Dec. 19—Roy Blunt is the second lawmaker with ties to Southwest Missouri to be inducted into the Hall of Famous Missourians in Jefferson City in recent weeks.
A bust of Blunt was unveiled during a ceremony Wednesday at the Capitol, joining busts of other famous Missourians, including Harry Truman and Laura Ingalls Wilder.
“Senator Roy Blunt’s life is an example of uniquely American opportunity met with Missouri values of leadership, dedication and service,” reads the plaque below the bust. “Representing Missouri for over two decades in Congress, he became a pivotal figure in shaping policy and a leader in national security.”
It also notes his support of federal investment in health research and mental health access.
“We are all indebted to Sen. Blunt. He represents the best of us,” Gary Kremer, director of the State Historical Society of Missouri, said during the ceremony.
Blunt, a former history teacher, currently serves as president of the State Historical Society of Missouri.
It is the latest in a string of honors for Blunt this year.
In April, he was named the recipient of the 2024 Harry S. Truman Legacy of Leadership Award. The Truman Library Institute noted that Blunt “is one of only two Americans in Congressional history to be elected to leadership positions by his colleagues in both the House and the Senate.”
In January, the Missouri Southern State University Board of Governors voted unanimously to name its health science center after him.
Blunt helped spearhead $2 million in federal support for the new center that incorporated a $2 million state match — “essentially a $4 million provision for the new building that will impact thousands of students in the state and region,” MSSU said in a statement.
Blunt’s half-century of public service included serving as Missouri secretary of state, 14 years in the House representing Southwest Missouri and 12 years in the U.S. Senate.
During his time in office, Blunt’s was a familiar face in Joplin.
He brought back funding to Missouri over the years for research into alternative and renewable sources of energy, culminating in his name being placed on the MARET Center at Crowder College in Neosho. He was a strong supporter of AmeriCorps, the federal volunteer program that was instrumental in helping Joplin recover and rebuild after the May 2011 tornado.
Blunt also has been honored for his support for Alzheimer’s research and mental health.
The National Institutes of Health in 2022 dedicated its Roy Blunt Center for Alzheimer’s and Related Dementias Building. According to the NIH: “Blunt has led efforts to increase funding for NIH by around 50% over the past seven years. During this time, he focused much-needed attention and funding to Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias, more than quintupling the amount of funding available for research.”
The late Ron Richard was inducted into the Hall of Famous Missourians last month. Richard was a former Joplin mayor who became the only Missourian to serve as both speaker of the Missouri House of Representatives and president pro tem of the Missouri Senate.