College of the Ozarks Ralph Foster Museum will host “Coffee with a Curator,” on Tuesday, June 25 at 9:30 – 11 a.m. The event will be led by Tom Debo, Ralph Foster Museum curator and registrar. The event is free and open to the public.

College of the Ozarks Ralph Foster Museum will host “Coffee with a Curator,” on Tuesday, June 25 at 9:30 – 11 a.m. The event will be led by Tom Debo, Ralph Foster Museum curator and registrar. The event is free and open to the public.

The event will be a chance to learn more about the museum and its gems. It will host answers for many questions, such as “What is the oldest firearm the museum holds?” and “How did they get the Beverly Hillbillies Truck in the museum?”  

More about Ralph Foster Museum

The Ralph Foster Museum, on the campus of College of the Ozarks, grew from humble beginnings in the 1920s to become one of the Midwest’s foremost institutions of historical preservation.

Dr. Robert M. Good, the president of the school, took an interest in the idea of a museum on campus. Subsequently, he made space available for the display of items in the basement of Abernathy Hall, a boy’s residence hall. When the residence hall was later vacated, funds were provided to convert the entire building into a museum.

The primary focus of the Ralph Foster Museum today is to collect, preserve, interpret, and exhibit items relating to the Ozarks region. One of the more famous exhibits is the original vehicle used in the television series, "The Beverly Hillbillies." In addition, visitors will find antiques, weapons, dolls, natural history, and other items from around the world.