Manuscript Collection

Introduction to the Manuscript Collection

The State Historical Society of Missouri (SHSMO) began acquiring manuscript materials soon after its founding by members of the Missouri Press Association in 1898.  The first full-time secretary of the Society, Francis A. Sampson, was a passionate collector, and one of his earliest and most significant acquisitions was the Thomas Adams Smith (1781-1844), Papers.

In 1943 the Western Historical Manuscript Collection (WHMC) was created at the University of Missouri with the aid of a Rockefeller Foundation grant.  Initially developed to serve as a repository for the Work Projects Administration, Missouri Historical Records Survey files, WHMC eventually came to include other documents of historical importance.

The manuscript holdings of SHSMO and WHMC were physically combined in 1963, creating a joint collection.  With the establishment of the University of Missouri four-campus system, branches were opened in 1968 on the St. Louis campus and in 1980 on the Kansas City and Rolla campuses.  In 2011 SHSMO assumed sole management of the four-campus Manuscript Collection.

Researching online?

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The holdings can be accessed through:

Narrative descriptions and inventories of each collection enhance the card catalog entries.

Visiting the Research Centers?

All researchers are welcome to use the Society's resources. Holdings are non-circulating and must be used on the premises. Researchers must provide photo identification, and read and sign a rules and consent form before using manuscript material.

Reference archivists are available to assist the in-house researcher, as well as to answer e-mail, mail, and telephone inquiries. There is no charge for reference assistance or use of the collections.

Planning a visit from out of town?

Some collections require written permission from the donor to use and/or photocopy. Out-of-town researchers are encouraged to contact us prior to their visit so materials can be recalled from storage or the other research centers if necessary.

Collections stored off-site are usually available for use within 24 hours. Materials housed at one center can be viewed at any of the others; transfers from one campus to another usually takes 48 hours. Microfilmed collections can be borrowed through interlibrary loan.

Need copies of collection material?

All photocopying is handled by the staff. Collections cannot be reproduced in their entirety. Orders of over 200 pages will be photocopied at the staff's discretion based on previously scheduled work. Audio and video materials held by the Society are for research use only, but may be reproduced on a case-by-case basis.