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
The collection is available to all users in the Special Collections Reading Room (room 401) during regular hours. Materials do not circulate. Rare books may be used in the Special Collections Reading Room during service hours or by appointment.
With a few exceptions, the collection can be accessed through the MERLIN library catalog. Advice on using MERLIN to search Special Collections can be found here.
Finding Aids for American Social and Political History
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 internationalmagazines and newspapersthat 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…
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…
Related Exhibits
Collective Voices
October 2 – November 19, 2020 George Caleb Bingham Gallery, Fine Arts Building, School of Visual Studies, University of Missouri...
Leaders and Heroes
Every age, every race, has its leaders and heroes. ~ Ohíye S’a (Charles A. Eastman) Libraries tend to hold those materials that...
University of Missouri course catalogs : a hidden resource
The University of Missouri course catalogs, announcing the schedule of courses and the other relevant information for current and incoming...
Selected Items
1776-1876, July 4th, City of New Haven, Centennial Celebration under direction of the Joint Special Committee of the City Council : for the celebration of the one hundredth anniversary of American independence : programme.
Contents: Fourth of July parade. General order of the Chief Marshal ; Order of procession ; Programme of fireworks -- Grand centennial concert :…
