The State Historical Society of Missouri’s History on Elm noon series will close out the year with a presentation by SHSMO executive director Gary Kremer, who will connect the past to the present in his latest book, This Place of Promise: A Historian’s Perspective on 200 Years of Missouri History. The public program will be held Tuesday, Dec. 12, noon- 1 p.m. at the Center for Missouri Studies, 605 Elm St., Columbia. Kremer, himself a fifth-generation Missourian, infuses the narrative with his vast knowledge and personal experiences as he considers how the forces of history – time, place, race, gender, religion, and class – shaped the people of Missouri.

Kremer earned his Ph.D. from American University in Washington, DC. He has written, coedited and been a coauthor of 12 books, and previously taught history at Lincoln University in Jefferson City and William Woods University in Fulton. He also served as the state archivist of Missouri from 1987 to 1991. Kremer has been the executive director of the State Historical Society of Missouri since 2004.

Kremer’s recent book was published by the University of Missouri Press and is available online at the Richard Bookstore inside the Center for Missouri Studies. Kremer will be available to sign books following his presentation.

The History on Elm series celebrates the 125th anniversary of the founding of the State Historical Society in 1898 by exploring a variety of topics on the second Tuesday of the month at noon, ranging from Missouri art and authors to unique and interesting collections at the State Historical Society. The series is free to the public and registration is not required. For more information, visit shsmo.org.