If Memorial Hall could talk, what stories would the century-old building tell?
Stories of sacrifice ...“This building was constructed by the citizens of the city of Joplin as a Memorial to all those who, as members of any branch of the military or naval service of the United States, have given their lives and services in behalf of our country and all wars in which it has been engaged.”
Men who had fought in the Civil War, the Spanish-American War and World War I spoke at its dedication in 1925 to a crowd estimated at 2,000.
Walls inside contain stone markers, one dedicated to veterans of the Spanish-American War, the other dedicated “In memory of our world war dead,” and lists the names of Joplin men and one woman who died in World War I. One of those was Lt. Ludwig Everson, one of the first Joplin soldiers killed in World War I. He was shot Sept. 26, 1918, the opening day of the Meuse-Argonne offensive.
When soldiers returned to Joplin in 1919, to a parade and a reunion with family members at Schifferdecker Park, Everson’s widow was there, dressed in a blue suit, watching from outside the fence that separated the crowd from the soldiers, according to The Joplin Globe.
Twelve years after Everson’s death, his mother, Mary Everson, joined other American mothers who had lost their sons on a visit to France “to kneel at the graves of soldiers who were their sons,” the Globe reported.
Mary Everson told the paper in 1930: “I am proud, he made the sacrifice. He was a soldier, and he died like a soldier.”
He is interred in the Meuse-Argonne American Cemetery in France.
According to the Globe, during her trip to France, Mary Everson was given “the signal honor of being chosen as the representative from Missouri to place a wreath upon the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Paris at ceremonies held there Aug. 28 (1930).”
A World War II monument was added outside Memorial Hall in 1947, and another monument honoring men killed in Korea and Vietnam was added in 1973.
Stories of Joplin ...There’s another plaque inside the building, dedicated to Alfred S. Michaelis, who died during an inspection of the construction July 29, 1925.
He and his older brother, Augustus, were responsible for designing many of Joplin’s premier buildings, including homes, schools and churches. On July 29, according to Globe historian Bill Caldwell, “Alfred was inspecting the flyloft above the stage after all the workers had left. A misstep on a narrow steel beam caused him to fall 50 feet to his death. The nightwatchman found his body on the stage, having heard the fall.”
Memorial Hall also was a symbol of an evolving Joplin.
“Given the community’s origins in the mining industry, many locals interpreted Memorial Hall as a symbol of Joplin’s transformation from frontier boomtown to regional center,” according to the building’s listing on the National Register of Historic Places. “Its construction exemplified an evolving business model for Joplin, as the city shifted from an economy centered on mining to one that was more diversified and catered to a variety of professionals, townspeople and travelers.”
During World War II, Hollywood actress Bette Davis appeared at Joplin’s Memorial Hall as part of a war bond drive along with talent drawn from Camp Crowder soldiers. Her appearance raised $177,705.
In recent years, the building also served as a temporary hospital and school after the 2011 tornado, adding yet another chapter to its story.
Stories of segregation ...
According to the national register, Memorial Hall helped integrate Joplin, and during the bond campaign to pay for its construction, the Joplin News Herald reported on a meeting held to get the support of the Black community. “W.D. Myers, the local American Legion post commander, spoke at the meeting, and he reportedly told the crowd that ‘Memorial Hall would be a building for the use of all Joplin’s citizens. …’ Myers’ appeal to black residents was likely in response to widespread African American participation in World War I, including the contributions of at least 400,000 Black soldiers. ...
“Nevertheless, the fact that Joplin’s black community held a separate meeting on Memorial Hall reflected the extent of Jim Crow segregation throughout the city,” the national register nomination noted.
Among the performers over the years were Marian Anderson — at least twice — and Wings Over Jordan, which the Globe called the “World’s Greatest Negro Choir,” as well as the Harlem Globetrotters.
Betty Smith, a longtime Joplin resident, said African Americans saw many performances from the balcony, not on the main floor.
“We (Joplin’s Black community) were allowed to attend some things. If it was a dance, we couldn’t dance on the floor until after midnight,” she wrote in the Globe in 2020. “Most people would leave, but others stayed and danced with us.”
Stories of entertainment
From the national register nomination: “Countless entertainers, performers and productions graced Memorial Hall’s stage during the 1920s, 1930s and 1940s. The Chicago Civic Opera Company presented ‘Aida’ in March 1927, which the Joplin Globe called, ‘The most spectacular and magnificent production ever offered in the Joplin district.” Bandleaders John Philip Sousa, Al Jolson and Jimmy Dorsey entertained audiences at Memorial Hall in 1929, 1932, and 1945, respectively.”
Country music performers included Roy Acuff.
Memorial Hall also hosted many sporting events, including high school basketball games, amateur boxing and wrestling tournaments.
According to the national register nomination: “Community concerts and dances were held regularly at the building, including annual events at Christmas, New Year’s Eve, and Valentine’s Day. Advertisem*nts for circuses and carnivals at Memorial Hall sponsored by the local Shriners and Lions clubs began appearing regularly in the Joplin Globe by the mid-1940s. Many community members also observed Veterans Day by attending a commemorative service at Memorial Hall. This service typically concluded with a concert and dance sponsored by the American Legion and Veterans of Foreign Wars.”
Henry Mancini was the headliner for Memorial Hall’s grand reopening in November 1977 after it had been renovated.
“Bands associated with 1970s glam rock or 1980s hair metal are well represented,” the nomination noted, including Chicago, Joan Jett and the Blackhearts, and Robert Plant. Country artists included Garth Brooks and Reba McIntire. The national register nomination notes: “According to local legend, Garth Brooks’ first performance as a headlining act occurred at Memorial Hall and, in 1991, over 6,000 tickets for two Brooks concerts sold out in less than four hours.”
According to the nomination, citing a piece on the local news website Joplinite in 2020, 45 of the top 100 country artists ranked by Rolling Stone had entertained audiences at Memorial Hall.
