University of Missouri Press facts for kids

The University of Missouri Press is a special kind of publisher. It is run by the University of Missouri in Columbia, Missouri, USA. It also has an office in London, England. This press started in 1958. A professor named William Peden helped create it.

The main goal of the University of Missouri Press is to publish books. Many of these books are about Missouri, its people, and its history. The press also publishes books on many other topics. These include American and world history, military history, and biographies. They also cover journalism, African American studies, and women's studies. Other topics are literature, political science, and regional studies. The press has published over 2,000 books. It releases about 30 new books each year. Most of these are academic books.

About the University of Missouri Press

A university press is different from a regular book publisher. It focuses on books that share knowledge and research. These books are often written by professors and experts. They help students and other researchers learn new things. The University of Missouri Press helps spread important ideas. It makes sure valuable information is available to everyone.

Famous Books Published

The University of Missouri Press has published many important books. These books are well-known in their fields. Here are a few examples:

• Collected Works of Langston Hughes: This is a collection of all the writings by Langston Hughes. He was a very famous American poet and writer. His work is important for understanding American culture.
• Collected Works of Eric Voegelin: This series includes all the writings of Eric Voegelin. He was a well-known thinker and political scientist. His ideas helped people understand how societies work.
• Robert H. Ferrell's Give 'em Hell, Harry Series: This series of books is about Harry Truman. He was a president of the United States. Robert H. Ferrell wrote these books to share stories about Truman's life and work.

Special Book Series

The press also publishes books in special groups called "series." Each series focuses on a particular topic. This helps readers find many books about subjects they are interested in. Here are some of their interesting series:

• The American Military Experience Series: This series explores different parts of American military history.
• The Mark Twain and His Circle Series: This series is about the famous American writer Mark Twain. It also covers people and places connected to him.
• The Missouri Biography Series: This series tells the life stories of important people from Missouri.
• The Sports and American Culture Series: This series looks at how sports have shaped American life and culture.

How the Press Was Saved

In 2012, there was a big change for the University of Missouri Press. The university thought about closing it down. This was to save money. They planned to end the jobs of ten employees. Many people were upset about this idea. There was a lot of public protest. Because of this, the university changed its mind. They decided to keep the press open in August 2012.

As part of this change, the press now reports to the main campus in Columbia. Before, it reported to the larger University of Missouri System. A new director was hired in 2013 to lead the press. This helped the press continue its important work.

See also

• List of English-language book publishing companies
• List of university presses