Sunday school at Lakeside, 1933

State Historical Society director to speak Thursday at MSSU

Gary Kremer, executive director of the State Historical Society of Missouri, will offer a lecture tied to his latest book at 7 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 6, in Webster Hall’s Corley Auditorium at Missouri Southern State University.

“This Place of Promise: A Historian’s Perspective on 200 Years of Missouri History” was published in November 2021. Tied to the bicentennial celebration of Missouri’s statehood, the book includes personal perspectives from a native son as well as what it means to be a Missourian.

Presented by the MSSU Social Science Department, Kremer’s appearance at Southern was coordinated by Virginia Laas, a retired professor of history at the university who is currently wrapping up her three-year term as president of the historical society’s board of trustees.

“My term ends at the end of October,” said Laas. “We have never had Gary come to Missouri Southern to give a talk, and I was delighted that he agreed to come when I asked.

“He’ll talk about Missouri’s history, what it means to him and what he sees as the future for the state.”

Kremer, a fifth-generation Missourian, has written, coauthored and coedited a dozen books. He previously taught history at Lincoln University in Jefferson City and later at William Woods. He served as state archivist from 1987-91 and became executive director of the State Historical Society of Missouri in 2004.

“When Gary took over, we were located in the basement of the library at the University of Missouri in Columbia,” Laas said. “Today, we have a modern, three-story building across the street from Peace Park. The building itself epitomizes what he’s done for our organization. He oversaw the expansion of our programming and our outreach across the state. Under his management, the historical society gained a much greater presence in the state of Missouri.”

Kremer also led statewide efforts last year to commemorate the bicentennial through a variety of events.

“Dr. Kremer is a tremendous asset to our state and a valued colleague in our history community,” said Brad Belk, Missouri Southern’s community historian. “Gary did such a phenomenal job with Missouri’s 200-year celebration and was a compelling figure in the film (“Missouri! A Bicentennial Celebration”) that chronicled Missouri’s two centuries.”

Admission to his presentation at Missouri Southern is free and open to the public.

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The photograph was taken on Aug. 6, 1933, in front of a Boy Scout cabin belonging to Troop No. 25 at Lakeside Park.