Explore the new Historic “Mizzourians” biographies, now available on SHSMO's website . These new biographies are made possible through a generous donation from Carolyn P. and Robin R. Wenneker, whose financial support allows the State Historical Society of Missouri to expand the “Historic Mizzourians” initiative, highlighting prominent Missourians whose lives have intersected with the University of Missouri in meaningful ways.
“The Wennekers’ support has been instrumental in helping expand the Society’s signature Historic Missourians resource, highlighting contributions made by Missourians who were actively engaged with the Show-Me State's flagship university,” said SHSMO’s director of research, Sean Rost.
The new biographies include: Betty Cooper Hearnes, Missouri’s First Lady who became a member of the Missouri House of Representatives where she was a strong advocate for education, public safety, and the arts; Marlin Perkins, internationally-recognized zoologist best known for hosting the television series Mutual of Omaha’s Wild Kingdom; Katherine Bain, a prominent expert on pediatrics and public health, known for her work with the U.S. Children’s Bureau and the United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF); and Frederick C. Robbins, a Nobel Prize winner who pioneered new research into the evolution of the poliomyelitis virus that impacted the development of a polio vaccine.
The Historic Missourians website—which meets education standards set by the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education—is widely used by students and teachers around the state as they learn about notable people who influenced the Show-Me State.