Driven from their native Greece by family impoverishment in 1910, three young brothers – Charles, Spyros, and George Skouras – immigrated to America seeking dreams of a new life and prosperity. The brothers settled in St. Louis, Missouri, where they initially found work waiting tables and bar tending at St. Louis hotels. As they sought out opportunities to start a business, they turned to the new and booming movie theater industry. This presentation examines the origins of American cinema, corporate rivalry, family loyalty, and the pursuit of the American Dream by immigrants.

Dr. Michael Tsichlis was born and raised in the City of St. Louis and is a lifetime resident of the St. Louis region. He has had a passion for learning about St. Louis and Missouri history since he began reading about local and state history in middle school, and when he would visit historic sites and museums with his family and on class field trips.

After finishing a doctorate in Public Policy Studies and completing a dissertation examining demographic change in St. Louis, Tsichlis went on to pursue a career in higher education and non-profit institutional advancement. During this time, he also took his childhood interest in regional history to a new level, deeply researching and publishing on a variety of historical topics related to St. Louis and Missouri history.

This program is for adults/18+

Registration is required to attend

Sponsored by Missouri Humanities