Latest News & Announcements

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.  

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.

In the latest series of Our Missouri, host Sean Rost explores the lives of several influential Missourians and their contributions to art, politics, radio and television, conservation and environmentalism, breaking racial barriers, and philanthropy.

A dazzling collection of costumes worn by Hollywood star Ginger Rogers will be on display at the State Historical Society of Missouri in March. The public can get a sneak peak of this stunning collection on Tuesday, Jan. 9, 2024, during the History on Elm noon series at the Center for Missouri Studies, 605 Elm St., Columbia.

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.

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.

The State Historical Society of Missouri’s History on Elm noon series will close out the year with a presentation by SHSMO executive director Gary Kremer, who will connect the past to the present in his latest book, This Place of Promise: A Historian's Perspective on 200 Years of Missouri History.

The State Historical Society of Missouri will host its 5th Annual Holiday Open House Saturday, Dec. 2, 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. at the Center for Missouri Studies, 605 Elm St., Columbia. Visit more than a dozen 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 with extended hours that day.

The public is invited to a free program Nov. 30, 6:30 p.m., by author and musician Howard Marshall, who will perform music and talk about his latest book Keep it Old-Time: Fiddle Music in Missouri from the 1960s Folks Music Revival to the Present. The event will be held at the State Historical Society of Missouri, 605 Elm St., Columbia.

The public is invited to a reception and free film screening that examines the important contributions by Black Americans who helped to develop and grow the region of Southwest Missouri. “Generations: African American Experiences in Springfield and the Ozarks” is a new documentary produced by Ozarks Public Television.  The film will be shown at the State Historical Society of Missouri, 605 Elm St., Columbia, on November 14 from 6-8 p.m.