Anne Baker, head of Special Collections and a tenure-track Assistant Professor of Library Science at Missouri State University, recently was elected to the Board of the Route 66 Association of Missouri. Anne’s interest in the Association is both personal and professional.  She has been a member of the Association for over fifteen years, plus Special Collections has worked with the Association to preserve the oral histories collected by their members.

Anne is looking forward to being part of the Association’s efforts to preserve the history of the Mother Road in Missouri.  In addition to the oral history program, the Route 66 Association of Missouri raises funds to preserve neon signage along the road, works with business owners on preservation grants, and has been involved with federal efforts to make Route 66 a national historic trail.  To hear one of Anne’s favorite oral histories, check out this one of Julia Chaney, who along with her husband, started “Red’s Giant Hamburg” in Springfield.

The next meeting of the Route 66 Association of Missouri will be held on Saturday, April 13, 2019 at the Double Tree Hotel in Springfield.