Latest News & Announcements

SHSMO Hosts Legends of Conservation Exhibition and Talks

A one-day only exhibition and talks featuring conservation’s influential pioneers and the early movement in Missouri to restore forests, fish and wildlife in Missouri will be held Saturday, Feb. 15, 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. at the State Historical Society of Missouri, 605 Elm St., Columbia. Legends of Conservation, a life-size display of trailblazing conservationists, including Aldo Leopold, Rachel Carson, John Muir, and others, will be set up in the lobby of the State Historical Society on February 15 only.

Register for Missouri Conference on History by Feb. 10 for Best Rates

The 67th annual Missouri Conference on History will be held March 12-14, 2025, at the Adams Pointe Conference Center in Blue Springs. The conference brings together scholars, teachers, authors, and historians to learn and share their work and to advance the field of study of Missouri history. Anyone interested or involved in the teaching of history, historical research, historical preservation, or any other professional applications of history is welcome. Early Bird registration ($55) ends Feb. 10. Standard registration ($65) is Feb. 11-24 and late registration (Feb.

Columbia Author Examines Walt Disney’s Ten Years in Kansas City

Disney historian and Columbia resident Dan Viets will present a program “Walt Disney of Kansas City” January 14 at noon at the State Historical Society of Missouri (SHSMO). Viets’ talk is part of the History on Elm series, held at the Center for Missouri Studies, 605 Elm St., Columbia, noon – 1 p.m. on the second Tuesday of the month. The programs are free and open to the public.

St. Louis Scholars Awarded 2025 Center for Missouri Studies Fellowships

The State Historical Society of Missouri is awarding a Center for Missouri Studies fellowship to a pair of scholars from the Saint Louis University (SLU) School of Education in 2025. Amy Shelton, an adjunct professor and senior researcher at the SLU Policy Research in Missouri Education (PRiME) Center, and Joseph R. Nichols Jr., an associate professor and affiliate research faculty with PRiME, will share the fellowship for their joint research project, “School District Boundaries and the Preservation of Segregation in Suburban St. Louis.”  

Center for Missouri Studies building wins 2024 American Architecture Award

The State Historical Society of Missouri has been recognized with a 2024 American Architecture Award in the Institution category, according to an announcement released by AMA this month. MultiStudio (formerly Gould Evans) designed and built the Center for Missouri, headquarters of SHSMO. Last spring, the architectural firm submitted our building design to the annual award program organized by The Chicago Athenaeum and The European Centre for Architecture Art Design and Urban Studies.

SHSMO Hosts 6th Annual Holiday Open House December 7

The State Historical Society of Missouri will host its 6th Annual Holiday Open House Saturday, Dec. 7, 10 a.m. – 3 p.m. at the Center for Missouri Studies, 605 Elm St., Columbia. Visit 17 booths featuring gift items created by local and regional artisans while strolling through the festively decorated Center for Missouri Studies. Refreshments will be served, and the event is free to the public. Books and Missouri-themed gifts will also be available for purchase in the bookstore. 

Register Now for TWO Free Webinars

The State Historical Society is offering several live webinars in December. On December 5 at 1 p.m., Bill Eddleman continues his Basic Genealogy series with “Combining Traditional and Archival Resources to Tell a Life Story: Michael S. Eddlemon.” This presentation documents how “beyond the basics” resources can give us a more complete picture of our ancestors. The story will weave a biography by integrating both traditional and “beyond the basics” sources.

African American Experience in Missouri Lecture to Feature 50 Years of Published Works by Gary Kremer

This year marks 50 years since historian Gary Kremer, executive director of the State Historical Society of Missouri, published his first essay on the African American experience in Missouri. Kremer will discuss some of his most important findings over the course of a half century of research and writing on the topic of race in Missouri. The public is invited to Kremer’s talk on Tuesday, November 12, 6:30 p.m., at the State Historical Society of Missouri Center for Missouri Studies, 605 Elm St., Columbia, Mo. A public reception will be held beginning at 6 p.m.