‘On a Miner Note: Musical Miners and Missouri Sounds’ to open at Missouri S&T Oct. 3

Posted by
On September 27, 2023

The Ozark Land and Lumber Company Band in Shannon County, MO. Photo from the Priscilla Evans Photograph Collection, State Historical Society of Missouri.

The Curtis Laws Wilson Library at Missouri S&T will host an exhibition about local musical history during October. “On a Miner Note: Musical Miners and Missouri Sounds” opens with a public reception 4-6 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 3, featuring a presentation by State Historical Society of Missouri archivist Haley Frizzle-Green on the history of Springfield-based broadcasting company RadiOzark. Light refreshments will be served.

The exhibition will be housed on the second floor of the library from Tuesday, Oct. 3, to Thursday, Oct. 26. Created by the State Historical Society of Missouri (SHSMO) and the Missouri S&T Archives, “On a Miner Note” explores the history of music in Rolla and Phelps County, including the establishment of the Western Conservatory of Music and the founding of a community band. The exhibition also highlights the history of KMNR, Missouri S&T’s campus radio station.

SHSMO’s new traveling exhibit “Broadcasting the Ozarks: A History of RadiOzark Enterprises” will also be on display in the library. The exhibit showcases the history of Springfield’s RadiOzark Enterprises, the company behind nationally syndicated radio programs such as The Tennessee Ernie Ford ShowThe Red Foley Show, and Shorty Thompson’s Saddle Rockin’ Rhythm. Visitors can learn about Springfield’s legacy as the “Crossroads of Country Music” and listen to audio clips from the RadiOzark Record Collection. The exhibition is made possible by the Melinda J. McDaniel Charitable Trust, UW, Bank of America, N.A., Trustee.

In addition to the opening reception, other free public events co-sponsored by the Missouri S&T Archives and SHSMO’s Rolla Research Center are planned in S&T’s Curtis Laws Wilson Library during October. These include:

  • “The Widest Spectrum of Sound: 60 Years of College Radio,” 5 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 10, on the second floor of the library. Dr. Jeff Schramm, associate professor of history and political science and KMNR faculty advisor, will discuss the station’s 60-year history on campus. The talk will also be streamed on Zoom and on the Missouri S&T Archives’ Facebook page.
  • “The Western Conservatory of Music of Rolla, Kansas City and Chicago: A Glimpse of Late 19th Century Music Education,” 5 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 17, on the second floor of the library. Dr. David Samson, assistant professor of music at Missouri S&T, will discuss the history of the Western Conservatory of Music, which was established in Rolla in 1882. The talk will also be streamed on Zoom and Facebook.
  • Missouri S&T Choir performance, 5 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 24, on the first floor of the library. The Missouri S&T Choir, under the direction of Lorie Francis, will perform pieces from university archives collections that were written and composed by Missourians. Dr. Michael Bruening, professor of history and political science, will also perform. This event will be streamed on Facebook.

For more information and to register for the Zoom streams, visit shsmo.org/events. For links to resources related to the exhibit, visit libguides.mst.edu/OnAMinerNote.

About the Curtis Laws Wilson Library

The Curtis Laws Wilson Library is located on the Missouri S&T campus at 400 W. 14th St. in Rolla. Dedicated in 1968, the library is named in honor of Curtis Laws Wilson, who served dean of the Missouri School of Mines and Metallurgy, now known as Missouri S&T, from 1941 to 1963. Learn more about the library at library.mst.edu.

About Missouri University of Science and Technology

Missouri University of Science and Technology (Missouri S&T) is a STEM-focused research university of over 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. For more information about Missouri S&T, visit www.mst.edu.

Share this page

Posted by

On September 27, 2023.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *