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The mission of the State Historical Society of Missouri is to preserve and share the legacy of Missouri history. The Society has been actively collecting historical and noteworthy materials for over 120 years. Six SHSMO research centers, located around the state, provide free access to these historical items. The collections at each center reflect the unique region they represent.

The State Historical Society of Missouri launched the My Missouri Lecture Series on November 2 with a talk by former US Senator Claire McCaskill. The inaugural lecture, which also served as the keynote address for SHSMO’s Annual Meeting, highlighted the schedule of events for the first annual gathering held at the new Center for Missouri Studies building in Columbia.

Author and Historian Chuck Haddix will present Early Bird: Charlie Parker’s Life and Music in Kansas City as part of the African-American Experience in Missouri lecture series. A reception, talk, and book signing will be held Tuesday, Nov. 19, at the Center for Missouri Studies, 605 Elm St., Columbia, Missouri. A reception will begin at 6 p.m., half an hour before Haddix’s presentation at 6:30 p.m. A book signing and meet-and-greet will follow the program at 7:30 p.m. The event is free and open to the public.

At the Annual Meeting on November 2, trustees elected Virginia J. Laas as president of the State Historical Society of Missouri. Laas, of Joplin, is the second woman to serve as the Society’s president. The first was newspaper publisher Avis Tucker, who was president from 1992 to 1995. 

“I have watched this organization take giant leaps forward over the past 24 years,” said Laas. “Just like the Apollo 11 moon landing that we celebrated on its golden anniversary in July, we, too, have moved heaven and earth to be where we are today.”

A special traveling exhibit and several talks marking the United States' entry into World War I will be presented at the Curtis Laws Wilson Library on the Missouri University of Science and Technology campus in Rolla during the month of November. Displays of photographs, documents, and other items  from the Smithsonian Institution, will be supplemented with material from the SHSMO Rolla Research Center, Missouri S&T Archives, and the U.S. Army Engineer Museum. The exhibit and talks will explore the war's lasting impact and far-reaching influence on American life.

KRCG–Former Missouri Senator Claire McCaskill's book tour brought her back to mid-Missouri Saturday.

McCaskill spoke at the State Historical Society of Missouri Center for Missouri Studies in Columbia as the first speaker in the My Missouri lecture series.

The series features prominent Missourians who will talk about their lives and how the state's history, people and culture...

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Flatland–The State Historical Society of Missouri has announced receipt of a $250,000 lead gift toward relocating and expanding a research center at the University of Missouri-Kansas City.

The award comes from the Kansas City-based Miller Nichols Charitable Foundation. The money will assist in moving the Kansas City Research Center from Newcomb Hall to a new 5,100-square-foot spot in Miller Nichols Library.

At present, most of the research center’s...