Dictionary of Missouri Biography

In the making for almost a decade, the Dictionary of Missouri Biography is the most important reference work on Missouri biography to be published in the last half century. Written by nearly three hundred talented authors from around the country and edited by four of the leading authorities on Missouri history, this monumental work contains biographies of more than seven hundred individuals who have in some way made a contribution to the course of state and national history.

Covering all periods as well as all regions of the state, this remarkable volume illustrates the state's cultural, racial, and ethnic diversity. Although the men and women chosen for inclusion in this book came from many walks of life, all of them were either born in Missouri or through their lives touched the state in a significant way. Many of the people will be instantly recognizable, but others will be less well known. Each of them, however, achieved notoriety in some area of activity—politics, business, agriculture, the arts, entertainment, sports, education, military service, diplomacy, social reform, civic improvements, science, or religion.

Providing information on and insight into the lives, careers, personalities, and eras of all of the subjects, the book clearly presents the achievements of the featured individuals, as well as the richness of the state's heritage. Brief bibliographies after each entry direct the reader toward further research on a given subject.

Written in an easy-to-read and accessible style, the Dictionary of Missouri Biography will be an indispensable reference. Scholars, researchers, and the general reader will turn to this guide repeatedly to discover useful and reliable information about noteworthy Missourians. Every library, every school, every historian, and every Missouri family will want this important new work.

Lawrence O. Christensen is Distinguished Teaching Professor of History at the University of Missouri-Rolla. He is coauthor of three books, including, with Gary Kremer, A History of Missouri: Volume IV, 1875 to 1919.

William E. Foley is Professor of History at Central Missouri State University in Warrensburg. General Editor of the Missouri Biography Series, he is the author of numerous books, including The Genesis of Missouri: From Wilderness Outpost to Statehood. and Wilderness Journey: The Life of William Clark.

Gary R. Kremer is Professor of History at William Woods University in Fulton, Missouri. He is the author or editor of numerous works, including Missouri's Black Heritage, Revised Edition.

Kenneth H. Winn is State Archivist of Missouri. Former Director of Publications for the Missouri Historical Society, he is the author of Exiles in a Land of Liberty: Mormons in America, 1830-1846.