University of Missouri Press facts for kids

The University of Missouri Press is a special kind of book publisher. It is run by the University of Missouri in Columbia, Missouri. It also has a connection to London, England.

This press started in 1958. A professor named William Peden helped create it. Its main job is to publish books. Many of these books are about Missouri and its people.

What Does the University of Missouri Press Publish?

The University of Missouri Press publishes many different kinds of books. They focus on topics like American and world history. They also publish books about military history and famous people's lives.

Other topics include journalism and African American studies. They also publish books about women's studies. You can find books on American, British, and Latin American literature. They also cover political science and books about specific regions. Since it started, the press has published 2,000 books. Today, they publish about 30 new books each year. Most of these are academic books.

Famous Books They've Published

The University of Missouri Press has published many important books. Here are a few well-known ones:

• The complete works of Langston Hughes. He was a famous American poet.
• The complete works of Eric Voegelin. He was a well-known thinker.
• The "Give 'em Hell, Harry" series by Robert H. Ferrell. These books are about former President Harry Truman.

Book Series You Can Explore

The press also publishes books in special collections called series. Each series focuses on a particular topic. This helps readers find books they are interested in.

Some of their popular series include:

• Studies in Constitutional Democracies
• Journalism in Perspective: Continuity and Disruptions
• The American Military Experience Series
• The Collected Works of Langston Hughes
• The Collected Works of Eric Voegelin
• The Eric Voegelin Institute Series in Political Philosophy
• The Give 'Em Hell Harry Series
• The Mark Twain and His Circle Series. This series is about the famous author Mark Twain.
• The Missouri Biography Series. These books tell the life stories of people from Missouri.
• The Missouri Heritage Readers Series
• The Shades of Blue and Gray Series. This series is about the American Civil War.
• The Sports and American Culture Series
• The Southern Women Series
• The Paul Anthony Brick Lectures. This series includes works by important thinkers like John Hope Franklin and Sissela Bok.

A Time of Change

In 2012, there was a plan to close the University of Missouri Press. The university thought it was costing too much money. They planned to let go of its ten employees.

But many people spoke up against this decision. They wanted the press to stay open. Because of this public support, the university changed its mind. In August 2012, they decided to keep the press going.

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 forward.

See Also

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