Our Missouri

Episode 19: "Rube Tube" – Sara K. Eskridge

Sure, you think you know about the Ozarks. The home of Branson, the Baldknobbers, and the Beverly Hillbillies…right? Well, in this series, we'll talk about the Ozarks—a region covering roughly half of Missouri—as a cultural identity as well as a physical place. So, come along for a trip to the Ozarks. This episode features a conversation with Sara K. Eskridge about her new book, Rube Tube: CBS and Rural Comedy in the Sixties. Published by the University of Missouri Press, Rube Tube examines the rise and fall of so-called "rural comedies"—several of which had ties to Missourian Paul Henning—as television networks like CBS sought to rebrand themselves during the turbulent decade of the 1960s.

Episode Image: General Electric television set, 1949 [Charles Trefts Photographs (P0034), SHSMO]

About the Guest: Sara K. Eskridge holds a Ph.D. in History from Louisiana State University. Presently, she serves as an instructor at Western Governors University. Her book, Rube Tube: CBS and Rural Comedy in the Sixties, was published by the University of Missouri Press in 2018.

Episode 18: "A History of the Ozarks" – Brooks Blevins

Sure, you think you know about the Ozarks. The home of Branson, the Baldknobbers, and the Beverly Hillbillies…right? Well, in this series, we'll talk about the Ozarks—a region covering roughly half of Missouri—as a cultural identity as well as a physical place. So, come along for a trip to the Ozarks. This episode features a conversation with Brooks Blevins about his new three-volume series on the Ozarks entitled A History of the Ozarks.

Episode Image: Scene in the Ozarks, date unknown [Charles Trefts Photographs (P0034), SHSMO]

About the Guest: Brooks Blevins holds a Ph.D. in History from Auburn University. Presently, he serves as the Noel Boyd Professor of Ozarks Studies at Missouri State University. His book, A History of the Ozarks, Volume 1: The Old Ozarks, was published by the University of Illinois Press in 2018. A History of the Ozarks, Volume 2: The Conflicted Ozarks will be released in Fall 2019.

Summer Series, Part 4: One Year Later

Fifty years ago this summer—1969 to be exact—the space race pitting the United States against the Soviet Union was reaching the proverbial finish line. The only question that remained was: Who would land on the Moon first? During our special Summer Series, we will explore the history behind the contributions made by Americans—and more specifically, Missourians—to not only explore the far reaches of space, but also to land a person on the Moon. This episode focuses on the aftermath of the Moon Landing and how NASA tried to sustain support for the space program by taking key Apollo 11 artifacts on a cross-country tour.

Episode Image: Display of moon rocks collecting during NASA Apollo missions at the Missouri State Capitol, 2019 [Courtesy of Sean Rost]

Summer Series, Part 3: Moon Memories

Fifty years ago this summer—1969 to be exact—the space race pitting the United States against the Soviet Union was reaching the proverbial finish line. The only question that remained was: Who would land on the Moon first? During our special Summer Series, we will explore the history behind the contributions made by Americans—and more specifically, Missourians—to not only explore the far reaches of space, but also to land a person on the Moon. This episode focuses on Walter Cronkite and his rise from a Kansas City Star paperboy to one of the most trusted figures in journalism, especially when it came to all things NASA. We'll also re-live—through the memories of residents across the state—the culmination of the space race and the first steps on the moon.

Episode Image: Print of American flag being planted on the moon, 1969 [Ruby Rose Stauber Photographs (SP0014), SHSMO]

Summer Series, Part 2: Mr. Mac & the Race to the Moon

Fifty years ago this summer—1969 to be exact—the space race pitting the United States against the Soviet Union was reaching the proverbial finish line. The only question that remained was: Who would land on the Moon first? During our special Summer Series, we will explore the history behind the contributions made by Americans—and more specifically, Missourians—to not only explore the far reaches of space, but also to land a person on the Moon. This episode focuses on James S. McDonnell and the inner workings of McDonnell Aircraft during Project Mercury and Project Gemini.

Episode Image: President John F. Kennedy and James S. McDonnell, Jr. inspect a Project Gemini capsule, St. Louis, Missouri, 1962 [McDonnell Space Program in St. Louis Collection (S0759), SHSMO]

Summer Series 2019, Part 1: Calculations

Fifty years ago this summer—1969 to be exact—the space race pitting the United States against the Soviet Union was reaching the proverbial finish line. The only question that remained was: Who would land on the Moon first? During our special Summer Series, we will explore the history behind the contributions made by Americans—and more specifically, Missourians—to not only explore the far reaches of space, but also to land a person on the Moon. This episode focuses on an astronomer—Edwin Hubble—and a mathematician—Dorothy Vaughan—who grew up in Missouri, but later achieved international acclaim in their respective fields.

Episode Image: A group standing near a telescope, 1939 [Arthur Witman Photograph Collection (S0717), SHSMO]

Episode 17: "A River in the City of Fountains" – Amahia Mallea

Since its earliest days, Missouri has been defined by its rivers. While the Mississippi River gets most of the attention thanks to the literary works of authors like Mark Twain, the Missouri River is actually the longer of the two waterways and travels through more counties in the state than its counterpart. This episode features a conversation with Amahia Mallea about her new book, A River in the City of Fountains, and the complex history of the great river known as the "Big Muddy."

Episode Image: Missouri River Navigation Association, Kansas City, Missouri, 1932 [J. C. Nichols Company Scrapbooks (K0054), SHSMO]

About the Guest: Amahia Mallea is an associate professor of history at Drake University. She holds a PhD in history from the University of Missouri-Columbia. Her recent book, A River in the City of Fountains: An Environmental History of Kansas City and the Missouri River, was published by the University Press of Kansas in 2018.

Episode 16: Rolla, Rotoscope, & Route 66 – Katie Seale

Spring is here. The temperatures are warming up. The trees are green. The wildlife is out. And the state's highways and waterways are calling your name. For many, May marks the start of vacation season. And so, it's time to hit the road and talk about Rolla, Rotoscope, and Route 66. This episode features Katie Seale discussing the upcoming Ozark Pickin' Time Concert as well as some of the unique collections housed at the State Historical Society of Missouri's Rolla Research Center.

Episode Image: Jimmy Orchard playing guitar with friends, 1958 [James W. Orchard Papers (R1351), SHSMO]

About the Guest: Katie Seale holds a master's degree in history from Oklahoma State University. A native of the Missouri Ozarks, she worked at the State Historical Society's Springfield Research Center before being appointed as a Senior Archivist at the Rolla Research Center.

Episode 15: The African American Press in Missouri – Debra Foster Greene

On April 30, 2019, Debra Foster Greene, professor emerita of history at Lincoln University will give a presentation entitled, "To Educate and Elevate: The African American Press in Missouri," as part of the African American Experience in Missouri Lecture Series. Greene's presentation will be held at the Memorial Student Union's Stotler Lounge on the University of Missouri campus. This episode features Debra Foster Greene discussing notable state newspapers, prominent publishers, the evolution of journalism, and how she came to research Missouri's African American Press.

Episode Image: St. Louis Argus newspaper office staff [St. Louis Argus Photograph Collection (S0586), SHSMO]

About the Guest: Debra Foster Greene is Professor Emerita of History at Lincoln University. She holds a Ph.D. in History from the University of Missouri-Columbia. She spent 22 years at Lincoln University before retiring as Associate Provost for Strategic Academic Initiatives in 2018.

Episode 14: A Conversation with Missouri’s First Lady – Teresa Parson

The year 2021 will mark Missouri's Bicentennial, as well as the 150^th anniversary of the construction of the Governor's Mansion. Recorded on location at the "People's House," this episode features Mrs. Teresa Parson, First Lady of the State of Missouri, and Dr. Gary R. Kremer, Executive Director of the State Historical Society of Missouri, discussing Mrs. Parson's life and family as well as her goals for addressing important issues related to the state's culture and history.  We hope you enjoy this conversation with Missouri's First Lady.

Episode Image: Governor’s Mansion, Jefferson City, Missouri, 1891 [State of Missouri Collection (P0018), SHSMO]

About the Guest: A native of Bolivar, First Lady Teresa Parson has deep roots in Missouri, particularly Polk County. After spending her youth on her family's southwest Missouri cattle farm, she was employed in the banking industry for forty years. An advocate and volunteer for many causes around the state, she has served as First Lady of the State of Missouri since her husband was sworn in as Governor in 2018.