The Curtis Laws Wilson Library at Missouri S&T is hosting Americans and the Holocaust, a traveling exhibition from the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum, from Sunday, Sept. 18, to Saturday, Oct. 22.  The public is invited to an opening reception 4-6 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 18, on the main floor of the library on the S&T campus. Refreshments will be provided.

The touring library exhibition — based on the special exhibition of the same name at the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, D.C. — is traveling to public and university libraries throughout the U.S. through November 2023. The Curtis Laws Wilson Library is one of only 50 libraries selected to host the exhibit.

The exhibition examines the motives, pressures and fears that shaped Americans’ responses to Nazism, war and genocide in Europe during the 1930s and 1940s.

In addition to the opening reception, several events are planned in September and October, including:

• “Even When We Sleep,” 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 20, on the main floor of the library. Dr. Marilyn Kallet, professor emerita at the University of Tennessee, will read selections from her book titled Even When We Sleep as well as other poems, some of which address anti-Semitism at home and abroad. This event is co-sponsored by Missouri S&T, Center for Arts and Innovation.
• “The American Friends Service Committee and the Holocaust in France,” 6 p.m. Wednesday Sept. 28, on the second floor of the library. Dr. Shannon Fogg, professor of history and interim associate dean for academic affairs at Missouri S&T, will give a talk on the American Friends Service Committee, a Quaker organization that worked to help Jews in France.
• “The Memory Project: Connecting Art and History,” 2 p.m. Saturday Oct. 1, on the second floor of the library. This is a hands-on art workshop in which participants make portraits to honor victims, survivors and rescuers. The workshop is appropriate for 6th grade and up, at a parent’s discretion. Participants of all ages are welcome.
• “Hell Before Their Very Eyes: The Experiences of American Soldiers who Liberated or Witnessed Concentration Camps, April 1945,” 6 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 12, on the second floor of the library. Dr. John McManus, Curators’ Distinguished Professor of history at Missouri S&T, will discuss the liberation of Ohrdruf, Buchenwald and Dachau.
• “The Holocaust in Song — We Remember,” 7 p.m. Monday, Oct. 17, on the first floor of the library. The Rolla Choral Arts Society Community Choir will perform selected movements from the “Holocaust Cantata — Songs from the Camps” by Donald McCollough and Michael Horvit.
• “A Survivor Remembers the Holocaust,” 6 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 19, in St. Pat’s Ballroom B at the Havener Center. Rachel Miller, who survived as a “hidden child,” will tell her family’s story.
• “The German American Bund in Missouri,” 6 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 20, on the second floor of the library. Dr. Petra DeWitt, professor of history and political science at Missouri S&T, will discuss homegrown extremists during World War II. This event is sponsored by the Missouri S&T Archives and the SHSMO-Rolla Research Center, and will be available to attend online.
• “Gangsters vs. Nazi Party,” 6 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 25, on the second floor of the library. Dr. Larry Gragg, professor emeritus of history and political science at Missouri S&T, will discuss American Jewish gangsters and their anti-Nazi efforts. This event is sponsored by the Missouri S&T Archives and the SHSMO-Rolla Research Center and will be available to attend online.

Missouri S&T Archives and The State Historical Society-Rolla Research Center in association with National Archives Month is sponsoring a supplementary exhibition titled “Rabbi Ferdinand Isserman Sounds a Warning – Missourians and the Holocaust.” This exhibit located will be on display during the month of October on the second floor of the library. Rabbi Isserman traveled to pre-WWII Germany several times and reported back to Missourians on the rising danger he found.

For more information on these events, parent and teacher resources and recommended reading and viewing, please visit libguides.mst.edu/holocaustexhibit/events.

Americans and the Holocaust: A Traveling Exhibition for Libraries is an educational initiative of the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum and the American Library Association.

Americans and the Holocaust was made possible by the generous support of lead sponsor Jeannie and Jonathan Lavine. Additional major funding was provided by the Bildners — Joan and Allen z”l, Elisa Spungen and Rob, Nancy and Jim; and Jane and Daniel Och. The museum’s exhibitions are also supported by the Lester Robbins and Sheila Johnson Robbins Traveling and Special Exhibitions Fund, established in 1990.

For more information about the S&T events or to make arrangements for guided tours, please contact the Curtis Laws Wilson Library at 573-341-4008 or library@mst.edu. 

About the Curtis Laws Wilson Library

The Curtis Laws Wilson Library is located on Missouri S&T’s campus at 400 W. 14th Street in Rolla. Dedicated in 1968, the library is named in honor of the dean of the university (then named the Missouri School of Mines) from 1941-1963. Learn more about the library at library.mst.edu.

About the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum

A living memorial to the Holocaust, the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum inspires leaders and citizens worldwide to confront hatred, prevent genocide, and promote human dignity. The Museum’s far-reaching educational programs and global impact are made possible by generous donors. For more information, visit ushmm.org.

About the American Library Association

The American Library Association (ALA) is the foremost national organization providing resources to inspire library and information professionals to transform their communities through essential programs and services. For more than 140 years, the ALA has been the trusted voice for academic, public, school, government and special libraries, advocating for the profession and the library’s role in enhancing learning and ensuring access to information for all. For more information, visit ala.org.

About Missouri University of Science and Technology

Missouri University of Science and Technology (Missouri S&T) is a STEM-focused research university of approximately 7,000 students. Part of the four-campus University of Missouri System and located in Rolla, Missouri, Missouri S&T offers 101 degrees in 40 areas of study and is among the nation’s top 10 universities for return on investment, according to Business Insider. S&T also is home to the Kummer Institute, made possible by a $300 million gift from Fred and June Kummer. For more information about Missouri S&T, visit www.mst.edu.