The Telegraph Ball – National Route 66 Centennial Kickoff Celebration

Saturday, May 2, 2026

A Night on the Mother Road: The National Route 66 Centennial Telegraph Ball

On Saturday, May 2, 2026, Springfield reclaimed its place at the heart of American history as the National Route 66 Centennial Telegraph Ball made its debut at the stunning Historic Shrine Mosque, at 601 E. St. Louis Street, Springfield, Missouri, hosted by Missouri’s First Lady Claudia Kehoe and Springfield’s First Lady Mary Helen Schrag.

This wasn’t just a gathering. It was a journey back to 1926, when a telegram sent from Springfield launched the now-legendary Route 66, forever binding the city to the open-road dream. Over a decadent dinner, with Governor Mike Kehoe and Mayor Jeff Schrag among the distinguished guests, attendees enjoyed a world transformed: the Mosque’s ornate Moorish architecture, its iconic stage, and soaring arches transporting them to an era of roaring engines, big-band swing, and the promise of adventure.

Why This Evening Mattered

The Abou Ben Adhem Shrine Mosque, completed in 1923, once stood as the largest auditorium west of the Mississippi.

It played host to some of the greatest entertainers in our nation’s history: Glenn Miller, Benny Goodman, Artie Shaw, Ella Fitzgerald, even Elvis Presley in 1956—solidifying the Mosque’s legacy as a cultural hub that defined what performance could mean on Route 66.

It was in 1926, mere feet from this very building, that civic leaders sent a telegram to Washington, D.C., requesting the name for the road that would become Route 66—a centennial echo that still resonates today.

AI enhanced portrait of Claudia Kehoe and Mary Schrag in flapper-style ballgowns — Hosts: Mrs. Claudia Kehoe and Mrs. Mary Schrag

AI enhanced portrait of Jeremy Rage dressed in a Gatsby-era tuxedo — Red Carpet Emcee:
Mr. Jeremy Rabe

AI enhanced portrait of Maria Neider dressed in a flapper-style red ballgown — Red Carpet Emcee:
Mrs. Maria Neider

An Unforgettable Evening of Elegance and Rhythm

The evening unfolded with fine dining, music by the Angel City Swing Orchestra, lively conversation, and a live auction of rare memorabilia, dazzling items and once-in-a-lifetime experiences.

Under the glow of stained-glass windows and majestic Moorish dome, the crowd felt the heartbeat of a younger Springfield—a city poised on the edge of something big, something new, just as it was a century ago.