Megan Rapp is the executive director of the Mark Twain Boyhood Home and Museum in Hannibal, Missouri. (Photo by Derik Holtmann)

Hometown: Frankford, Missouri

Degree: MA in Museums, Heritage and Public History, 2005

Current Position: Executive director of the Mark Twain Boyhood Home and Museum

Favorite Artifact at the Museum: Mark Twain’s notable white suit, which he took to wearing later in life. It was first worn to petition Congress for copyright laws to stand out from drab colored attire of the day.

Not far from the west bank of the Mississippi River in Hannibal, Missouri, the Mark Twain Boyhood Home and Museum’s eight buildings sprawl down Main Street, attracting visitors from over 30 countries every year. Even after two decades working in the historic town, Megan Rapp, the museum’s executive director, is still captivated. “You can walk through these places and see where these people lived,” Rapp says. “Knowing that this is the place that inspired Twain’s stories is just magical.”

Now a driving force behind Hannibal’s thriving tourism industry, Rapp’s connection to the area began while completing her master’s degree at UMSL. Her search for graduate programs in museum studies led her to UMSL, where she became a research assistant under Jay Rounds, then head of the Museum Studies program. As a research assistant, she worked alongside Rounds on a concept master plan for the Mark Twain Boyhood Home and Museum. “Dr. Rounds was fantastic; it was such a great experience,” Rapp says, discussing the project and highlighting the invaluable hands-on experience that bridged academic study and real-world application.

Shortly before graduating, Rapp was hired as the museum’s marketing and communications manager. Reflecting on her coursework at UMSL, she emphasizes the program’s focus on museum theory and critical thinking. “It was especially useful learning how to create an experience that’s going to enrich everyone that comes through, not just one type of visitor,” Rapp says.

This foundation has served Rapp well throughout her career in Hannibal. She has held various positions, including assistant director and executive director of the Hannibal Convention and Visitors Bureau, before returning to the Mark Twain Boyhood Home and Museum as executive director in May 2024. Rapp’s work extends beyond preserving history; it involves making Twain’s legacy relevant to modern audiences.

She emphasizes the importance of education in addressing controversial aspects of Twain’s work, such as language in “Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.” The museum has free lesson plans on many of Twain’s works to provide context and tools for teaching Twain in classrooms. Looking ahead, Rapp is excited about a full-scale reimagining of the museum, and is once again collaborating with Rounds for input. She hopes the changes will bring even more visitors to Hannibal, a place where fact and fiction mingle, and where history lives alongside new creative endeavors.

“If you want to feel Mark Twain’s presence and walk in his footsteps in the place that inspired all the stories,” Rapp says, “you have to come to Hannibal.”

This story was originally published in the spring 2025 issue of UMSL Magazine. If you have a story idea for UMSL Magazine, email magazine@umsl.edu.