St. Louis School Buildings: A Living Legacy at the Missouri History Museum
Date: April 23
Time: 5–8 p.m.
Location: Lee Auditorium and MacDermott Grand Hall
Cost: Free
Please note: Happy hour is from 5–6:30 p.m. with the main program starting at 6:30 p.m. in the Lee Auditorium.
This program is presented by 4theVille, Cordogan Clark, Missouri Historical Society, and Urban Land Institute St. Louis.
Thursday Nights at the Museum is a weekly series where the museum exhibits are open late and you can enjoy pop-up activities, a cash bar, food and more.
In the late 1890s, local architect William B. Ittner began transforming St. Louis schools from dark, dank, crowded buildings to “open plans” that incorporated natural light, large gathering spaces and grand exteriors. His safe, welcoming, and beautiful designs revolutionized local and national education. Today, after decades of shifts and declines in population and public school enrollment, many schools are now sitting empty or underutilized. In this moment, as our community grapples with the complex future of our school buildings, we are looking back at their rich history.
Join MHS Public Historian Andrew Wanko for a short presentation on how St. Louis schools shaped education across the country, followed by a conversation moderated by Hallie Nolan featuring licensed architect Carolyn K. Green; Marvin-Alonzo Greer, Director of Cultural Heritage at 4thVille; and historic preservationist Andrew Weil. Together, they will honor the history and legacy of Ittner’s buildings as architectural treasures and centers of educational excellence while reflecting on their continued relevance today. Enjoy a closing spoken-word performance by Sumner alumnus Stephon Riggins.
Join us in the Grand Hall before the main-stage event to enjoy food and drinks available for purchase from Amighetti’s and Hank’s Cheesecakes. Visit our Historian’s Corner to view images related to the history of St. Louis Public Schools, stop by resource tables hosted by alumni associations at Ittner schools, and share your own school memories.
Speakers
Andrew Wanko is a public historian at the Missouri Historical Society, where he has created Missouri History Museum exhibits including Lost Buildings of St. Louis, A Walk in 1875 St. Louis, St. Louis Sound and Coloring STL. Wanko directed the feature-length documentary Show Me 66: Main Street Through Missouri, winner of the 2016 Midwest Regional Emmy for Best Historic Documentary Film, and authored the book Great River City: How Mississippi Shaped St. Louis, which won the 2019 Independent Publishers Book Awards gold medal for best regional nonfiction. He is also the author of I Am St. Louis, available in December 2026 from the Missouri Historical Society Press.
Hallie Nolan is a key leader at Urban Land Institute St. Louis, serving as the chair of mission advancement. As an urban designer at Trivers, she specializes in community-centered design and focuses on bridging public-private partnerships, creating equity-driven development and supporting next-generation real estate leaders. Nolan is also involved in national leadership, including chairing the Americas Young Leader Group Steering Committee.
Carolyn K. Green, AIA, is a licensed architect with over three decades of experience in design and planning for educational spaces, currently serving as principal at Building Resource Studio LLP. From 1994 to 2010, Green served as project manager for William B. Ittner Inc. the architectural firm now known as Cordogan Clark, and to this day she is known as the firm’s unofficial Ittner archivist.
Andrew Weil is a prominent historical preservationist with a focus on helping communities identify, protect, revitalize and benefit from their unique historical architectural assets. Weil began working at the Landmarks Association of St. Louis in 2007 and served as executive director from 2011 to 2025, during which time he spearheaded efforts to document, protect, and advocate for historical structures in the city. Weil has authored or co-authored 29 nominations for the National Register of Historic Places. Weil currently serves as CEO of Rearview Heritage Consulting and is writing a book on St. Louis forts that will be published by the Missouri Historical Society Press in 2028.
Marvin-Alonzo Greer is a public historian and the director of cultural heritage with 4theVille, a cultural heritage development organization dedicated to championing the legacy of St. Louis’s Ville neighborhood. He returned to St. Louis after serving five years as the director of historic interpretation and community engagement for the Department of Parks and Planning in Prince George’s County, Maryland. His flagship project was the curation and development of the county’s Sankofa Mobile Museum. His work blends rigorous historical scholarship with creative interpretation and community outreach, aiming to make history engaging, inclusive, and relevant to people of all backgrounds and ages. Greer has consulted on projects and programs for institutions and media including PBS, NOVA, History Channel and Ancestry.com. In 2021 he was profiled in “Black Activists, Artists, Historians and Changemakers You Should Follow on Social Media” in People magazine.