State Historical Society director to give Missouri history lecture

The Joplin Globe, Mo.
·2 min read

Oct. 4—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 in Webster Hall's Corley Auditorium at Missouri Southern State University.

Kremer's book, "This Place of Promise: A Historian's Perspective on 200 Years of Missouri History," was published in November 2021 and was tied to the bicentennial celebration of Missouri's statehood.

Kremer is a fifth-generation Missourian who has written, co-written and co-edited a dozen books, including "George Washington Carver: A Biography" and "Race and Meaning: The African American Experience in Missouri." He previously taught history at Lincoln University in Jefferson City and later at William Woods, and served as state archivist from 1987 to 1991. He 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," said Virginia Laas, a retired MSSU history professor and president of the historical society's board of trustees, in a statement. "Today, we have a modern, three-story building across the street from Peace Park (in Columbia). 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, in a statement. "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."

Kremer's presentation at Missouri Southern is presented by the social science department. Admission is free and open to the public.