Former U.S. Sen. Roy Blunt to lead State Historical Society of Missouri for next 3 years

Former U.S. Sen. Roy Blunt is the new president of the State Historical Society of Missouri following an election by the society's board of trustees. His term will be three years.

Blunt, who recently retired from the Senate has served as a trustee of the society since 2005. He succeeds Virginia Laas, professor emerita of history at Missouri Southern State University in Joplin. She will continue to serve on the board.

A fifth-generation Missourian, Blunt was elected to the Senate in 2010 after serving in the U.S. House of Representatives since 1996. He was once a history teacher. He also has served as president of Southwest Baptist University in Bolivar, from which he graduated.

“As a student and teacher of history before entering politics and having traveled to all 114 counties and the city of St. Louis throughout my political career, it is my privilege to continue to serve Missourians and this important organization,” Blunt said in a news release.

He also spoke of his long-time working relationship with Gary Kremer, executive director of the State Historical Society. While Blunt served as Secretary of State, he appointed Kremer as State Archivist.

“I look forward to working with Gary and the rest of the great staff at the society," Blunt said in the release. "I also appreciate the leadership of Virginia Laas, who helped guide the State Historical Society through the challenges of COVID soon after we opened a new headquarters facility on the University of Missouri campus in Columbia.”

Roger McKinney is the Tribune's education reporter. You can reach him at rmckinney@columbiatribune.com or 573-815-1719. He's on Twitter at @rmckinney9.

This article originally appeared on Columbia Daily Tribune: After Senate, Roy Blunt takes helm at State Historical Society