Joplin's Connor Hotel by Chad Stebbins
The hospitable history of an attempt at “the finest hostelry in the Southwest.” Determined to build the city’s finest hotel, Joplin’s first millionaire spared no expense on the magnificent Connor. The lobby, with its Italian marble rotunda and grand staircase, served as the city’s main gathering spot for the next 50 years. Thousands flocked to the rooftop garden, which became known as the “most pleasant spot in all Joplin.” The Connor hosted hundreds of conventions, outlaws such as “Pretty Boy” Floyd and more reputable guests including star athletes, Harry Truman, Richard Nixon, Eleanor Roosevelt, Gene Autry, and Robert Wadlow – the world’s tallest man. Local residents rallied to “Save the Connor” in the 1970s, but couldn’t stop its demolition and the tragic ending that caught the nation’s attention. Author Chad Stebbins details the fascinating history.
About the Author
Chad Stebbins is a professor of journalism and director of the Institute of International Studies at Missouri Southern State University. He is also the executive director of the International Society of Weekly Newspaper Editors. Stebbins is the author of All the News Is Fit to Print: Profile of a Country Editor, published by the University of Missouri Press in 1998.
xcept for time away pursuing graduate degrees, Chad Stebbins has lived in Joplin, Missouri, since the age of 9. Even though he serves as Missouri Southern State University's international director, he is a local history buff. He is a member of the Joplin Celebration Commission, which is helping to plan the city's 150th birthday celebration in 2022-23. Stebbins has traveled to France, Germany, Austria, Sweden, Ireland, England, Croatia, Turkey, Nepal, Russia, China, Taiwan, Senegal, Ivory Coast, the British Virgin Islands, Cuba, and Australia speaking at international conferences and negotiating agreements and partnerships for MSSU. Stebbins is also a professor of journalism and advised MSSU's weekly student newspaper, The Chart, for 15 years.
Product Specifications
Published by The History Press, 2021. Paperback, 192 pages.
