From the Stacks: Research Center--St. Louis Assassinations, UFOs, and the Octopus: The World of Kenn Thomas.

This article focuses on Kenn Thomas, a longtime archivist at the St. Louis Research Center known for his extensive work on conspiracy theories through the zine Steamshovel Press, which he co-founded in 1988. Thomas explored topics such as UFOs, the JFK assassination, and the Octopus conspiracy involving the PROMIS software scandal and the suspicious death of journalist Danny Casolaro. His papers, donated before his 2019 retirement and now housed at the St. Louis Research Center, provide insight into the rise of conspiracy subculture in late 20th-century America, reflecting broader societal anxieties about government secrecy and surveillance. While Thomas championed free inquiry, his editorial choices, including publishing Holocaust denial content, drew criticism and highlighted tensions within conspiracy research. His work illustrates the complex interplay between alternative histories, political skepticism, and cultural movements from the 1960s onward.