For campaign rallies, dedication ceremonies, and in times of tragedy, many presidents have visited the Ozarks. Thousands of people witnessed each event, wanting to catch a glimpse of the president and be a part of American history.
Theodore Roosevelt
September 23, 1912
Former President Theodore Roosevelt made a campaign stop in Springfield on September 23, 1912. Roosevelt had chosen not to run for reelection in 1908, but he reentered the race in 1912. Running under the banner of the Progressive “Bull Moose” party, Roosevelt challenged both Republican incumbent William Howard Taft and Democrat Woodrow Wilson for the presidential seat. A crowd of 10,000 people saw Roosevelt speak for about 40 minutes on the athletic field at Drury College.
Harry S. Truman
July 5, 1948
President Harry S. Truman visited Bolivar for the dedication of a statue honoring the town’s namesake, Simon Bolivar. Truman was joined by the president of Venezuela, Romulo Gallegos, who presented the statue to the people of the United States. Rain had threatened to spoil the occasion, but what was described as the greatest day in Bolivar’s history was just another blazing hot summer day in the Ozarks. Thousands of people gathered for the celebration, and traffic on Highway 13 from Springfield to Bolivar was bumper-to-bumper. The presidents watched a parade from a reviewing stand on the public square. After the parade, they made their way to Neuhart Park where President Gallegos unveiled the statue. Returning to Springfield, Truman spoke briefly to a large crowd at the Frisco Depot before leaving for Washington, D.C.
John F. Kennedy
February 23, 1957
U.S. Sen. John F. Kennedy attended the annual Jackson Days celebration on February 23, 1957, at the Shrine Mosque in Springfield. At that time, the future president was best known for his book, Profiles in Courage, which won a Pulitzer Prize for biography that year. An enthusiastic crowd of 2,200 people heard the young senator’s speech. Looking to the 1960 presidential race, Kennedy suggested that Missouri Sen. Stuart Symington would be the Democratic nominee. Although he said Ohio was “the mother of Presidents,” he also declared “Missouri is expecting... I don’t see how the Democrats could do any better than right here at this table.” Although both men were at the table, few in the room could have predicted the nomination would go to Kennedy instead of Symington.
Richard Nixon
September 21, 1960
The visit by then-Vice President Richard Nixon on September 21, 1960 made a lasting impact on Springfield. Nixon announced plans to speak at the Shrine Mosque during his presidential campaign against John F. Kennedy, and arrangements were made for him to stay at the Kentwood Arms Hotel. One of Springfield’s finest hotels, the Kentwood Arms was segregated, and Nixon said he would cancel the event if two African American reporters traveling with him were not allowed to stay at the hotel. Managers at the Kentwood Arms made an exception for the reporters when they learned of Nixon’s stance, but they planned to continue the segregation policy. This action prompted leaders with the local chapter of the NAACP to plan a protest during the visit. A large crowd gathered for a city council meeting on September 19, where African Americans attended with plans to form a human rights commission. Thirty minutes after the meeting, officials with the Kentwood Arms and Heer’s Inc., announced an immediate end to their segregation policy.
Gerald Ford
June 11, 1976
President Gerald Ford spoke to 1,400 delegates of the Missouri State Republican Convention at the Howard Johnson’s Convention Center on June 11, 1976 flanked by Attorney General John Danforth (left) and Lt. Gov. William Phelps (far right).The president touted his record during 22 months in office as he campaigned for the Republican nomination. His challenger, Ronald Reagan, greeted supporters at the Municipal Airport and then traveled to the convention center. The rivals never met, though Reagan entered the building minutes after Ford finished his speech and began shaking hands with well wishers in the parking lot.
Jimmy Carter
November 3, 1980
An estimated 4,000 people greeted President Jimmy Carter at the Springfield Regional Airport on November 3, 1980. Carter’s visit came the day before the election where he faced Republican challenger Ronald Reagan. The president spent about an hour in Springfield and discussed issues important to farmers. He also invoked the memory of Harry Truman — and even held up a photocopy of the famous Chicago Daily Tribune issue that announced Thomas Dewey had beaten Truman in the 1948 election.
Ronald Reagan
June 7, 1952 and October 23, 1986
Thousands of people converged on Springfield from June 6 to 8, 1952, for one of the largest occasions in the long history of the Queen City. Two major events took place over those three days: the first, a reunion of the 35th Division, and the second was the world premiere of “The Winning Team,” starring actor Ronald Reagan. President Harry Truman, a veteran of the 35th Division, walked with his World War I comrades in a parade across the Square. From the reviewing stand, he watched as Reagan passed by in a convertible with his wife, actress Nancy Davis. Twenty-nine years later Reagan became the 40th president of the United States.
In 1986, an enthusiastic crowd of about 8,000 people saw President Reagan speak at Hammons Student Center on the campus of Southwest Missouri State University (now Missouri State University). The president came to Springfield to support Christopher “Kit” Bond, who was locked in a tight race for a seat in the U.S. Senate. Reagan remarked that the cheers of the at-capacity crowd times rivaled the revelry of a SMSU basketball game led by coach Charlie Spoonhour. “Believe me, I can tell you it is good to be here today in Spoon’s ‘Temple of Doom.’ The way you cheered I sort of thought the Bears had come in, and maybe the Lady Bears.”
George H.W. Bush
July 4, 1991
In the aftermath of the Persian Gulf War, President George H.W. Bush wanted to celebrate the Fourth of July in a small town with a patriotic celebration. He and his wife, Barbara, chose Marshfield, Missouri, which was best known for its elaborate parade, held every July 4 since 1880. Almost 20,000 people jammed the Webster County town to catch a glimpse of the first couple. Bush told the crowd that small towns “Cultivate the kind of values that carried this country for over 200 years. Ones like liberty and loyalty and ingenuity and independence. And through it all… faith in God… And so I would say to my fellow Americans not with us today, you can find the American character right here in this square on display, and every day, in Marshfield, Missouri.”
Bill Clinton
October 23, 1992
Almost 2,000 people crammed into the old gym at Hillcrest High School in Springfield to see candidate Bill Clinton on October 23, 1992. Clinton was an hour and a half late and spoke for just 15 minutes, but enthusiasm for the Arkansas governor was high as another 8,000 people gathered outside.
George W. Bush
October 18, 2002
President George W. Bush spoke for 35 minutes to a crowd of 6,500 at Southwest Missouri State University. He came to Springfield campaigning for Jim Talent (far right), who was making a bid for U.S. Senate U.S. Rep. Roy Blunt (far left) and Sen. Christopher Bond (second from left) joined President Bush to support Talent.
Barack Obama
November 1, 2008
Presidential candidate Barack Obama made two campaign stops in Springfield during the 2008 race. His second was at Parkview High School, shown above, with his wife, Michelle, and daughters Malia (left) and Sasha (right). An estimated crowd of just over 30,000 people jammed into JFK Stadium to catch a glimpse of the then-senator.
On May 29, 2011, President Obama visited the Ozarks a second time. This time he was in Joplin to tour the devastation caused by a tornado just one week prior. He visited Joplin again a year later, speaking at the 2012 Joplin High School graduation.
Donald Trump
September 21, 2018
President Donald Trump made a campaign stop at JQH Arena to support Attorney General Josh Hawley in his race for the U.S. Senate seat held by Claire McCaskill. More than 11,000 people filled JQH Arena to see the president.