Heinlein Installed in Hall of Famous Missourians

While I missed reporting a lot of news stories while I was hospitalized, I want to pick up the ending of a story I’ve been following for a couple years – Robert A. Heinlein’s induction to the Hall of Famous Missourians.

Jeb Kinnison, whose contribution made possible the production of the Heinlein bust, has a lot of photos of The Heinlein Society’s unveiling ceremony at MidAmeriCon II in his Worldcon report.

Sculptor E. Spencer Schubertand Jeb Kinnison flank Heinlein's bust at MACII.

Sculptor E. Spencer Schubertand Jeb Kinnison flank Heinlein’s bust at MACII.

Then, immediately following the Worldcon, lawmakers in Jefferson City, the Missouri state capital, officially inducted Heinlein to the Hall.

Lawmakers on Tuesday inducted science fiction writer Robert Heinlein to the Hall of Famous Missourians to a cheering crowd of fans who call themselves “Heinlein’s children.”

The Missouri native won science fiction awards for some of his most famous works including “Stranger in a Strange Land” and “Starship Troopers,” a story about a war against arachnid-like aliens that later was adapted for film.

Fans, including a state lawmaker, said his work also inspired readers to pursue careers in science and space exploration. State Rep. T.J. Berry, of Kearney near Kansas City, said Heinlein encouraged others to “strive for the stars, for the moon” and “for what’s next.”

“Our devotion to this man must seem odd to those outside of the science fiction field, with spaceships and ray guns and bug-eyed monsters,” Heinlein Society President Keith Kato said. “But to Heinlein’s children, the writing was only the beginning of doing.”

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2 thoughts on “Heinlein Installed in Hall of Famous Missourians

  1. Thanks for the tip, JJ. I discover that I appear in a couple of Jeb Kinnison’s photos! So do a few other members of General Technics.

    Examine the one captioned “Crowd awaits Hugo presentations.” See the woman in the blue shirt? In the row behind her, just above her head, we can see Michigan fan Fred Robinson, consulting his tablet.

    To your left (Fred’s right) a man in a dark shirt is leaning over to speak to Fred. We see mostly the back of his head. That’s me.

    Left of that is the smiling, bearded visage of Chicago’s Sam Paris. Sam is in conversation with a forehead and a yarmulke, all that is visible of the renowned Moshe Yudkowsky, also from Chicago.

    Now that you know where we were sitting, you can probably spot us in the next photo, captioned “Picture from AE van Vogt’s granddaughter accepting retro-Hugo.” Blue Shirt Lady is at the right edge of this picture, and again we are seen in the row behind her and to her left, although by this time Moshe has departed the vicinity.

    I don’t know whether anyone but me cares, but I’m recording these facts for the sake of fannish posterity.

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