Route 66 Centennial Speaker Series

Route 66 Centennial Speaker Series – At a Glance

Series Moderator: Audra Bellmore
All sessions: 11 am PT | 12 pm MT | 1 pm CT | 2 pm ET
January 13, 2026

The Hidden Voices of Route 66

Route 66 is more than nostalgia. Dr. David Dunaway shares first-hand oral histories that reveal overlooked voices and communities along the Mother Road.

Speaker
Dr. David Dunaway
Dr. David Dunaway
Leading Route 66 humanities scholar
Hosting Organizations
University of New Mexico | Center for Southwest Research
Session Host
Audra Bellmore, Professor
Endowed Curator, Meem Archives of Southwestern Architecture, College of University Libraries and Learning Sciences
University of New Mexico
Video On Demand View Details
February 10, 2026

Cy Avery and the Invention of Route 66

How Route 66 came to be, and why Cy Avery mattered. Susan Croce Kelly explores the Good Roads movement behind the Mother Road.

Speaker
Susan Croce Kelly
Susan Croce Kelly
Author and Route 66 historian
Hosting Organizations
The State Historical Society of Missouri | Springfield and Rolla Research Centers
Missouri State University | Special Collections
Session Host
Kathleen Seale, Coordinator
Rolla and Springfield Research Centers
The State Historical Society of Missouri
Video On Demand View Details
March 10, 2026

Women's Work on Route 66

Cheryl Eichar Jett highlights the work, creativity, and leadership that sustained life and communities along Route 66.

Speaker
Cheryl Eichar Jett
Cheryl Eichar Jett
Historian and author
Hosting Organizations
Illinois State Museum
Session Host
Amanda Bryden, Registrar of History & Historic Sites
Video On Demand View Details
April 14, 2026

Mother Road Book, Broad Perspectives

A wide-angle conversation on Route 66's meaning, past and present, featuring leading voices in advocacy, interpretation, and preservation.

Speakers
Michael Wallis
Michael Wallis
Best-selling author and Route 66 advocate
Ken Busby
Ken Busby
Executive Director & CEO, Route 66 Alliance
Rhys Martin
Rhys Martin
Preserve Route 66 manager
Hosting Organizations
Oklahoma State University – Tulsa Library
Oklahoma Historical Society
Session Hosts
Sheena Perez, Digital Services Librarian
Mallory Covington, CA, Archival Collections Manager
Video On Demand View Details
May 12, 2026

Foodways on Route 66

Food tells the story of America in motion. Historian T. Lindsay Baker explores the diners, stands, and supper clubs that fed generations traveling Route 66.

Speaker
T. Lindsay Baker
T. Lindsay Baker
Historian and author
Hosting Organizations
Panhandle-Plains Historical Museum
Session Host
Warren Stricker, Director, Research Center
Video On Demand View Details
June 9, 2026

Route 66 – The First 100 Years

A century of change, travel, hardship, and revival. Jim Ross and Shellee Graham explore Route 66's first 100 years through stories, places, and preservation.

Speakers
Jim Ross
Jim Ross
Route 66 historian and mapmaker
Shellee Graham
Shellee Graham
Photographer and Route 66 ambassador
Hosting Organizations
Oklahoma State University – Tulsa Library
Oklahoma Historical Society
Session Hosts
Sheena Perez, Digital Services Librarian
Mallory Covington, Archival Collections Manager
Video On Demand View Details
July 14, 2026

The Changing Faces of Hualapai and Route 66

This presentation explores the history of the Hualapai Tribe and Route 66 in northwestern Arizona. Federally recognized in 1883 by President Arthur, the Hualapai Reservation and its capital, Peach Springs, were deeply shaped by the tourism brought by Route 66.

Speaker
Ka-Voka Jackson
Ka-Voka Jackson
Director of the Hualapai Department of Cultural Resources
Hosting Organizations
Session Hosts
Peter Runge
Head, Special Collections and Archives
Cline Library, Northern Arizona University

Ivan Pacheco
Special Collections Librarian
Cline Library, Northern Arizona University
Video On Demand View Details
August 11, 2026

The Atomic Age on Route 66

The Atomic Age on Route 66 explores overlooked nuclear-era histories along America's iconic highway. Drawing on personal interviews, archival research, and mid-20th-century press coverage, it examines how nuclear industries shaped the lands, cultures, and lives of Southwestern and Indigenous communities, and reflects on the lasting social and environmental legacy of the Atomic Age.

Speaker
Katrina Parks
Katrina Parks
Katrina Parks is a documentary filmmaker and historian whose work uncovers untold stories about women, culture, and the environment
Hosting Organization
Session Host
Also acting as Session Host today:
Audra Bellmore
Professor / Curator
Meem Archives of Southwestern Architecture
College of University Libraries and Learning Sciences
University of New Mexico
Video On Demand View Details
September 8, 2026

Exhibiting Route 66: The Road and the Romance:
A Look Back

Connecting Chicago and Los Angeles, Route 66 witnessed the drama of the Great Depression, the rise of American road travel, and the highway's eventual replacement by the Interstate system. Exhibition curator Jeffrey Richardson discusses how Route 66: The Road and the Romance was created, and how artifacts from across the country reveal the enduring stories of the Mother Road.

Speaker
Jeffrey Richardson
Jeffrey Richardson
Executive Director of the McFaddin-Ward House Museum
Hosting Organizations
Session Hosts
Cheryl Miller
Director
Library and Archives
Autry Museum of the American West

Marva Felchlin
Director (retired)
Library and Archives
Autry Museum of the American West
Video On Demand View Details
October 13, 2026

America's Game on America's Road:
A Regional Exploration of Baseball and Route 66

Jordan Adams explores the vibrant world of semi-professional baseball along Route 66 in Kansas, Missouri, Oklahoma, and the Ozarks. From legendary Negro League teams such as the Kansas City Monarchs and Tulsa Oilers to local "Twilight League" clubs and the Baxter Springs Whiz Kids, these ballfields connected communities and launched careers, including that of Mickey Mantle.

Speaker
Jordan Adams
Jordan Adams
Social Science instructor at Northeastern Oklahoma A&M College and a long-time board leader with the Baxter Springs Historical Society
Hosting Organizations
Session Host
Mary Billington
Museum Director
Baxter Springs Heritage Center and Museum
Registration Open View Details
November 10, 2026

Research Route 66: Preserving and Celebrating the Stories of Route 66 for Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow

As we celebrate the anniversary of Route 66 on November 11, this session introduces Research Route 66 — a collaboration of libraries, museums, and archives dedicated to preserving and sharing the stories, documents, and artifacts of the Mother Road for generations to come.

Speakers
Kaisa Barthuli
Kaisa Barthuli
Director (retired), VIP Program Liaison, Route 66 Corridor Preservation Program, National Park Service
Dr. David King Dunaway
Dr. David King Dunaway
Oral historian; Chair, Road Ahead Research and Education Working Group, Route 66 Road Ahead Partnership
Amanda Bryden
Amanda Bryden
Registrar of History & Historic Sites, Illinois State Museum
Kathleen Seale
Kathleen Seale
Coordinator, Rolla and Springfield Research Centers, The State Historical Society of Missouri
Peter Runge
Peter Runge
Head of Special Collections and Archives, Northern Arizona University – Cline Library
Hosting Organizations
Research Route 66
Panel Session Panelists:
Kaisa Barthuli
Dr. David King Dunaway
Amanda Bryden
Kathleen Seale
Peter Runge
Registration Open View Details
December 8, 2026

Envisioning the Next Century of Route 66

As the centennial year draws to a close, representatives from the National Park Service, Route 66 Road Ahead Partnership, and National Trust for Historic Preservation lead a conversation on preserving, revitalizing, and shaping the next 100 years of the Mother Road.

Speakers
Bill Thomas
Bill Thomas
Chairman, Route 66 Road Ahead Partnership | Commissioner, U.S. Route 66 Centennial Commission
Kaisa Barthuli
Kaisa Barthuli
Director (retired), VIP Program Liaison, Route 66 Corridor Preservation Program, National Park Service
Rhys Martin
Rhys Martin
Manager, Preserve Route 66 Initiative, National Trust for Historic Preservation; President, Oklahoma Route 66 Association
Amy Webb
Amy Webb
Former Senior Director of Preservation Programs and Preserve Route 66 Initiative Lead, National Trust for Historic Preservation
Hosting Organizations
Research Route 66
Panel Session Panelists:
Bill Thomas
Kaisa Barthuli
Rhys Martin
Amy Webb
Registration Open View Details