MISSOURI STATE ARCHIVES
Guide to African American History

Missouri Opportunity 2000 Commission

Governor John Ashcroft created the Missouri Opportunity 2000 Commission in December 1985; thirty individuals were appointed in January 1986 to serve as commissioners. These individuals represented areas including business, civic and volunteer leadership, labor, academia, education, health care, and more. The Commission was charged with "exploring the role of economic development, education, health, and quality of life as each relates to Missourians' expectations and aspirations about the future."

The Commission divided its work into four major substantive areas and formed study committees around each of those components. The four substantive committees were economic growth and development, education, employment, and health and quality of life. Each of the four committees held meetings across the state. Each committee was also provided with a substantial amount of written material either from public sources, invitational papers, or solicited position papers from agencies and other organizations. In specific areas, the individual committees commissioned papers and studies.

While much of the work focuses on economic and gender categories, race is identified in key areas, such as the desegregation of urban schools. Reports, correspondence, and public hearings discuss this and other issues of interest to Missouri's African American population.

Record Group 407: Missouri Opportunity 2000 Commission: Administrative Papers, 1985-1988; arranged alphabetically by subject.

This series contains papers relative to the administration of the Commission. Included are budget information, member biographies, applicants for the Commission, news releases, and surveys.

Record Group 407: Missouri Opportunity 2000 Commission: Correspondence, 1985-1987; arranged chronologically.

This series contains some correspondence of the Commission. Other correspondence, more directly related to a specific topic, may be located in the subject series of this Commission's records. Incoming and outgoing correspondence of Executive Director Gregg Hartley is included in this collection.

Record Group 407: Missouri Opportunity 2000 Commission: Public Hearings, 1986; arranged chronologically.

The Commission scheduled three hearings, one each for St. Louis, Springfield, and Kansas City. This series contains transcripts for the hearings held in St. Louis and Springfield; there are no available transcripts for the Kansas City meeting.

Record Group 407: Missouri Opportunity 2000 Commission: Subject Files, 1986-1989; arranged alphabetically by subject, chronologically thereunder.

This series contains documents relative to the four substantive committees of the Commission: economic growth and development; education; employment; and health and quality of life. Included are additional topics of interest to the committees, including agriculture, food, rural living, and demographics. The files include minutes and transcripts of meetings, reports, statistical information, and correspondence.

Record Group 407: Missouri Opportunity 2000 Commission: Commission Report, 1987-1988; arranged chronologically.

Papers relating to the final report prepared by the Commission make up this series. Included are rough drafts, executive summary, final report, and summary responses.

Record Group 407: Missouri Opportunity 2000 Commission: Miscellaneous Background Materials, no dates.

Various reports and materials relating to the work of the Commission and/or its committees included in this series. Statistics, analyses, and published reports about rural Missouri, state infrastructure, vocational education, justice, tourism, welfare-to-work, and technology are available in this series.