The town boomed in the spring of 1941 when construction of Fort Leonard Wood, 20 miles away, began in earnest due to the war effort.

So the two mile stretch which was unofficially called Centertown grew and boomed and a local businessman, Lou Hargis, felt it was time for an incorporated city.

The original trustees of the town when it was incorporated were Lou Hargis, Mr. Durham (principal of the Newburg High School), Bob Crain (an employee of the Missouri Bureau of Mines, resident of Rolla), and Ike Towell (operator of a local filling station and grocery store).

It was those five men who presented themselves at the courthouse "to announce the birth of a town and give it a hero's name."

In 1946, Lt. General Doolittle spoke at the dedication ceremony[4] in which the town was christened in his honor.

Doolittle flew his own B-25 into the airport in Vichy, fulfilling a promise he had made two years before.

The racial makeup of the city was 97.46% White, 0.63% Native American, 0.32% Asian, and 1.59% from two or more races.

The racial makeup of the city was 96.43% White, 1.40% Native American, 0.31% Asian, and 1.86% from two or more races.