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Collection Summary
Title
Joseph Nesbit Collection
Date
1950s to 1990s
Extent
1 archival box and 1 oversize archival box
Name and Location of Repository
Midwest Genealogy Center, Independence (Mo.)
Reference code: MGC 1166-JNC
Processed by: Jolene Clark, 2018; finding aid created by Jolene Clark, 2018
Name of Creator
Joseph and Della Mae Trout Nesbit
Biographical History
Joseph Nesbit was born November 15, 1915 near Clinton, Missouri. After serving in World War II, he
used the G.I. Bill to complete his education. In 1948, he was a principal at Butler (MO) Elementary
School where he met Della Mae Trout, the music teacher. They were married in 1952 and had two
children. In 1954, Joseph came to work for the Hickman Mills School District (Consolidated School
District Number 1) where he stayed until his retirement in 1979. He held many positions in the school
district including principal of Burke Elementary, supervisor of elementary schools, Director of
Curriculum, Assistant Superintendent of Schools. In 1976, he became the Superintendent of Schools and
held that position until he retired. During the time Joseph Nesbit worked for the school district, the
district grew from about 1,700 students to over 15,000 students. Joseph died on February 3, 2006.
Scope and Content
Items in the collection connect Joseph Nesbit and his family to the Hickman Mills School District. Much
of the collection pertains to his time as principal or superintendent. The collection is comprised of
programs, newspapers, newspaper clippings, histories of the schools, and photographs. Former
President Harry S. Truman signed Joseph Nesbit’s copy of the program from the dedication of three
schools. The family witnessed the Ruskin Heights tornado in 1957. A photograph of Ruskin High School
after the tornado as well as a disaster card filled out by the Nesbit family are among the items in this
collection. Other items in the collection relate to the schools that the Nesbit children attended including
a private school, Barstow School. The collection is arranged in two series, the first relating to the schools
and the second relating to the Hickman Mills area where the family lived.
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Collection Inventory
System of Arrangement
These records are arranged in 2 series.
Box 1
Series 1, Schools
Folder 1, C. A. Burke Elementary School, Kansas City, MO
Item 1, Pendant flags (2)
Item 2, “Remember the Times” 40th Birthday program
Item 3, C.A. Burke Elementary School [Removed to book collection]
Item 4, Photograph of Lillian Williams 6th grade teacher, 1964-1965
Item 5, Photograph outside of C.A. Burke Elementary, 1965
Item 6, Song lyrics for district choir, 1965 or 1966 [accretion, May 2019]
Folder 2, Ruskin High School, Kansas City, MO
Item 1, Photograph of damage to Ruskin High School following tornado, 1957
Item 2, Resident Disaster Card for Nesbit family, 1957
Item 3, Ruskin High School Baccalaureate program, 1959
Item 4, Newspaper article Baccalaureate and commencement, 1959 [copy]
Folder 3, Barstow School, Kansas City, MO
Item 1, Commencement program, 1972
Item 2, Commencement program, 1971
Item 3, Graduation announcement for Mary Jane Nesbit, 1972
Item 4, Baccalaureate program, 1972
Item 5, Barstow Song Book
Item 6, The Messiah program, 1971
Item 7, Class photo, 1972
Item 8, The B-Line, Vol. X, No. 12, June 2, 1971
Item 9, The B-Line, Vol XI, No. 9, June 7, 1972
Item 10, The Weathercock yearbook [Removed to book collection]
Folder 4, Hickman Elementary School, Kansas City, MO
Item 1, Kindergarten progress report for Jane Nesbit
Item 2, Envelope
Folder 5, Newspapers
Item 1, Newspaper clippings [copies]
Item 2, Your School Report, Consolidated School District Number 1, Vol. 1, No.
3, January 1966
Item 3, Your School Report, Consolidated School District Number 1, Vol. XV, No.
4, March 1979 [oversized]
Item 4, Your School Report, Consolidated School District Number 1, Vol. XV, No.
5, May 1979 [oversized]
Item 5, Jackson County Advocate, Vol. 105, No. 28, August 10, 1995 [oversized]
Folder 6, Photographs
Item 1, Joe Nesbit at desk
Item 2, Mr. Foraker and Mr. Nesbit at desk
Folder 7, Retirement
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Item 1, Joseph H Nesbit retirement program, May 6, 1979
Item 2, Paul F Province retirement program, May 6, 1979
Item 3, Photograph retirement reception, May 6, 1979
Item 4, Missouri House of Representatives Resolution for Superintendent
Nesbit, May 3, 1979 [oversized]
Item 5, Paddle signed by district staff as a gift to Joseph Nesbit [oversized]
Item 6, Resolution from the Board of Eduction, July 19, 1979
Item 6, Blaine E. Steck retirement program, May 3, 1987 [accretion, Nov 2018]
Folder 8, Misc.
Item 1, Program from dedication of Ruskin High, Harry S. Truman Elementary,
and Westridge Elementary signed by Harry S. Truman
Item 2, Newspaper clipping about Truman dedicating schools [copy]
Item 3, Suburban Jackson County Missouri teaching recruitment brochure
Item 4, American Association of University Women Missouri Division Area
Conference/History of Hickman Mills, 1962
Item 5, Achievement in Education Awards and Baptiste Educational Center Open
House program, 1997
Item 6, National AAU/USA-Sears Junior Olympic Girls Basketball Championship
program, 1979
Item 7, Harry S Truman Elementary School 1956-1996: Celebrating 40 Years of
Progress [Removed to book collection]
Item 8, Annual Review, Consolidated School District No. 1, 1979 [Removed to
book collection]
Item 9, Open House for new Administration Building invitation, 1980 [accretion,
Nov 2018]
Item 10, Open House for new Administration Building program, May 18, 1980
[accretion, Nov 2018]
Series 2, Hickman Mills area
Folder 1, Hickman Mills, Kansas City, MO
Item 1, Chamber of Commerce directory [circa 1961]
Item 2, Chamber of Commerce directory [circa 1966]
Folder 2, Churches
Item 1, Community Christian Church dedication program, 1958
Item 2, Hickman Mills Community Christian Church bulletin, 1965
Item 3, St. Luke’s United Methodist Church dedication program, 1971
Folder 3, Misc.
Item 1, Camp Fire Day Camp memento signed by Ben Irvine
Item 2, Alternative Futures Program for Greater Kansas City resolution,
December 4, 1975 [accretion, Nov 2018]
Item 3, Camp Fire Day Camp songs [accretion, May 2019]
Item 4, Deeds and real estate contracts [accretion, Oct 2019]
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Rights and Access
Conditions Governing Access
The collection is open for research use by appointment.
Physical Access
Most records within this collection are housed in file folders.
Conditions Governing Reproduction and Use
Permission to publish, quote, or reproduce must be secured from the Midwest Genealogy Center.
Languages and Scripts of the Material
Materials in the collection are entirely in English.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
This collection was donated by Mary Jane Cary.
Accruals
Accretion to collection added 2018, 2019.
Existence and Location of Originals
Originals owned by the Midwest Genealogy Center.
Related Materials
Other items donated by family added to book collection:
Annual Review July 1979 Consolidated School District No. 1.
C.A. Burke Elementary School 1954-1955 to 1994-1995.
Harry S. Truman Elementary School 1956-1996: Celebrating 40 Years of Progress.
Jami Parkison. The Journey to Our Future: The History of the Hickman Mills C-1 School District,
1902-2002. Kansas City, MO: 2002.
The Weathercock, 1972.
Notes
The following sources were consulted during the preparation of the biographical history:
Retirement program for Joseph Nesbit
Findagrave.com
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