Missouri: A Tradition of Independent Thinkers, Artists and Doers

Forged from division and settled away from the denser and older societies east of the Mississippi, Missouri has been home to some wonderfully diverse and creative thinkers, in industry, the arts and the sciences. 
 

Walt Disney's Tinkerbell!

Thinkers and Visionaries: 

Or the only time you will find Walt Disney and Edwin Hubble in the same paragraph!

• Walt Disney

• Joseph Pulitzer (the Pulitzer Prize)
• J. William Fulbright (Fulbright Fellowships)

• Edwin Hubble (Hubble Telescope)

Doers and some interesting doings:

President Truman (Photo:myapologies.wordpress)

• Harry S. Truman (the 33rd president of the United States) 

• M. Lemma Barkeloo (the 1st US woman trial lawyer)

• 1st US Suffrage Club

• 1st US public kindergarten

• 1st university west of the Mississippi (the University of Missouri)

• The state Supreme Court that found Standard Oil guilty of violating anti-trust laws.

Missouri writes: And it is a fabulous list!

How many of these writers, poets and playwrights have you read? How many are American favorites? And this is the short list! Check out these links. They are good ones.

Twain's famous paint job

• Mark Twain/ Samuel Clemens (Boyhood Home & Museum Link)

• Maya Angelou

• William Burroughs (link to video)

• Langston Hughes (link to a reading)

• Sara Teasdale

• Kate Chopin

• T.S. Eliot (Nobel Prize link and The Wasteland link)

• Tennessee Williams

• Laura Ingalls Wilder

• Margaret Truman

  

Sheryl Crow (Photo: sherylcrow.com)

Missouri musicians: Jazz, Blues ... and a whole lot more!
Check out these links to videos and documentaries and enjoy!

• James Scott (cover of an early but very pretty Scott ragtime two-step)

• Josephine Baker
• Charlie "Bird" Parker

• Porter Wagoner
• Chuck Berry

• Eminem
• Nelly

• Sheryl Crow
• Anacrusis
• Count Basie's Kansas City style of jazz and swing

The "Really?" and "Wow!" list of actors, directors and dancers born or raised in Missouri:

Jean Harlow (Photo: George Hurrell)

• Robert Altman
• John Huston
• Vincent Price

• Jean Harlow 

• William Powell

• Betty Grable

• Ginger Rogers

• Dick Van Dyke

• Ed Asner

• Marsha Mason

• Kathleen Turner

• Kevin Kline

• John Goodman ... and Brad Pitt

And remember the Cow Parade at the American Royal!

American Royal CowParade.com ceramic

What is the American Royal?

Let's start with the food! The American Royal is home to the world's biggest barbecue.

The American Royal also is the oldest livestock sale in the United States. 

It's the oldest American rodeo. It began in a tent showing off Herefords. Now, it hosts the American Royal Livestock Show as well as other stock and equestrian events, and show titles.

It's also a lot of fun!

The real deal! (Photo: American Royal)

This year, the American Royal is 112 years old. Yee-haw! (Being from Missouri, I can do that.)

To find out more about the history of Missouri, check out Missouri Digital Heritage.

Let it fly!

To find find out how to fly the flag and other flag etiquette, see USFlagstore's  Flag Etiquette 101 and USFlagstore's How to Fly the Flag at Half-Staff.