Taking part in National History Day in Missouri (http://nhdmo.org) is an exciting experience in which students get to make the decisions. Students pick a topic that they think is interesting, and students choose how they want to present their research. To help spur the creative process, the folks organizing National History Day in Missouri 2016 have pulled together a topics list that students can use for project ideas. Even better, students can use the Digital Public Library of America () to quickly and easily search, discover, and save primary and secondary sources related to these topics. Included below are select items from DPLA s collection related to the National History Day in Missouri 2016 topics list. Charles Lindbergh (1902-1974) A famous aviator, Charles Lindbergh became the first man to successfully fly across the Atlantic Ocean in 1927. In an airplane he called the Spirit of St. Louis in honor of his St. Louis supporters, Lindbergh flew from New York to Paris, France, in 33 hours and 30 minutes. He became an international celebrity. During World War II, he argued that the United States should remain neutral, but after the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor, Lindbergh joined the war effort. To learn more Charles Lindbergh, visit http://bit.ly/charles-lindbergh http://bit.ly/charles-lindbergh-resources Charles Lindbergh in 1927
National History Day in Missouri 2016 Daniel Boone (1734-1820) A skilled hunter, trapper, and trailblazer, Daniel Boone is one of the most famous frontiersmen in American history. During the early days of westward expansion, his explorations helped open the frontier, including Missouri, to new settlements. Boone s exploits helped him become one of America s first folk heroes. To learn more more about the life of Daniel Boone, visit http://bit.ly/daniel-boone http://bit.ly/daniel-boone-resources Daniel Boone, 1903 Portrait of Daniel Boone Daniel Boone
National History Day in Missouri 2016 Mary Paxton Keeley (1886-1986) When she learned the University of Missouri was going to open a journalism school, Mary Paxton Keeley was sitting on the doorstep waiting for it to open. The first woman to be admitted to and graduate from the University of Missouri School of Journalism, Keeley was given the honor of selecting the color of the graduation tassel for the journalism school. She chose red, establishing a tradition that continues today. Paxton s adventures extended beyond the newsroom: she served with the YMCA in France during World War I and later taught journalism at Christian College (now Columbia College) in Columbia, Missouri, serving as a mentor to countless students. Photograph of Bess Wallace and Mary Paxton Keeley To learn more about the life of Mary Paxton Keeley, visit http://bit.ly/mary-paxton-keeley http://bit.ly/mary-paxton-resources Journal entry from Mary Paxton Keeley, 1919
National History Day in Missouri 2016 Annie Turnbo Malone (1869-1957) A chemist and entrepreneur, Malone became a millionaire by successfully developing and marketing hair products for black women in St. Louis. Annie Malone established Poro College in St. Louis in 1918. The cosmetology school and training center offered black women a place to advance themselves. She used her wealth to promote the advancement of African Americans and donated most of her money to charity. Annie Turnbo Malone s legacy as a pioneer in the African American beauty and cosmetic business has largely been overshadowed by the success of her former employee, Madam C. J. Walker. This is beginning to change, however, and Malone is now being recognized for her role in launching the industry. To learn more about the life of Annie Turnbo Malone, visit http://bit.ly/annie-turnbo-malone Annie Turnbo Malone http://bit.ly/annie-malone-resources Poro Pressing Oil tin, developed and sold by Annie Turnbo Malone
Moses Austin (1761-1821) Moses Austin was an important businessman and community builder on the American frontier. He made a fortune in Missouri s lead mining industry, but lost it because of declining lead prices and the economic depression known as the Panic of 1819. Austin helped found Austinville in Virginia, and Washington County and the cities of Potosi and Herculaneum in Missouri. He improved transportation, trade links, and mining methods in these areas, and brought national attention to their mineral wealth. He also started the process of the colonization of Texas. Many Americans moved to Texas after Austin received permission to colonize, and the territory ended up declaring its independence from Mexico in 1836. Nine years later, Texas became the twenty-eighth state of the United States. To learn more about the life of Moses Austin, visit http://bit.ly/moses-austin http://bit.ly/moses-austin-resources Portrait of Moses Austin
Jane Froman (1907-1980) Jane Froman was a popular singer and entertainer in the mid-twentieth century. She was voted the nation s top female performer several times and even had her own television show in the 1950s. In 1941 Froman began entertaining troops and performing in USO shows at camps and military hospitals around the country. She was one of the first performers to volunteer to entertain soldiers overseas. Injured in a plane crash in 1943, Froman overcame severe injuries and continued to perform until her retirement eighteen years later. The singer s talents earned her three separate stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for her work in radio, recordings, and television. Throughout her career, Froman chose to use her celebrity status to raise money for numerous charities. Jane Froman To learn more about the life of Jane Froman, visit http://bit.ly/jane-froman http://bit.ly/jane-froman-resources Jane Froman (middle)
Dr. Howard A. Rusk (1901-1989) Dr. Howard A. Rusk is known as the father of rehabilitative medicine. Before Rusk s innovative treatment program, disabled and severely injured individuals were often overlooked by the medical community. But Rusk believed that a person did not need physical wholeness to be the best at a particular occupation, whether it be lawyer, doctor, elevator operator, teacher, researcher, potato peeler or even President of the United States. He sought to help injured and disabled patients have the best lives they can live with what they have left. Rusk devoted his life to developing practices and procedures in rehabilitative medicine with a special emphasis on veterans and amputees. To learn more about the life of Dr. Howard A. Rusk, visit http://bit.ly/howard-rusk Dr. Howard A. Rusk http://bit.ly/howard-rusk-resources From A Manual for Training the Disabled Homemaker, by Dr. Howard A. Rusk, 1955
Sister Rose Duchesne (1769-1852) Sister Rose Duchesne is known for her work as a Catholic missionary. Originally from France, she traveled to Missouri to teach and minister to Native Americans. After she arrived, however, she was ordered by her superiors to open schools for the children of American and French Creole settlers, not Native American children. Duchesne and her fellow nuns opened their school in a humble building that also served as their living quarters. It was the first free school established west of the Mississippi River. Students received instruction in reading, writing, mathematics, and the tenets of Christianity. Even though three of her schools failed, she eventually established a successful school in St. Louis, Missouri. Before her death, Duchesne was finally granted permission to minister to Native Americans in Kansas. To learn more about the life of Sister Rose, visit http://bit.ly/sister-rose http://bit.ly/sister-rose-resources Painting of Sister Rose Duchesne
Dr. John S. Sappington (1776-1856) A physician, farmer, and medical pioneer, Sappington developed an antimalaria pill that helped save the lives of countless individuals who lived along rivers and in swampy areas attractive to the mosquitoes that transmit the disease. His discovery led one of his friends to declare that Sappington deserve [d] a statue of gold to be erected by the mothers of Missouri. Although Dr. Sappington s successful creation of an anti-malaria pill did not eradicate malaria, it did save thousands of lives and helped open up new settlement in areas plagued by malaria. An avid reader who believed in education, Sappington established a scholarship fund which helped countless children attend school and better their lives. To learn more about the life of Dr. John S. Sappington, visit http://bit.ly/john-sappington Dr. John S. Sappington http://bit.ly/john-sappington-resources The Theory and Treatment of Fevers, by Dr. John Sappington, 1844