STATE HISTORICAL SOCIETY OF MISSOURI

The State Historical Society of Missouri research centers collect and maintain materials that include but are not limited to manuscripts, newspaper archives, photo archives, maps, oral histories, reference works, and an art collection for public and scholarly use.

The society, in conjunction with the Missouri Humanities Council, sponsors the Missouri component of the National History Day competition for junior and senior high school students. Permanent and changing exhibitions featuring works from the society’s art collection appear in the art galleries. Public programming includes workshops, lecture series, a statewide speakers’ bureau for not-for-profit organizations, and administration of the annual Missouri Conference on History.

The Missouri Historical Review, the Society’s quarterly journal, contains the nation’s most extensive collection of articles and edited documents on the history of Missouri. The society also publishes scholarly books; a quarterly newsletter; online publications such as the Historic Missourians biographical series for young readers; and occasional directories, guides, and indexes related to the holdings. Descriptions and ordering information can be obtained from the society’s web site.

The Society’s Center for Missouri Studies offers annual competitive fellowships to support ongoing scholarship on selected Missouri topics. Sponsored by the Richard S. Brownlee Fund, each fellowship awards a $5,000 stipend and presents opportunities to publish work in the Missouri Historical Review and to deliver a public lecture. Interested scholars should check the society’s web site or contact the society for further information.
A $1,500 cash award is presented annually for the best book written on the history of Missouri or Missourians; submission deadline is June 30 for books published during the previous calendar year. The $1,000 biennial Eagleton-Waters Award recognizes the best book published on the political history of Missouri during the two preceding years. The submission deadline is June 30 of odd-numbered years.
The Missouri Historical Review Award of $750 is given annually for the best article appearing in the journal. The biennial Mary Neth Prize of $500 is awarded to the author of the best article on women’s or gender history to appear in the journal in the preceding two volumes.
The Lewis E. Atherton Prizes annually recognize an outstanding master’s thesis and doctoral dissertation on Missouri history or biography. The winning thesis receives a $500 cash award; $1,000 is awarded to the winning dissertation. Nominations are made by the department granting the degrees; submission deadline is June 30.

National History Day in Missouri, launched in 1980, is the state affiliate of National History Day. Each year, nearly half a million students nationwide—grades 6 to 12—participate in this innovative educational program.

​They conduct extensive research on a historical subject that they choose and present findings their way by creating documentaries, exhibits, papers, performances or websites.

The State Historical Society of Missouri administers National History Day in Missouri. Over 6,000 students participate in the program each year, with nearly 600 advancing to the state contest at the University of Missouri in April.