist Haley Frizzle-Green. Airing at 8:30 a.m. on the last Monday of each month, Frizzle-Green will highlight collections from Southwest Missouri region. For the inaugural episode, listeners will learn about the Mark Twain National Forest Historical Photograph Collection and wildfire prevention efforts of the 1930s. 

Golden Episode of "Tales from Days Gone By" Airs Today on KCRCU in Cape Girardeau

SHSMO congratulates Bill Eddleman, coordinator of the Cape Girardeau Research Center for producing and hosting the 50th episode of “Tales from Days Gone By,” airing on KRCU Public Radio and available for download on the station’s website. The series explores the rich history of Southeast Missouri including unique places, celebrated figures, and interesting stories of ordinary people.  

Author Talk “Indigenous Missourians: Ancient Societies to the Present to be featured at State Historical Society of Missouri

An upcoming public program will look at the centuries of Indigenous presence in the state as part of the History on Elm series in February. Author and historian Greg Olson will discuss the resiliency of Indigenous Missourians who survived and evolved despite extreme challenges they encountered. The public program titled: Points, Pots, Pipes, and Powwows, will be held Tuesday, Feb. 13, noon- 1 p.m.

SHSMO Announces 2024 Fellowship Awards

The State Historical Society of Missouri is awarding Center for Missouri Studies fellowships to two history scholars in 2024. Jenna Lyons, a visiting assistant professor at Grand Valley State University in Allendale, Michigan, has won a fellowship award for her proposed study, “‘Dear Mr. President’: Bertha Bless, the Missouri Press Club, and the National Federation of Press Women.” John W.

SHSMO Publishes Diary of a Civil War Soldier in Missouri

The State Historical Society of Missouri has released a new book with a vivid account of the tense Missouri-Arkansas border region during the Civil War. “My Own Commander”: The Civil War Journal of J. J. Sitton, 1863–1865 recounts the experiences of a young Confederate soldier from Washington County, Missouri, who traveled the Ozarks as a military recruiter and then rode with General Sterling Price on a last-ditch effort to capture Missouri for the South.