Spiva Center for the Arts Collection

Spiva Center for the Arts is an art gallery based in Joplin, Missouri. The gallery was located on the campus of Missouri Southern State College, now Missouri Southern State University, when the university first opened at its current location in 1967. The gallery has exhibited multiple popular exhibitions and has fostered a strong relationship with the community and MSSU throughout the years.

Daniel R. Stewart Collection

Daniel R. Stewart (b.1913-d.2006) worked as a geologist and geophysicist in the Tri-State District, the zinc and lead mining area of Missouri, Kansas, and Oklahoma, for over 21 years. He was associated with American Zinc, Lead and Smelting Company and was also the district manager for the Tri-State District.

ABBC Coterie Scrapbook Collection

The ABBC Coterie was founded in 1939 by Betty Baron and three of her friends she met in an English class. Originally, the ABBC Coterie was created for women to gather to study English and Parliamentary Law; however, as WWII began, the ABBC Coterie found themselves dedicated to providing entertainment and resources to the servicemen in the war.

Charles W. Wilkerson Collection

A Springfield, Missouri native, Charles W. Wilkerson helped found the International Molders’ and Foundry Workers Union of North America after being fired from multiple jobs for being a "union agitator." He worked as an officer of the Union from 1906 through his death in 1950.

Eric Hawkins Collection

Eric Hawkins was the Managing Editor of the Paris Herald for 36 years beginning his career in 1924 and ending in 1960. The Eric Hawkins Collection consists of photographs, newspapers, letters, and other documents from his career at the Paris Herald Tribune.

Tri-State Area Mining Collection

A combination of photographs and documents donated from the Webb City Area Genealogical Society, Webb City Historical Society, and the Harry Hood collection offers a rich history of mining and its origins in the Tri-State Area. Through the photographs taken in the mines, this collection offers an in-depth view of the environment and locations the miners worked in.

MSSU Photograph Collection

The MSSU Photograph Collection encompasses a vast array of images, ranging from the institution's humble beginnings as Joplin Junior college, to late 1990s Missouri Southern State University. Move through this exhibit to explore MSSU's roots as JJC, the construction of the current campus, along with the institution's administrative history, everyday academia and campus life. 

Bailey Collection

The Bailey collection consists of many letters, documents, forms and photographs all revolving around the Bailey family. The Bailey Family consisted of Edward, Mabel, Carroll, and Amy Bailey. The collection also includes their extended family the Sellars. Many of the documents in the collection are of the work the family did in China and Japan and of Edward and Carroll Bailey’s military service after World War II.

More MSSU Archives & Special Collections Exhibits