In the making for almost a decade, the Dictionary of Missouri Biography is the most important reference work on Missouri biography to be published in the last half century. Written by nearly three hundred talented authors from around the country and edited by four of the leading authorities on Missouri history, this monumental work contains biographies of more than seven hundred individuals who have in some way made a contribution to the course of state and national history.
Covering all periods as well as all regions of the state, this remarkable volume illustrates the state's cultural, racial, and ethnic diversity. Although the men and women chosen for inclusion in this book came from many walks of life, all of them were either born in Missouri or through their lives touched the state in a significant way. Many of the people will be instantly recognizable, but others will be less well known. Each of them, however, achieved notoriety in some area of activity—politics, business, agriculture, the arts, entertainment, sports, education, military service, diplomacy, social reform, civic improvements, science, or religion.
Providing information on and insight into the lives, careers, personalities, and eras of all of the subjects, the book clearly presents the achievements of the featured individuals, as well as the richness of the state's heritage. Brief bibliographies after each entry direct the reader toward further research on a given subject.
Written in an easy-to-read and accessible style, the Dictionary of Missouri Biography will be an indispensable reference. Scholars, researchers, and the general reader will turn to this guide repeatedly to discover useful and reliable information about noteworthy Missourians. Every library, every school, every historian, and every Missouri family will want this important new work.
About the Editors
Lawrence O. Christensen (1937-2016) was Distinguished Teaching Professor Emeritus of History at the University of Missouri-Rolla. He received his Ph.D. in History from the University of Missouri – Columbia. Among his books are A History of Missouri: 1875-1929 and Missouri: The Heart of the Nation.
William E. Foley is Professor of History at Central Missouri State University in Warrensburg. General Editor of the Missouri Biography Series, he is the author of numerous books, including The Genesis of Missouri: From Wilderness Outpost to Statehood and Wilderness Journey: The Life of William Clark.
Gary R. Kremer is Executive Director of the State Historical Society of Missouri and adjunct professor of history at the University of Missouri in Columbia, MO. Dr. Kremer received his Ph.D. from American University in Washington, DC. He is the author and editor of numerous works, including Race and Meaning: The African American Experience in Missouri, George Washington Carver: A Biography, and George Washington Carver: In His Own Words.
Kenneth H. Winn is the former state archivist of Missouri and former director of the Library and Public Services for the Missouri Supreme Court of Missouri. He is the author or coeditor of a number of books and articles on Missouri political and cultural history. He has taught history at Washington University, the University of Missouri-Columbia, and Lincoln University.
Product Specifications
Published by University of Missouri Press, hardback, 1999. 832 pages.
