About
Over There: Missouri & the Great War A statewide collaborative digitization project to document Missouri’s role in World War I.
Over There: Missouri & the Great War A statewide collaborative digitization project to document Missouri’s role in World War I.
Although largely overshadowed by the Second World War, World War I did much to shape the modern world. Missourians actively contributed to various aspects of the war effort, even before America joined the hostilities. Missouri industries fulfilled military contracts to supply mules, munitions and other goods to Allied armies. These existing networks were then used to help supply the American Expeditionary Force beginning in 1917. According to the Missouri State Archives, more than 156,000 Missourians served in the war; more than 11,000 of those became casualties and five received the Medal of Honor. Some authorities rank Missouri as 8th of men in uniform. Prominent Missourians who fought in the War include Generals John J. Pershing and Enoch Crowder, future President Harry S. Truman, and Walt Disney. The last surviving U.S. veteran from World War I, Frank Buckles, was a Missouri native. The memory of Missouri’s contributions to the war is found in the countless statues and memorials scattered throughout her landscape, including the National World War I Memorial and Museum in Kansas City. Museums, archives and historical societies across the state work to preserve the legacy of the men and women who served in the war. This digital collection represents only a small sample of the rich historical material contained with the state.
Over There: Missouri & the Great War is a statewide collaborative digitization project to document Missouri’s role in World War I. The project is a digital collection of historical documents, photographs, artifacts, oral histories and other primary source material from museums, archives, libraries, and private collections from across Missouri. Contributing Institutions have provided free online access to their collections for educational and research purposes.
Over There: Missouri & the Great War serves to expand scholarship, interest, and knowledge of the First World War. The project began in preparation for the war’s centennial commemoration (2014-2018). Project staff are positioned through the state to digitize materials. Currently 28 museums, libraries, and archives have contributed collections to the project.
The project is made possible by a Library Services and Technology Act Digital Imaging Grant funded by the Institute of Museum and Library Services and coordinated by the Missouri State Library.
American Legion Goad-Ballinger Post 69
Archives of the American Field Service and AFS Intercultural Programs
Bates County Historical Society and Museum
Dean Rising - Private Collector
Donna Caldwell - Private collector
Ellen Dent - Private Collector
Gasconade County Historical Society
Gloria Scott - Private Collector
Holocaust Museum and Learning Center Archives
Jeffrey Patrick - Private Collector
John Forderhase - Private Collector
Lawrence County Historical Society
Marie Schmitz - Private Collector
Michael Price - Private Collector
Missouri Valley Special Collections, Kansas City Public Library
Paul Jones Family
Private Collector
Private Collector - Suzan Allgeier
Shannon Kelly
University of Missouri Libraries Special Collections and Rare Books
Velma Schroeder Rohan
American Legion Post 9/DAV Post 041
Armilda Sauerwein - Private Collector
Audrain County Historical Society
Barton County Historical Society
Carl McCrory Family - Private Collector
Concordia Historical Institute
Donald & Virginia Smith - Private Collectors
Doris Wilson - Private Collector
Erin Grey - Private Collector
General John J. Pershing Boyhood Home State Historic Site
Harry S. Truman Library and Museum
Jim Moore - Private Collector
Lindenwood University Archives
Mary Wilkinson-Thiessen - Private Collector
Missouri Department of Natural Resources/Missouri State Parks/Resources Management and Interpretation Program
Missouri State University Special Collections and Archives
Museum of Missouri Military History
National Archives and Records Administration-National Personnel Records Center (St. Louis)
Palmyra Gardner House Museum of Heritage Seekers
Private Collector - John Shaffer
Ron Leverenz
Saint Louis University Library and Special Collections
Soldiers Memorial Military Museum
University of Missouri-Kansas City
Washington University Libraries, Department of Special Collections
Jay Winter
Yale University
Jeffrey Patrick
Wilson's Creek National Battlefield
Jennifer D. Keene
Chapman University
Michael Price
Springfield-Greene Library District
Michael S. Neiberg
United States Army War College
Nicholas Murray
US Naval War College
Petra DeWitt
Missouri S&T
Steven Watts
University of Missouri
Tammy M. Proctor
Utah State University
Patrick Allie, World War I Exhibit Curator
Missouri History Museum
Jonathan Casey, Museum Archivist
National World War I Museum
John Dougan, State Archivist
Missouri State Archives
Chris Gordon, Director, Library & Collections
Missouri History Museum
Jason Haxton, Director
Museum of Osteopathic Medicine
Gerald Hirsch, Associate Director
State Historical Society of Missouri
Debra Loguda-Summers, Curator
Museum of Osteopathic Medicine
Christina Miller, Senior Reference Archivist
Missouri State Archives
Stacie Petersen, Registrar
National World War I Museum
Gay Wilson, Planning & Development Librarian
Springfield-Greene County Library District
Carl Wingo, Consultant for Technology & Digitization Services
Missouri State Library
Brian Grubbs, Project Director
Springfield-Greene County Library District
Aviana Brown, Associate Historian
Missouri History Museum
Rochelle Caruthers, Associate Historian
Missouri History Museum
Ben Divin, Digital Imaging Specialist
Springfield-Greene County Library District
Landyn Harris, Associate Historian
Springfield-Greene County Library District
Whitney Heinzmann, Associate Historian
National World War I Museum
Gary Larsen, Associate Historian
Springfield-Greene County Library District
Claire Marks, Associate Historian
State Historical Society of Missouri
Michelle Setzer, Associate Historian
Missouri History Museum
Contributing Institutions in this project provide access to materials for educational and research purposes only. The written permission of the copyright owner(s) and/or other right holder(s) (such as publicity and/or privacy rights) is required for distribution, reproduction, or other uses of protected image(s) beyond that allowed by fair use or other statutory exemptions. Responsibility for making an independent legal assessment of an image(s) and securing any necessary permission ultimately rests with person(s) desiring to use the images(s).
Proper citation is provided for each image, document, and artifact within the project. Consult the citation for identification of the holding institution. Contact information for each institution is provided under the Contributing Institutions page. Researchers must contact the contributing institution directly for additional image use as outlined above.