American Social and Political History

Special Collections has many materials related to American social and political history, many of them related to news and journalism. The collection is particularly strong in the 1960s and 1970s: in addition to mimeographed political pamphlets by New Left and radical organizations, the collections also include campus and national newspapers from the alternative press. More broadly, Special Collections also holds a newspaper teaching collection donated by journalism professor Betty Winfield through the Journalism Library that contains notable first pages from the nineteenth century to the present as well as worldwide publications responding to the 9/11 terrorist attacks.

How to Use the Collection

With a few exceptions, the collections can be accessed and requested through the library catalog. Finding aids for individual collections are linked on this website. Materials are available for use in the Special Collections Reading Room (room 401) during regular hours. Materials do not circulate.

Finding Aids for American Social and Political History

Betty Winfield Newspaper Collection

Biographical Note [information from the School of Journalism] Betty Houchin Winfield, PhD, is a specialist in political communication and mass media…

Confederate Currency Collection

This collection includes 50 cent, 1, 2, 5, 10, 20, 50, and 100 dollar bills. All the bills in this collection were printed in Richmond, Virginia, the…

Council of National Defense Collection

The Council of National Defense was created in 1916 to coordinate the U.S. war effort during World War I. Members consisted of the Secretary of War,…

Daniel Webster Speeches Collection, 1806-1932

The Daniel Webster Speeches Collection contains pamphlets of speeches made by and about Daniel Webster, for the most part published during or shortly…

Fourth of July Orations Collection

The Fourth of July Orations Collection contains published pamphlets of addresses made on Independence Day from 1791-1925. The speeches explore topics…

Historic Textbook Collection

The Education Library of the University Libraries began collecting textbooks in 1968. Donations were solicited and members of the Friends of the…

John G. Neihardt Collection

Biographical Sketch John Gneisenau Neihardt (1881-1973) accepted a position at the University of Missouri-Columbia's Department of English in 1949…

John Tinney McCutcheon Collection of Editorial Cartoons

Biographical Sketch John Tinney McCutcheon (1870-1949) is often referred to as “the Dean of Cartoonists” and is best known for his political and…

Plat Books of Missouri Counties Collection

In 1930 W.W. Hickson and Co. of Rockford, Illinois published plat books of townships in counties throughout Missouri. Documenting the ownership and…

Poster Collection

Scope and Contents The collection consists of posters from both World War I and World War II with a few tourist and other miscellaneous posters from…

Rare Book Collection

The Rare Book Collection is the default designation for materials in Special Collections that are acquired as individual items. Like Special…

Sanborn Maps of Missouri Collection

History The Sanborn Fire Insurance Map Company, established in 1867, compiled and published maps of U.S. cities and towns for the fire…

September 11, 2001 Terrorist Attack Collection

Scope and Contents The collection consists of domestic and international magazines and newspapers that show how the September 11th…

Twentieth-Century Political Pamphlet Collection

Scope and Contents The collection consists of ephemeral political materials distributed by and for members of national organizations and…

Underground Newspaper Collection

Scope and Content Note The Underground Newspaper collection contains independent publications produced by community and student associations…

Walter Williams Library

History Walter Williams (1864-1935) was President of the University of Missouri from 1930 – 1935 and served as Dean of the School of Journalism…

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