| FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE October 2, 2007 |
CONTACT: Beth Felice (800) 357-0909 beth @ mohumanities.org |
Each year the Governor of Missouri and the Missouri Humanities Council celebrate the accomplishments of people who have made exceptional contributions to our understanding of Missouri, its people, and its stories. The Community Heritage Award recognizes a person who has made a special contribution to a community’s understanding of its heritage.
For the past eighteen years, John Roberts has devoted himself to the collection and preservation of the stories and memories of St. Clair and Franklin county, and the creation of the St. Clair Historical Museum.
Jack Roberts' early career as a school teacher, then businessman and entrepreneur prepared him for his extraordinary achievements After receiving his BA at Central College and MA in History at University of Missouri, Jack taught first in Guam, then at Nipher JHS in Kirkwood from 1955-58. This was followed by a long and rewarding career as President of Senoret Chemical Co. in Kirkwood from 1958-98.
The Roberts moved to St. Clair in 1981, and charmed with the area and its people, set about learning and documenting its history. In 1989 Jack founded the Museum, and was the primary force in both the organizational side of board and nonprofit governance creation, and the establishment of the people and stories side, cultivating the ongoing donations of artifacts, and museum building, labor, and supplies.
In 1991 he negotiated donation of a vacant historic building built in 1899, the Odd Fellows Hall, to house the beginnings of the local museum. By 1993 the first floor of the museum opened to the public with sixteen exhibits, including a diorama of 1917 St. Clair, with a General Store and Post Office, and mining, banking, pharmaceutical, and antique toy exhibits. Just four years later the second floor was opened with an additional sixteen exhibits. Among the most popular are a full size kitchen circa 1928, and the Highway 66 in Franklin county exhibit.
Jack contributed more that 20,000 volunteer hours in his years as Chairman of the Board, and continues to contribute now as volunteer and Curator. He was instrumental in involving students from third graders visiting during History week to high school History Club and scouting groups. He has been the lead on many fundraising initiatives including creating sets of postcards reproduced from the museum’s Highway 66 collection. He produced a 28 minute DVD of oral histories, area residents reminiscing about historic happenings in the community, titled Traveler’s Repose: The History of St. Clair. (Traveler’s Repose was an early name for St. Clair, Missouri.)
Always interested in preserving the great public places of the area and two weeks before its scheduled demolition in 1988, he purchased, renovated and worked with a team to obtain National Register status for the Panhorst Feed Store (the first building in St. Clair to receive this designation, and classified in “the best state of preservation.”) Not one to rest on his laurels, in 1994 he repeated that process with the International Shoe Company which as the largest employer in St. Clair (from 1922-1982) was an important part of so many community stories.
Mr. Roberts was involved with Kiwanis International for many years having served numerous club offices, Lt. Governor of the Divisions in the Missouri-Arkansas District, Chairman of the Kiwanis Dental Foundation in St. Louis and Board member of the Kiwanis Camp Wyman. He was the first living Kiwanis member to be awarded Life-Membership in Kiwanis International in the Missouri-Arkansas District. Jack has been happily married to his wife Marjie for thirty-five years, and they have seven children and fifteen grandchildren.
“He has been a one man show in this wonderful museum, and his enthusiasm and dedication never wanes,” said current museum Director of the Board, Marti Warhurst. “His professional excellence has made him known as the leading authority on the history of our community, and the citizens of our town are very proud of his accomplishments and devotion to preserving our historical heritage. He is a true inspiration.”
These awards are based on nominations from the public, for outstanding contributions by a person, group, or organization to the humanities in Missouri. The deadline for submission for next year's awards is Friday, January 25th, 2008. To submit a nomination, please complete a one page information form, and include a one page summary and any supporting material to illustrate the nominee's accomplishments.
Missouri Humanities Council
543 Hanley Industrial Ct., Ste. 201
St. Louis, MO 63144-1905
(314) 781-9660 (800) 357-0909