Early History of the University of Missouri's Plaster Cast Collection

"This article will examine the University of Missouri's collection of plaster casts and its important role in classical education. The acquisition of the classical plaster cast collection, the presentation of the casts in the museum, and the display of the casts at the 1904 Louisiana Purchase Exposition demonstrate the ways in which the casts served to promote and establish the University of Missouri as an active participant in classical academia. The University of Missouri, which was established as a land grant university through the Morrill Act of 1862, played a role in shaping the discipline of classical archaeology in the Midwest, and this was, in part, due to the acquisition of the plaster casts by professor John Pickard. I will present the early history of Missouri's plaster cast collection, the ways in which it propelled the university into the larger conversation of the discipline of classical archaeology, and how it participated in giving classical academia a regional voice in the Midwest."--First paragraph.Includes bibliographical reference