Children and Youth

4-H Clubs of Missouri Collection, 1925-1952 (C4613)
0.05 cubic feet (3 folders)

 Finding Aid

The collection contains printed material, award winning ribbons for Buchanan County 4-H, Missouri State Fair, and University of Missouri Junior Farmer’s Day. Also included are 4-H buttons.

Frank Ackerman Papers, 1942-1972 (C3443)
14.2 cubic feet (958 folders), 2 audio discs

 Finding Aid

The Frank Ackerman Papers contain extensive documentation of his work on behalf of people with intellectual disabilities in Missouri. This includes his research materials on services offered to people with intellectual disabilities nationwide and his work for various organizations in Missouri. A lesser amount of material covers his farming business in Pike County, Missouri, and the funeral of Viola Ackerman. Materials include correspondence, meeting minutes, reports, printed materials, organizational records, and handwritten notes.

American Field Service, Columbia, Missouri Chapter Records, 1975-2004 (C3990)
1.8 cubic feet (153 folders)

 Finding Aid

The records contain local, regional, and national newsletters, financial records, newspaper clippings, meeting minutes, correspondence, administrative information, publicity, and photographs of the student exchange program.

Elijah Backus Diary, 1777 (C0214)
0.08 cubic feet (4 folders)

 Finding Aid

Diary kept by a Yale student during 1777. Revolutionary War, rumors of battles, counterfeiters, the housing problem for students, smallpox vaccination, and General Arnold. The last third of the diary is written in Latin.

Belwood-Ezell Family Papers, 1850-1935 (C0073)
0.6 cubic feet

 Finding Aid

Correspondence, diaries, and miscellaneous items of families living in Saline and Pettis Counties, MO. Much of the correspondence pertains to news of family members and friends. Most of the letters are to and from family members, including children, of Mary Belwood Ezell and Francisco Ezell.

Boy Scouts of America, Columbia Council Papers, 1915-1922 (C3173)
0.04 cubic feet (2 folders)

 Finding Aid

The papers of the Columbia Council of the Boy Scouts of America contain correspondence, lists of members, a songsheet, and the constitution and by-laws.

Boy Scouts of America Scrapbook, 1932-1933 (C1385)
0.21 cubic feet (1 volume)

 Finding Aid

Newspaper clippings of central Missouri Boy Scout activities, 1932. Pictorial Supplement of the ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH, January 8, 1933.

Camp Fire Girls, Shuta Group (Columbia, Mo.) Scrapbooks, 1940-1946 (C4223)
0.25 cubic feet (6 folders)

 Finding Aid

Two scrapbooks containing roll call lists, meeting minutes, newspaper clippings, letters and photographs of the Camp Fire Girls, Shuta Group, Columbia, Missouri. The material covers various events and activities of the group from 1940-1946.

Camp Kimtu, Camp Fire Girls of America Papers, 1932-1939 (C4237)
0.2 cubic feet (6 folders)

 Finding Aid

The papers of Camp Kimtu contain camp logs for the years of 1932, 1934, 1935, 1937, and 1939. The camp logs contain photographs, stories about the camping trip, and names of all of the camp counselors and girls who attended each summer.

Michael Cave Papers, 1944-1997 (C2157)
7.6 cubic feet, 21 audio cassettes, 62 audio tapes, 27 video cassettes, 1 compact disk, and 1 record

 Finding Aid

The Michael Cave Papers consist of personal and professional correspondence, business records, audiovisual material, and the compositions of Cave, a pianist and composer born in Missouri.

Christian Women's Benevolent Association Records, 1899-2011 (S1235)
7.5 cubic feet, 12 oversize volumes, 4 VHS tapes

 Finding Aid

The Christian Women’s Benevolent Association Records contain Christian Women Benevolent Association (CWBA) Board Meeting Minutes (1899–1952); Christian Old People’s Home Ledgers and Meeting Minutes (1915–1949); Christian Hospital of St. Louis Board Meeting Minutes (1923–1959); and scrapbooks, photographs, videotapes, and ephemera relating to the CWBA’s activities from 1899 – 2011.  Most notably, the records include admittance ledgers from the Christian Orphan’s Home as well as the Mothers and Babies Home of St. Louis from 1899 to 1933. The admittance ledgers are a particularly rich source of genealogical information, as they contain applications for entry into the home. Details such as date and place of the child’s birth; vaccination records; parents’ full names, birthplace and occupation, and nationality and religion; and location of the nearest living relative are listed.

Citizens for Missouri's Children Records, 1983-2001 (S0861)
98 cubic feet

 Finding Aid

Citizens for Missouri's Children is a nonprofit organization established in St. Louis in 1983 whose mission involves advocating for the rights and well-being of all Missouri children, providing information and resources on health care, education, child protection, and legal services. The materials in this collection include meeting minutes, reports, publicity materials, and newsletters.

Columbia, Missouri, Commission on Adolescent Behavior Report, 1966 (C2420)
0.02 cubic feet (1 folder)

 Finding Aid

Commission's recommendations for adolescent behavior in dating, recreation, dress, drinking, smoking, and driving, and suggestions to parents.

Samuel Rodgers Dillman Papers, 1890-1995 (C0046)
3 cubic feet (262 folders), 2 oversize volumes

 Finding Aid

Correspondence, bills, receipts, clippings, pamphlets, and church supply catalogues of a minister of the Methodist Episcopal Church, South. Dillman held pastorates in St. Louis, where he was engaged in settlement house work; Berwyn, Nebraska; and several towns in southwest Missouri. Papers are from the St. Louis and southwest periods of his ministry.

Benjamin Emmons Account, [1814] (C1529)
0.02 cubic feet (1 folder)

 Finding Aid

Account due Benjamin Emmons from the estate of Abraham Keathley for the board and schooling of Abraham and Sally Keathley and for aiding the settlement of the Keathley estate.

Eugene Field Foundation (St. Louis, Mo.) Minute Book, 1928-1931 (C1100)
0.02 cubic feet (1 volume)

 Finding Aid

Records of an organization founded for the relief of children with disabilities.

Frederick Winslow Faurot Interview, 1963 (C2607)
0.02 cubic feet (1 folder)

 Finding Aid

Personal account of life as a child and youth on farms and ranches in northern Michigan, Nebraska, Kansas, Texas, and New Mexico. Discussion of a horse drive he was part of in the fall of 1887.

Joe Ford Letter, 1891 (C0991)
0.02 cubic feet (1 folder)

 Finding Aid

Letter giving custody of his son, Will Ford, to Mrs. Will Cunningham and Miss Scebie.

Flora Hartley Greene Papers, 1905-1931 (C0050)
2.75 cubic feet (216 folders)

 Finding Aid

Papers of a club woman pertaining to work of Missouri Federated Clubs, Eugene Field Foundation, Missouri Society for Crippled Children, and Council for National Defense. Also includes her MA thesis submitted in 1909 at the University of Missouri.

High Street Baptist Church, Springfield, Missouri Collection, 1952 (R1232)
(1 folder)

 Finding Aid

This is 'Youth Trail 1952', a yearbook published by the young people of the High Street Baptist Church in Springfield, Greene County, Missouri. Included are photographic portraits, snapshots, and general information about the congregation and its programs.

"History of Barry County's Home Economics Clubs," Willa Mermoud, no date (C2128)
0.02 cubic feet (1 folder)

 Finding Aid

The collection contains two histories by Willa Mermoud on the 4-H and women's clubs in Barry County, Missouri. The first is titled, "History of Barry County's Home Economics Clubs," and includes information on the organization, services rendered, and a list of extension service officers, 1928-1958. The second publication is titled, "Barry County Extension Homemakers Clubs History, 1919-1969," and describes 50 years of club work in Barry County.

Junior Kindergarten Collection, 1962, 1964-1970 (S0042)
0.15 cubic foot, 7 folders

 Finding Aid

This collection includes articles of incorporation, correspondence, reports, lists, and flyers relating to the founding and operation of Junior Kindergarten from 1962, and 1964-1970. Junior Kindergarten was organized in 1965 by the Junior League of St. Louis and Page-Park County YMCA (currently Bayer YMCA) to improve the school readiness of educationally disadvantaged children around St. Louis City before their entrance into a public kindergarten.

J. Sam Lail Papers, 1839-1911 (C0700)
0.02 cubic feet (1 folder)

 Finding Aid

Reminiscences of Civil War days and historical sketch of the Christian Church at Liberty, Missouri. Lail lived in Shamrock, Callaway County, Missouri.

LifeBridge Partnership Records, 1952-2021 (S0280)
2 cubic feet, 1.9 GB

 Finding Aid

The LifeBridge Partnership Records contain meeting minutes, newsletters, photographs, and histories documenting its mission to help individuals with disabilities become independent and active members in their communities. Materials of interest include a feasibility and need analysis commissioned by LifeBridge in 1983 to evaluate and recommend a centralized recreational facility for the St. Louis Region’s disability community. Also included in the collection are LifeBridge Partnership's born-digital files, including board meeting minutes and resolutions, newsletters, and strategic plans. Topics of interest consist of LifeBridge's reevaluation of its mission, name, and logo; program support services, including transportation services for clients; and LifeBridge's updated health policies and fundraising strategies in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The materials in this collection date from 1952 to 2020.

Amadeo Martos Letter, 1911 (C0564)
0.02 cubic feet (1 folder)

 Finding Aid

To F.M. Hutchinson, Missouri City, Clay County, Missouri, from Spain, December 3, 1911. Written by a political prisoner from a castle fort in Alicante, Spain, requesting Hutchinson to become guardian for his daughter.

America Mathews Overland Diary, 1857 (C0413)
0.02 cubic feet (1 folder)

 Digitized Materials

 Finding Aid

Personal diary kept by America Mathews as she and her family left Gallatin County, Kentucky, in October 1857 and traveled by covered wagon to a place near Brunswick, Missouri.

Mathews-Dickey Boy's Club Records, 1960-1992 (S0189)
2 cubic feet, 24 photographs, 3 scrapbooks, 1 cassette tape, 1 roll microfilm

 Finding Aid

The Mathews-Dickey Boys' and Girls' Club was founded in Handy Park, St. Louis by two neighborhood baseball coaches, Martin Luther Mathews and the late Hubert "Dickey" Ballentine in 1960. The club's mission is to produce physically active, well-educated, and hopeful youth by stimulating the pursuit of knowledge, attainment of a healthier life, and the skills of greatness. The Mathews-Dickey Boys' and Girls' Club Records primarily document the growth of the club from its incorporation to the construction of its $2.5 million sports complex. Most of the material is from the mid-1970s to the early 1980s. Materials include correspondence, annual banquet programs, meeting minutes, enrollment sheets, sports schedules, financial records, newspaper clippings, scrapbooks, and photographs.

Ann Bryan Mariano McKay Papers, c. 1892-2009 (C4009)
16.25 cubic feet (937 folders), 26 audio cassettes, 1 16 mm film, 10 rolls of microfilm, 1 computer disc

 Finding Aid

The papers of Ann Bryan Mariano McKay, a journalist and Vietnam War correspondent, consist primarily of material relating to her work on the independent newspaper, Overseas Weekly, and include newspapers, newspaper copy, photographs, correspondence, and legal materials regarding a lawsuit over distribution of the newspaper in Vietnam. Other materials in the collection document her work with Vietnamese orphanages, as well as various aspects of both her personal and professional life, including a return trip to Vietnam in 1995 with her adopted daughter.

Metropolitan Youth Commission of St. Louis and St. Louis County Records, 1956-1966 (S0387)
0.8 cubic feet, 16 folders, 24 photographs

 Digitized Materials

 Finding Aid

The records of the Metropolitan Youth Commission of St. Louis and St. Louis County contain annual correspondence, meeting minutes, annual reports, and subject files pertaining to the organization's mission to research, study, and coordinate juvenile agencies in the St. Louis metropolitan area. Subjects of interest include curfew laws, gangs, and police techniques with youth.

Missouri Association of the Future Farmers of America Records, 1928-1980 (C3644)
3 rolls of microfilm

 Finding Aid

Records of the state organization of affiliated high school FFA chapters. Includes constitution and bylaws, applications for and articles of incorporation, minutes of meetings, and scrapbooks on state and local chapter activities.

The Missouri Collection, 1771-2024 (C3982)
18.6 cubic feet (850 folders, 892 photographs), 32 oversize items, 9 audio cassettes, 7 audio discs, 9 CDs, 1 computer disc, 1 film, 6 film strips, 9 DVDs, 3 video cassettes, 583 MB of digital files

 Digitized Materials

 Finding Aid

The Missouri Collection is an artificial collection combining miscellaneous small acquisitions related to Missouri places, individuals, organizations, and events.

Missouri Educational Exhibit Scrapbook, 1893 (C2664)
0.2 cubic feet (2 volumes)

 Finding Aid

Student essays in German, French, and English from Central High School, Kansas City.

Clara Louise Myers Papers, 1911-1988 (C4012)
57 cubic feet (1419 folders), 2 audio cassettes, 6 audio tapes

 Finding Aid

The papers of Clara Louise Myers consist mainly of professional material, including course materials for classes she taught at the University of Missouri's School of Social Work. The collection also documents her participation in a variety of professional and community organizations, as well as aspects of her personal life, including her graduate education in social work.

National Liberal Orphans' Home Papers, 1882-1891 (C1733)
0.02 cubic feet (1 folder)

 Finding Aid

Constitution, amendments, letters, petitions for incorporation, and court records for the National Liberal Orphans' Home, Liberal, MO. Institution organized in 1882 by the Freethinkers of America, who also established the Free Thought University in Liberal.

One-room Schoolhouse Oral History Project Records, 2008-2021 (C4051)
0.9 cubic feet (8 folders), 59 CDs

 Digitized Materials

 Finding Aid

The collection consists of interviews with people who attended or taught at one-room schoolhouses. Includes digitally recorded interviews and transcripts of the interviews, photographs, textbooks, as well as some biographical information on the interviewees.      

Order of the Rainbow for Girls, Clinton Assembly No. 10 Collection, 1956 (R1245)
(1 folder)

 Finding Aid

This is booklet designed to introduce new members to Clinton Assembly No. 10 of the Order of the Rainbow for Girls at Clinton in Henry County, Missouri. The chapter was sponsored by Clinton Chapter No. 73 of the Order of the Eastern Star.

Ozark Area Amateur Film Collection, 1957-1964 (SP0021)
0.5 cubic foot (14 reels)

 Finding Aid

The Ozarks Area Amateur Film Collection contains fourteen reels of home movie footage featuring the Ozarks including Springfield, Nixa, Table Rock Dam, and St. John’s School of Nursing. 

Larry and Margaret Peeno Papers, 1959-2016 (S0306)
9.5 cubic feet

 Finding Aid

The Maggie and Larry Peeno Papers contain correspondence, meeting minutes, curriculum guides, newsletters, reports, surveys, photographs, and VHS tapes documenting the Peeno’s 50+ year career in art education in Missouri and the United States. Items of interest include curricula developed by Maggie Peeno for the University City School District, including the “We Live in University City” booklet.

Poplar Bluff Municipal Library Collection, 1791-1959 (CG0042)
2.0 c. f.

 Finding Aid

The Poplar Bluff Municipal Library Collection includes title records, court documents, and other papers primarily from Butler County, Missouri. This collection also contains register books from the Edgewood Home for Children in Poplar Bluff and personal items belonging to William B. Adams, such as farm workers’ time schedules and a divorce memorandum journal.

Provident Behavioral Health Records, 1848-2002 (S0360)
26 cubic feet, 16 microfilm rolls

 Finding Aid

The Provident Behavioral Health Records contain annual reports, meeting minutes, press releases, scrapbooks, presentations, videotapes, relating to mental health and social services in the St. Louis Area. Found in 1860 by James Yeatman, Provident Behavioral Health's mission is mental health services to St. Louis area residents. The collection also contains the records of Provident's predecessor organizations: The Family and Children's Services of Greater St. Louis, the Family Service Society of St. Louis County, and the St. Louis Children's Aid Society.

Barbara Smith Pugh Collection, 1871-1990 (R1531)
1.5 cubic feet (30 folders, 1 oversize item)

 Finding Aid

The Barbara Smith Pugh Collection contains photographs and papers created and collected by Barbara Smith Pugh during her life. Photos depict family members from both the Smith and Pugh families. Barbara was an avid genealogist and photographer from Rolla, Missouri.

Homer Price Rainey Papers, 1919-1952 (C0032)
23.4 cubic feet (1,964 folders), 3 volumes, 77 audio cassettes, 1 audio disc

 Finding Aid

The personal papers and correspondence of Rainey cover his career as an educator; his directorship of the American Youth Commission; the struggle for academic freedom at the University of Texas; his campaign for the Democratic gubernatorial nomination in Texas; and the administration of Stephens College, Columbia, Missouri. The scrapbooks contain news clippings, articles, and family genealogy.

Madge J. Reese Papers, 1887-1962 (C2405)
1.3 cubic feet

 Finding Aid

The papers of Madge J. Reese contain publications, reports, and statements on Reese's career with the U.S. Agricultural Extension Service, 1914-1955. The collection emphasis is on home demonstration work.

Rolla, Missouri Local Council of Girl Scouts Records, 1936-1975 (R0608)
0.5 cubic foot (6 folders, 7 volumes, 1 cassette tape)

 Finding Aid

The Rolla, Missouri Local Council of Girl Scouts Records include meeting minutes, financial records, correspondence, administrative papers, and a cassette tape of “Hot Line” telephone call-in KTTR radio from 1936 to 1975.

S.W. Hurst and Company (Tipton, Mo.) Records, 1872-1905 (C4169)
0.8 cubic feet (10 folders , one oversize)

 Finding Aid

Eight ledger books and two scrapbooks pertaining to a store in Tipton, Missouri which sold drugs, jewelry, stationery and music from approximately 1885 to 1900. Some additional materal falls before and after this time period. The scrapbooks contain colorful, old-fashioned advertisements for a variety of products including shoes, thread, coffee, medicine, etc. Numerous images of women and children, animals, birds, fruit, flowers, pastoral scenes, etc.

Blanche Howard Stephens Papers, 1917-1919 (C0060)
1.5 cubic feet

 Finding Aid

Papers of a Columbia, MO, woman active in World War I women's work, who served as 4th District chairman of the Women's Committee of the Council of National Defense. Papers pertain to Liberty Loan, Red Cross, food conservation, child welfare, patriotic education, and related work.

Fannie Marie Tolson Papers, 1890s-2005 (C1704)
2.3 cubic feet (63 folders), 3 audio cassettes, 2 video cassettes, 1 DVD

 Finding Aid

Fannie Marie Tolson was the first African-American educator to teach in the desegregated schools of Fayette, Missouri. Her papers include family correspondence and photographs, memorabilia from Lincoln University, Jefferson City, Missouri, teaching aids, documents concerning St. Paul's Methodist Church in Fayette, and recordings of two interviews conducted with Tolson.

U.S. National Youth Administration in Missouri History, 1943 (C1280)
0.04 cubic feet (1 volume)

 Finding Aid

Prepared by the War Manpower Commission of the National Youth Administration, Kansas City, MO. History of the National Youth Administration in Missouri from 1935 to 1943.

University of Missouri, Extension Service Records, 1912-1979 (C1042)
234 rolls of microfilm

 Finding Aid

Annual reports of county and district agents of the Extension Service, 1912-1969, and annual reports of extension activities of UMC, UMKC, Lincoln University, UMR, UMSL and university-wide offices, 1960-1979.

University of Missouri, U.S. National Youth Administration Papers, 1934-1937 (C0147)
0.3 cubic feet

 Finding Aid

Papers from the files of F.F. Stephens, director of the National Youth Administration at the University of Missouri.