Jasper County Clerk's office well represented as Annie White Baxter inducted into Hall of Famous Missourians

(From Sen. Bill White, R-Joplin)

On Wed., Aug. 26, Annie White Baxter was inducted into the Hall of Famous Missourians. 

A bronze bust made in her image will join the tributes to eight other Missouri women and 37 men in the “hall,” located on the third floor of the State Capitol. 

Baxter’s trailblazing success as Missouri’s first female elected official and the nation’s first woman county clerk earned her the prestigious spot. 

She was elected as the Jasper County Clerk in 1890, thirty years before women were allowed to vote. After her graduation from Carthage High School, Baxter started her career in the Jasper County Courthouse as an assistant clerk and deputy clerk before being formally elected to serve the entire county.

Current Jasper County clerk and former state representative, Charlie Davis, provided some historical context at the dedication ceremony. This photo was taken on the House dais after Speaker Elijah Haahr publically unveiled the bust during Wednesday’s ceremony. Standing on the top row, from left to right, are Mary Lou Newman-Teel, Carla Palmer, Lisa Perry, Charlie Davis and Speaker Haahr. The lower row consists of Cathy Loy, Patty Moss, Shala Cochrane, Chrystal Fast, Terrie Dawald, Crystal Lees and Annie Golden.