Manuscript Collection

Active Collecting Areas

The State Historical Society of Missouri is always interested in augmenting its holdings. Those interested in donating personal and family papers, records of organizations, or other types of historically significant materials related to the history of Missouri are encouraged to contact us. For a general introduction to the donation of papers please view our Donor's Guide to the Manuscript Collection.

Archive of Soil Science
Established in 1992, in conjunction with the Soil Science Society of American Council on History, this collection makes accessible the papers of scientists, scholars and organizations involved with the study of soil science.

German Heritage Archives
With guidance from Professor Emeritus Adolf E. Schroeder of the University of Missouri German Studies department, the German Heritage Archives was established to collect and preserve primary source materials pertaining to German traditions in Missouri and the Midwest.

Kemper Military School
Founded in 1844, Kemper Military School in Boonville was once the oldest military school west of the Mississippi River. The last graduating class held its commencement ceremony in spring 2002, when the school closed because of financial difficulties.

National Women and Media Collection
The National Women and Media Collection documents the roles women have played and are playing in media fields, both as media employees and as objects of coverage, how those roles have altered over time, and how attitudes of and towards women have changed.

Overseas Weekly
When we acquired the papers of Vietnam War correspondent Ann Bryan Mariano McKay in 2003, we became the archival repository with the largest collection of Overseas Weekly records in the world.