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Missouri Board on Geographic Names

The history and culture of Missouri are reflected in its place names. Citizens require an authoritative judgment about these names in their public records and in the publication of maps. The Missouri Board on Geographic Names (MOBGN) is responsible for coordinating place-naming activity between local, state and federal agencies. In so doing, the board oversees the naming and renaming of geographic features within the State of Missouri; provides uniformity in geographic nomenclature throughout the state; and retains the expressed historic and cultural significance of such names associated with Missouri's geography.

All geographic feature naming proposals reviewed by the MOBGN must first be submitted to U.S. Board on Geographic Names (USBGN) through the Domestic Geographic Name Proposal Portal. (Please note that users will need to access the submission system as a guest.)

The USBGN and the MOBGN are guided in their decisions by the USBGN's Principles, Policies and Procedures.

For questions about the submission of naming proposals, contact the USBGN at [email protected]. Questions about the deliberations of the MOBGN should be sent to Executive Secretary Brian Rogers at [email protected].

Meeting Minutes:

Members

John R. Ashcroft
Missouri Secretary of State
Chair / Executive Committee

John Dougan
Missouri State Archives
Chair Designee / Executive Committee

Christopher J. Barnett
University of Missouri - Columbia
Vice Chair / Executive Committee

Brian Rogers
Missouri State Archives
Executive Secretary / Executive Committee

Henry Sweets
Mark Twain Home Foundation
Executive Committee

Carey Bridges
Missouri Department of Natural Resources

P. Bryan Chinn
Missouri Office of Administration

Brett Chloupek
Northwest Missouri State University

Scott Faenger
Missouri Department of Agriculture

John Fisher
Historian

Alan Foreman
St. Louis District, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers

Dr. Debra F. Greene
Lincoln University

Melanie Hans
Mark Twain National Forest

Dr. Gary R. Kremer
State Historical Society of Missouri

Lynn Morrow
Historian

David Nail
U.S. Geological Survey

Dr. Frank Nickell
Historian

Alicia Struckhoff
Missouri Department of Conservation

Steven Vance
Missouri Department of Transportation