Mark Twain has had quite the year with “James,” a telling of the Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, winning a Pulitzer Prize and historian Ron Chernow releasing a biography about the author in May.
But in Mark Twain’s childhood hometown of Hannibal, Missouri, the author has never been far from people’s minds and his characters still walk the streets – literally.
It's become a July 4th tradition — since 1956, ten seventh graders (five girls and five boys each year) have represented Twain’s hometown and his books by embodying Tom Sawyer and Becky Thatcher, two characters from "The Adventures of Tom Sawyer."
“To be eligible to participate in the program, you have to be going into the eighth grade and you must live in the Hannibal school district, so either Hannibal public school or private school or home school, said Megan Rapp, the executive director of the Mark Twain Boyhood Home & Museum.
Students have to sign up and then undergo a rigorous process that includes a written 120-point history test, numerous public presentations and performances of the famous engagement scene from “The Adventures of Tom Sawyer.”
“And it's definitely not a look-alike contest. It's not a beauty contest. It doesn't matter how much they, quote, unquote, look like the characters in the book,” Rapp said. “It is based on their knowledge of Hannibal history, of Mark Twain, of his works.”
The field is then narrowed down – first to 10 candidates for each position and then to five couples who will embody the characters for a year beginning on Independence Day.
“There are so many appearance requests that there are actually five couples,” Rapp said. “They stroll on the weekends in the summertime. So, they're downtown. They're visiting with tourists. They're getting their pictures taken. They're answering questions about Mark Twain, you know, where it's a good place to eat? How do I get to the riverboat? What's lovers leap? Where's Tom Sawyer's house? All of these questions, and they're answering in character.”
14-year-old Emery McHargue has been a Becky for the past year. She said she was excited to follow in the footsteps of her aunt, who was a Becky in the late 90s, and she’s loved her experience.
“It's so much more than just wearing a dress and making people smile,” McHargue said. “Obviously that's important too, but the process was so, it was a lot of work, but it was definitely worth it because it made you appreciate it once you got it.”
"We have many, many foreign language editions of "The Adventures of Tom Sawyer," "The Adventures of Huck Finn," Rapp said. "So, there is no one way that Tom Sawyer looks. There's no one way that Becky Thatcher looks because... every kid dreams and plays, goes to school, doesn't want to go to school, shows off for their crush. It's universal."
Once selected, each family is responsible for putting together their character’s outfits. They have to choose the fabrics for Becky’s dress, make Tom’s iconic fishing pole, and each of the kids keep items in their bags that are important to the story of “Tom Sawyer.”
This could include things such as marbles, a (fake) dead rat on a string, chewing gum, matches and more – but each Tom and Becky also carry treats for local and visiting kids, such as small plastic jumping frogs and taffy.
McHargue said she carries some of the typical items in her bag, but she also carries a small, handmade doll that she and her grandmother made together - matching dress and all.
“She made this entire dress, she made my bag, she made the bonnet, she did everything,” she said. “She ties the bows better than my mom can in my hair, so that's really special with her.”
She added that she’s also gotten to spend a lot more time with her mom, Erin, this year – as she drives her to appearances and, often, gets roped into taking pictures for tourists.
“[My favorite part was] just getting that extra time with her, I think, and seeing her enjoy it and have fun,” Erin McHargue said. “And the friendships this group of ten kids has, they are exceptional, they are a good group and they get along and just have a good time. So, it's fun.”
One of the Toms sits next to Emery at Java Jive, a local coffee shop – Collin Steinman. He said his family also has a long legacy with the Tom and Becky program. He has had multiple cousins participate in the past and has more cousins in this year’s upcoming class.
“So, that kind of keeps it a tradition, in a way, because I'm really close to them, and so just seeing them do, it made me want to try out,” Steinman said. “But I didn't sign up until like three days before, so I wasn't planning on trying out in the first place, but I got pressured into it. It was a really good decision.”
He said his time as Tom has brought him closer to the other participants in the program, and it has taught him valuable life skills that will benefit him as he starts high school next year.
Korbin Asbury, who sits across the table from Steinman, said he agrees. He has become more comfortable with public speaking, will now initiate conversations with others and it’s deepened his appreciation for his hometown.
“Getting to learn about all the history of Mark Twain, like not many kids know how much Hannibal is famous. I really didn't know a ton, and then I got to learn about Mark Twain and his legacy. I was, like, ‘This is super cool. I never knew this,’” Asbury said. “And it was super cool to get to know your hometown, and then America's hometown, as well.”
Asbury was the “official Tom” during the 2024-2025 year, which means he received the highest scores from judges last year on embodiment of character, the notorious history test (he only missed five points — the year's highest score) and how well he interacted with people visiting the community.
And it might run in his blood. His mom, Kathy Asbury, was a Becky back in 1991. She’s now a doctor in town, which is emblematic of the program's success in judging: locals say it's not uncommon for former participants to go on to be successful.
When walking through town, people will share that their parents, siblings, cousins, friends or physicians were once a Tom or a Becky.
“It was truly one of the most impactful experiences that I had growing up. It made me so much more comfortable talking with anyone, strangers,” Kathy Asbury said. “It helped me with public speaking, just that comfort level, and I talk to people all day long at my job now, and I think that early experience helped me to be so very comfortable doing that.”
She said it’s been a joy to watch her son grow this year – developing life skills, working the long hours required for public appearances and balancing his Tom responsibilities with school and sports.
“These days, there's a lot of negatives sometimes about our youth,” Asbury said. “And I think, in Hannibal, Tom and Becky is always a positive thing to point out and show what our youth are capable of and and just be really proud of and so we all, I think, certainly want that program to continue to be strong for generations and decades to come.”
A new crop of Toms and Beckys have been undergoing final judging during the 70th annual National Tom Sawyer days this week.
Mark Twain Museum Executive Director Megan Rapp said all ten finalists will spend the next year in character, attending ribbon cuttings, community events and more, but one “official” Tom and Becky will be announced on July 4th – outside Mark Twain’s boyhood home – with the handing off of a fishing pole or an “I love you” slate and a peck on the cheek.
“For kids, or for the young at heart, reading these books, you know, do what Tom did, use your imagination.” Rapp said. “He was always dreaming big. He was always finding things to do. So, I think that, you know, you could be Tom Sawyer. You could be Becky anywhere, as long as you have a working imagination.”
For the audio transcript, click here.
