Missouri Press Association, Records, 1882-1982 (C3714)

1.8 linear feet, 10 rolls of microfilm

INTRODUCTION

The records of an organization of editors, publishers, and employees of publishing establishments contain histories, correspondence, minutes, annual meeting programs, newsletters, clippings, and photographs. The records also include information on regional associations and the Missouri Press Association confidential bulletins from 1930 to 1982. The bulletins are on microfilm.

DONOR INFORMATION

The Missouri Press Association Records were donated to the State Historical Society of Missouri by the association on 9 July 1979 (SHS Accession No. 2253). An addition to the records was made on 2 September 1983 (SHS Accession No. 2488). On 19 January and 21 April 1970 the society transferred material from their reference library to the Manuscript Collection (SHS Accession Nos. 664 and 675).

HISTORICAL SKETCH

The Missouri Press Association was organized at a meeting held in Temperance Hall in St. Louis on May 17, 1867. According to Floyd C. Shoemaker, the early history of the press association can de divided into distinct periods. The formative years, 1867-1884, were marked by the development of fraternity among the press men of the state. In 1885 meetings consisted primarily of business sessions concerned with the reduction and standardization of prices, the obtaining of news, and the writing of editorials. The years 1896 to 1906 were characterized by a period of public service. During this time the Missouri editors promoted the Louisiana Purchase Exposition in 1904 and the establishment of the School of Journalism at the University of Missouri. In addition, during its early years, the Missouri Press Association was instrumental in the founding of the State Historical Society of Missouri as well as the Confederate Soldiers' Home.

Later, district press associations were formed throughout the state. On November 20, 1891, the Northwest Missouri Press Association was founded in St. Joseph. Though first organized in Hannibal in 1889, meetings of the Northeast Missouri Press Association were revived in Kansas City in 1896. In November 1889, the Southwest Missouri Press Association (later the Ozark Press Association) came into existence, followed in 1924 by the organization of the Central Missouri Press Association in Jefferson City.

SCOPE AND CONTENT NOTE

The strength of the collection lies in the set of Missouri Press Association bulletins containing advertising and confidential information for members of the association only, the proceedings of annual meetings, 1882-1919, and the minutes and programs of the annual meetings of the Northwest Missouri Press Association.

FOLDER LIST

f. 1-22Northwest Missouri Press Association. This section contains histories, correspondence, minutes, programs, newsletters, clippings, and miscellany related to the Northwest Missouri Press Association.
f. 1"History of the Northwest Missouri Press Association."
f. 2Correspondence.
f. 3-8Minutes, 1891-1972
f. 9-16Annual meeting programs, 1909-1971
f. 17-19"The Bow Wow," official publication of the Northwest Missouri Press Association, 1929-1965.
f. 20-21Clippings, 1929-1968, and photographs.
f. 22Contains programs, clippings, and miscellany of the Northeast Missouri Press Association.
f. 23-33Central Missouri Press Association. Records, including minutes, resolutions, financial statements, and programs and registers for the biannual meetings of the CMPA, organized by year.
f. 23-28Minutes, 1925-1961
f. 29Correspondence
f. 30financial records
f. 31Newsletters
f. 32Miscellaneous
f. 33Photographs
f. 34-55Missouri Press Association. This section contains histories, correspondence, proceedings, legislative letters, and printed surveys.
f. 34History of the Missouri Press Association, 1867-1931.
f. 35-36Correspondence, 1903-1945
f. 37Annual meeting synopses, 1890-1912
f. 38-50Proceedings of annual meetings, 1882-1919.
f. 51-53Legislative letters, 1925, 1929, 1031.
f. 54Miscellaneous.
f. 55Missouri Kitchen Inventory, 1941. Survey of Missouri housewives on brand preferences when buying household products.
f. 56-60National Editorial Association. This section contains the National Editorial Association annual convention official reports, 1891-1904, 1914, and programs.
f. 56-58Annual convention reports.
f. 59Silver anniversary publication, 1909-1910.
f. 60Programs, 1887, 1894.
v.1-40Missouri Press Association Bulletins. Bulletins contain confidential information concerning journalism and advertising in Missouri from 1930 to 1982.
Missouri Group Bulletins
v. 1April, 1938-November, 1940
v. 2July 3, 1940-November 19, 1941
Missouri Press Association Confidential Bulletins
v. 31930-1940
v. 41941
v. 51942
v. 61943-1944
v. 71945-1946
v. 81947-1948
v. 91949-1950
v. 101951-1952
v. 111953-1954
v. 121955
v. 131956
v. 14-151957
v. 161958
v. 171959
v. 181960
v. 191961
v. 201962
v. 211963
v. 221964
v. 231965
v. 241966
v. 251967
v. 261968
v. 271969
v. 281970
v. 291971
v. 301972
v. 311973
v. 321974
v. 331975
v. 341976
v. 351977
v. 361978
v. 371979
v. 381980
v. 391981
v. 401982

INDEX TERMS

These index terms are the subjects, people, places, etc. under which this collection is listed in all available indexes at the Western Historical Manuscript Collection-Columbia. If you are interested in a specific index term, please contact the reference staff.

  • Advertising, Missouri
  • Central Missouri Press Association
  • Clemens, Samuel Langhorne (1835-1910)
  • Consumers
  • English, Earl Franklin
  • Journalism, Missouri
  • Journalism, Missouri, 1910s
  • Journalists
  • Leisure, 1950s
  • Louisiana Purchase Exposition, 1903-1904
  • Missouri Press Association
  • National Editorial Association
  • Northeast Missouri Press Association
  • Northwest Missouri Press Association
  • Postcard photographs
  • State Historical Society of Missouri
  • Stephens, E.W. (1849-1931)
  • Stewartsville Record, Stewartsville, MO, 1911
  • University of Missouri, School of Journalism
  • Williams, Walter