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Distinguished, expert panel helps St. Louis Commerce Magazine take a look at the 20 most influential leaders in the history of business in St. Louis over the last 100 years.
By Liese Hutchison and Carol Schwab
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A special thanks to the following historians and prominent individuals for their input:
- James Neal Primm, historian and author of Lion of the Valley. Retired history professor of the University of Missouri?St. Louis.
- Gregory M. Franzwa, St. Louis-area historian, author of 17 books and publisher of 70 others. Some of his works published by his firm, The Patrice Press, include: The Old Cathedral; The Story of Old Ste. Genevieve; Legacy, a history of the Sverdrup Corporation; and Leif Sverdrup, a biography.
- Joseph O. Losos, adjunct history professor at Washington University and University of Missouri?St. Louis, St. Louis Post-Dispatch history/political book reviewer, and investment advisor for Wedgewood Partners.
- Duncan Bauman, editor and later publisher of the St. Louis Globe-Democrat. He recently authored “Behind the Headlines,” his first and only book to date.
- Al Fleishman, founder of Fleishman-Hillard.
- John Hoover, executive director of St. Louis Mercantile Library.
- Neil Seitz, Dean of Saint Louis University School of Business.
- Stuart Greenbaum, Dean of Olin School of Business at Washington University.
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It’s the end of the millennium and that means one thing—quite
a number of “lists.” From the top scientists to writers to ball
players to rulers, ’tis the season for summarizing. St. Louis
Commerce Magazine, in recognition of the end of this century,
asked several area historians and prominent individuals (see sidebar)
to identify the 20 historic leaders of business in this century.
This attempt is not a ranking or in any way scientific. It’s
simply a look at 20 business people who have helped shape the
St. Louis region, making it what it is today.
While this list lacks the diversity of the region’s current business
leaders, it does represent a snapshot of our business leaders
of the past. Future issues of St. Louis Commerce will feature
other individuals who have made their marks on the region and
who are shaping business in the new century.
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Above: Howard F. Baer ran A.S. Aloe for 30 years
and belonged to 50 civic organizations, most notably the Saint
Louis Zoo for which he helped pass the city/county tax that still
funds the Zoo-Museum District today. Photo from the Missouri Historical
Society Photographs and Prints Collection, 1969.
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Howard F. Baer
(1902 - 1998)
Born in West Virginia, Baer moved to the region in 1927, the
same year Charles Lindbergh flew the Spirit of St. Louis from
New York to Paris. After graduating from Princeton and marrying
Isabel Aloe, Baer went to work for his father-in-law’s St. Louis-based
company—the A.S. Aloe Co.—a surgical supply business. Two years
later, Louis Aloe died and Baer was named president.
He helped the company not only survive during the depression,
but developed it into a successful enterprise that ultimately
merged with Brunswick Corp. in 1959. After retiring in 1961, Baer
turned his talents from business to helping the community he had
grown to love. At the time of his “retirement,” Baer belonged
to 50 civic organizations. His involvement in civic commitments
grew so vast that he opened an office in which to conduct civic
business. He was president of the Zoo Board for 10 years, board
chairman of the St. Louis Chamber of Commerce and the Blue Cross,
member of the Airport Commission for 16 years and numerous other
prestigious boards, including the Missouri Botanical Garden.
One of his most important efforts was his work for the Saint
Louis Zoo. Baer raised funds for the institution, and then later
helped pass the city/county tax that still funds the Zoo-Museum
District today. During his tenure, he started the Children’s Zoo
and the Zoo railroad. After that successful endeavor, Baer turned
his attention to the airport and aided Mayor Alfonso Cervantes’
efforts to pass a $200 million bond issue proposal to improve
and expand Lambert Field.
Rallying behind these projects earned him a great deal of respect,
which enabled him to break social barriers. He was the first Jewish
member on the boards of directors of the St. Louis Union Trust
and First National. Plus, he along with fellow businessman Ben
Loeb, were the first Jewish members to join St. Louis Club.
Receiving numerous awards, including the Legion of Merit in 1945
for his war efforts and “Man of the Year” in 1971, Baer’s influence
on his adopted city is still felt today.
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Above: Robert Brookings, along with Samuel Cupples,
developed the Cupples Station Complex.
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Robert S. Brookings
(1850 - 1932)
Born in Maryland, Brookings was a phenomenon, a man who dropped
out of school at 16 and made his first million by the age of 30,
selling brooms and other household goods for the St. Louis firm
of Cupples and Marston.
Gone almost 70 years, Brookings’ landmarks still survive in St.
Louis. Along with his partner, Samuel Cupples, Brookings developed
the Cupples Station complex in 1891. This group of 23 seven-story
buildings covering 30 acres, served as a giant freight depot.
The Terminal Railroad’s Eads Bridge tunnel ran through Cupples
Station, connecting it with all the railroad lines. Most of the
city’s heavy wholesale trade, amounting to more than $200 million
annually at the turn of the century, was handled there. By the
beginning of this century, the complex handled 1,000 tons of merchandise
a day.
Brookings probably didn’t imagine that his warehouses would cause
so much debate in the region in the last two decades, nor that
today nine of the remaining 10 warehouses would be undergoing
renovations as a $300 million mixed-use project. The renovation
will be complete next year, featuring a 230-room luxury Westin
Hotel, office space, restaurants and retail stores.
But Brookings’ impact goes beyond enabling the city to lead the
nation in its ability to transfer goods. This self-educated businessman’s
legacy is Washington University. When he joined the now venerable
institution, the university had fewer than 100 students. Using
his personal fortune of $5 million, in 1895, Brookings agreed
to become president of the board of directors. Through his influence
and holdings, he helped create the university the region proudly
calls its own today. He served on the board for 37 years, helping
construct new facilities, working on the St. Louis World’s Fair
and propelling the medical school from relative mediocrity to
national excellence, according to the Carnegie Foundation. Not
only a great financial benefactor to the university, Brookings’
drive and commitment to outstanding education is still felt today.
The university’s Brookings Hall bears his name.
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Above: Adolphus Busch, the founder of Anheuser-Busch,
was world renown. Photo from the Missouri Historical Society Photographs
and Prints Collection, ca. 1912.
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Adolphus Busch
(1839 - 1913)
Born in Germany, Busch was the second youngest of 22 children.
In 1857, he emigrated to the United States, where he started off
working as a clerk on the riverfront and in the wholesale supply
business. Two years later, when he was given his father’s inheritance,
he formed a partnership with Ernst Wattenberg, forming a brewers’
supply business. He interrupted his career briefly to serve in
the Union Army in the Civil War.
In 1866, he formed another partnership with Eberhard Anheuser
(later marrying his daughter), and turned his attention to the
business, which has since made his name a familiar one throughout
the entire commercial world.
The success of Anheuser-Busch was attributable to the organizing
genius and imagination of Adolphus Busch. “One of the world’s
first super-salesmen, Busch responded quickly to advances in science
and technology, pioneering in the use of refrigerated railroad
cars, introducing pasteurized bottled beer and marketing Budweiser,”
says James Neal Primm in his book Lion of the Valley. He built
the largest brewing establishment in the United States and one
of the two largest in the world.
In addition to running the Anheuser-Busch Brewing Company, he
was president of the South Side Bank, the Manufacturers’ Railroad
Company, and the St. Louis Refrigerating Company. He was a director
also in many banking institutions in the Merchants’ Bridge Company,
and the Terminal Railroad Company. He founded the Adolphus Busch
Glass Company of St. Louis and Belleville, Ill., and the Streator
Bottle and Glass Company.
He was one of the largest contributors to Washington University.
For the building of Busch Hall, he gave $110,000 in 1900; it is
one of the original buildings on the campus today. This was just
one of the many gifts he gave to the school.
Having amassed a fortune, he was generous and benevolent. When
“Prince” Adolphus Busch passed away, the world read about it in
headlines blazoned across the globe. Even though he only lived
13 years in this century, his legacy lives on.
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Above: August A. Busch, Jr. not only helped Anheuser-Busch
become the No. 1 maker and distributor of beer, but he came to
the rescue of the St. Louis Cardinals baseball team and Saint
Louis University among other civic roles he performed.
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August A. Busch, Jr.
(1899 - 1989)
One of the most beloved St. Louis CEOs to area residents because
of his determination to keep the St. Louis Cardinals baseball
team here, “Gussie” Busch took over the brewing company his grandfather
and father built, and turned it into an empire. From 1924, when
he started at the company cleaning vats and sweeping floors, until
1977, when he retired as chairman, Busch became the most visible
business leader in the region. He oversaw Anheuser-Busch’s rapid
expansion in the ’50s and ’60s while serving as chairman of Civic
Progress for 13 years.
In itself, Anheuser-Busch has been an invaluable asset to St.
Louis. Its beer has carried the name of the city all over the
nation and around the world. It has kept St. Louis at or near
the top in the industry and has shown, by its tremendous success,
that St. Louis is a good place to do business.
Not only did he help his company become the number one maker
and distributor of beer in the world in 1957, he worked tirelessly
to help revitalize downtown. He served as president of the St.
Louis Bicentennial Corporation, formed to organize the city’s
celebration of its 200th birthday, he served on the Missouri Conservation
Commission, was a director of the Municipal Opera and was active
in Boy Scout work.
His efforts to save the Cardinals in 1953 and to head an emergency
fund-raising drive for Saint Louis University are still remembered
today. His contributions to Washington University, Saint Louis
University and numerous civic organizations garnered him Man of
the Year honors in 1961.
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Above: David R. Calhoun, Jr., “Mr. St. Louis,”
had economic power and power of persuasion. Photo from the Missouri
Historical Society Photographs and Prints Collection, 1955.
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David R. Calhoun, Jr.
(1902 - 1974)
If this list could be ranked, most of the panel agreed that Calhoun
was the most influential business leader in St. Louis these last
100 years. “He had economic power and power of persuasion. When
he was for something, it happened,” Gregory Franzwa states.
An illustration of his power was his ability to get Jewish members
into the exclusive St. Louis Club. Neal Primm relates how it happened,
“He told them that if they didn’t let Jews in he’d see to it that
they went out of business.” Calhoun then asked Howard Baer and
Ben Loeb to join.
A St. Louis native, Calhoun held numerous posts at Ely & Walker
and Walker Textile before culminating his business career as president
of the St. Louis Union Trust Co. Calhoun reached this position
at St. Louis Union Trust despite the fact that “he was neither
a lawyer nor a banker. But his discretion was absolute, his integrity
unquestioned, his salesmanship the best, and he inspired confidence.
Moreover, his diplomacy both in social and business affairs quickly
became almost legendary,” says Baer in his book, St. Louis to
Me.
Before he could reach this final business milestone, Calhoun
first took time out of his career during World War II to run the
Trailer Company of America in Cincinnati, the organization responsible
for making undercarriages for military vehicles.
In addition to running the St. Louis Union Trust, which handled
the region’s most prominent estates, Calhoun also became extremely
active in the civic arena. “He had a finger in every civic pie,”
Baer states in his book. And Gregory Franzwa refers to him as
“Mr. St. Louis.” He was one of the original eight Civic Progress
members, helped create the United Fund and helped orchestrate
former Mayor Aloys P. Kaufmann to head the St. Louis Chamber of
Commerce, now known as the St. Louis RCGA. He was a director of
numerous organizations: Chamber of Commerce, Saint Louis Symphony
Society, Municipal Opera, Saint Louis Zoo and Boys Town of Missouri,
among others.
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Above: James Campbell, a multimillionaire, was
the principal owner of the Welsbach Company. Photo from the Missouri
Historical Society Photographs and Prints Collection, ca. 1900.
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James Campbell
(1848 - 1914)
“Dubbed by the press as ‘the J.P. Morgan of the west,’ Campbell
was a Scots-Irish immigrant who had first seen St. Louis as a
messenger on Gen. Charles Frémont’s staff. After the war he was
a surveyor for Frémont’s Atlantic and Pacific Railroad, at which
time he seized the opportunity to invest in Missouri lands. With
$100,000 in profits thus acquired, he bought heavily discounted
local railroad bonds. When they were redeemed at par, he invested
the proceeds in St. Louis street railways.
By 1900 he was a multimillionaire. He was the principal owner
of the Welsbach Company, Campbell became president and then chairman
of this firm, which also controlled the Laclede Gas and Union
Electric companies,” according to Primm in Lion of the Valley.
He was one of a few dozen other bankers, lawyers and investors
who comprised the “Big Cinch,” an organization of elite bankers,
lawyers, merchants and manufacturers who controlled the city’s
power. He also helped manage the World’s Fair as a member of its
executive committee.
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Above: William H. Danforth’s legacy is not only
in leaving the region one of its Fortune 500 powerhouses, Ralston
Purina, but also in establishing the Danforth Foundation.
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William H. Danforth
(1870 - 1955)
In 1894 Danforth founded the Robinson-Danforth Commission mill
to feed the nation’s farm animals. A year later, a hurricane leveled
his mill. Undaunted, Danforth borrowed $10,000 and built a new
facility. He never looked back. Danforth expanded from animal
feed to healthy consumer cereals in 1898, when he introduced Purina
Wheat. A health enthusiast, Danforth created “Dr. Ralston,” who
extolled the virtues of eating right. By 1902, the company claimed
a million homes enjoyed its cereal. That same year, the Robinson-Danforth
Commission became Ralston Purina. The word Purina was coined from
the company slogan, “Where purity is paramount.”
In addition to introducing the famous red-and-white checker logo
to the rapidly growing firm, Danforth personally used the checkerboard
as a symbol of his philosophy of “Four Square”—mental, physical,
social and religious. Danforth’s legacy is not only in leaving
the region one of its Fortune 500 powerhouses, but also in establishing
the Danforth Foundation. In 1927, Danforth wanted to aid educational
institutions across the nation. Today it is the region’s largest
private foundation, supporting numerous civic and educational
efforts.
During the First World War, Danforth served in the Third Division
American Expeditionary Forces.
Today, the region’s emergence as world center for plant sciences
salutes this great St. Louis leader through the soon-to-open Donald
Danforth Plant Science Center.
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Above: Irving Edison was one of five founding brothers
who started Edison Brothers Stores in 1922. Photo from the collection
of the Mercantile Library at the University of Missouri?St. Louis.
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Irving Edison
(1900 - 1989)
One of the five founding Edison brothers who started the Edison
Brothers Stores in 1922 in Atlanta, Edison moved the growing enterprise
to St. Louis in 1929. He was president of the nationwide retailer
of apparel and women’s shoes from 1957 until 1968 and was a member
of the board until his death.
He was among the first five appointees to the new St. Louis County
Police Board and compiled a long list of community service posts,
including: president of the National Jewish Welfare Board, the
Jewish Community Center of St. Louis and the World Federation
of Jewish Community Centers; director of Cardinal Glennon Hospital,
Jewish Hospital, Barnes Hospital and St. Louis Symphony Society.
In addition, he was vice president of the Greater St. Louis United
Fund, chairman of the St. Louis Chamber of Commerce; director
of Boatmen’s National Bank, General American Life Insurance Co.
and Union Electric Co.
Edison received a gold star from the Treasury Department in 1945
for war bond sales and was a recipient of the Globe-Democrat Humanities
Award.
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Above: David R. Francis was responsible for bringing
the World’s Fair to St. Louis. Photo from the Missouri Historical
Society Photographs and Prints Collection, ca. 1910.
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David R. Francis
(1850 - 1928)
Francis moved to the region from Kentucky in 1866 to attend Washington
University. Upon graduation, he stayed and took a job as a shipping
clerk to pay back the $450 he owed the institution for his education.
In 1877 Francis started the D. R. Francis Commission Co. This
self-made grain broker came to be the symbolic “Big Cinch” leader.
He eventually served as mayor of St. Louis, governor of Missouri
and as a member of President Grover Cleveland’s Cabinet. He held
vice presidencies in the Mississippi Valley Trust, the Terminal
Railway Association and Union Electric Company.
But his legacy is more than his entrepreneurial success and political
acumen—it’s the 1904 World’s Fair. “He made it happen,” Gregory
Franzwa says. For four years, Francis circumvented the globe meeting
with heads of state to encourage their participation and attendance
at the Fair. He invited the world to come to St. Louis, and they
did. His tireless efforts made the fair something that is proudly
remembered today. In fact, St. Louis 2004 has named its funding-raising
arm after Francis in recognition of its efforts on behalf of his
adopted city. His last public post came in 1916 when he served
as the first United States ambassador to Russia.
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Above: Albert Bond Lambert became St. Louis’ first
licensed pilot while also running the successful Pharmacal Co.
Photo from the Missouri Historical Society Photographs and Prints
Collection, 1931.
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Albert Bond Lambert
(1875 - 1946)
When it comes to flying and St. Louis, the most common name that
comes to mind is Charles Lindbergh. But without Lambert, Lindbergh
might have been flying the Spirit of Paducah or Memphis or Chicago.
Major Lambert was a flying enthusiast. An avid balloonist, Lambert
became St. Louis’ first licensed pilot while also running the
successful Lambert Pharmacal Co., manufacturers of Listerine and
other products.
At the turn of the century during the barnstorming era of flight,
Forest Park used to be the home to the region’s flying field.
Lambert decided that something larger and farther out from the
city was needed. In 1909 the first Lambert Field was started in
Kinloch Park. But that quickly was abandoned and Forest Park was
used again. However, the growing consensus among community leaders
was that the city needed more than a flat grassy field, it needed
an airport. In 1920 Lambert leased 160 acres for $2,000 per year
and built what became known as Lambert?St. Louis International
Airport. In 1928, Lambert exercised his lease option and bought
the site for $68,352.
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Above: Edward Mallinckrodt, Jr., entered the 34-year-old
family business in 1901 after graduating from Harvard. He became
a widely known scientist, leader of industry and humanitarian.
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Edward Mallinckrodt, Jr.
(1878-1967)
A lifelong resident of St. Louis, Edward Mallinckrodt, Jr. served
the company founded by his father and uncles for more than 64
years and guided its operations as board chairman for 37 years
until his retirement in 1965.
His contributions to the company cannot be overstated. He led
Mallinckrodt through depression, choosing to incur greater financial
losses rather than lay off a single worker. In the absence of
more productive jobs, employees were kept busy fixing equipment,
painting fences and cleaning yards. He also helped his company
through the war. Over time, he expanded the company from a small
chemical producer to a major producer of fine chemicals for industry
and medicine.
As a scientist, Mallinckrodt was responsible for important developments
in the fields of anesthesia, atomic research and the purification
and conversion of ores.
His original research improved the quality and stability of ether
and contributed substantially to safer surgical operations. He
held 16 patents relating to the purification, packaging and preservation
of the anesthetic. He also supported research at Harvard and Washington
University medical schools, where chairs in anesthesiology were
established by him.
He donated untold sums to universities and hospitals for education,
medical research and treatment. The Mallinckrodt Institute of
Radiology at Washington University School of Medicine was substantially
endowed by Mallinckrodt as a tribute to his father. His philanthropies
were carried out almost anonymously for many years. In 1962, he
received the St. Louis Humanities Award from the Globe-Democrat
for his contributions to the community.
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Morton J. May
(1881-1968)
May’s father entered the merchandising business in Leadville,
Colo. in 1876. Then in 1892, he bought the Famous store in St.
Louis, and in 1903 Morton May transferred to the St. Louis company.
Four years later, they purchased the William Barr Dry Goods Company
to form the Famous-Barr Company. In 1917 May was elected president,
when his father became chairman. During May’s leadership, the
May Co. became one of the principal retailing outfits in the U.S.
The baton was passed again in 1951 when his son was named president
and Morton May became chairman, a position he held for 16 years.
In 1954, he received the retail industry’s highest award, the
Gold Medal for distinguished service, presented annually by the
National Retail Dry Goods Association.
May was active in civic affairs, particularly his support of
education and medical institutions. At various times, he served
as officer, director and trustee of the Jewish Community Centers
and received their annual Leadership Award. He was extremely generous
to both Washington University and Saint Louis University, receiving
an honorary degree from the former and awards from the latter.
He was one of the co-founders of the Municipal Theater Association,
honorary vice chairman of the Symphony Society, and a life member
of the Jefferson National Expansion Memorial Association, the
Boy Scouts and the St. Louis Council on World Affairs. He served
as a director of Jewish Hospital and the Central Institute for
the Deaf. He also served on the boards of a number of companies.
In 1959, he established the Morton J. May Foundation to ensure
the continuation of his philanthropies. In 1966, he received the
Globe-Democrat’s Humanities Award for his service to the community
and nation.
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Above: At the end of his first year of operation,
in 1940, James S. McDonnell liked to say his company had zero
sales and zero backlogs. At the time of his death in 1980, McDonnell
Douglas had earnings of $144 million and a backlog of more than
$8 billion. Photo from the Missouri Historical Society Photographs
and Prints Collection, 1959.
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James S. McDonnell, Jr.
(1899 - 1980)
Until two years ago, the region’s largest employer was named
for this man. Born in Denver and raised in Little Rock, he was
an avid aviator, studying physics at Princeton and aviation at
Massachusetts Institute of Technology. At the time, MIT was the
only college in the western hemisphere that had a course leading
to a master’s degree in aeronautical engineering, and he was a
member of a class of four.
After two years of graduate study, he turned to the practical
aspect of flight and joined the Army Air Corp. in the 1920s, where
he earned his wings. But his goal was to start his own aircraft
company by the time he turned 40. He did. McDonnell started McDonnell
Aircraft Corp. near Lambert St. Louis Municipal Airport (one of
the largest airports in the U.S. at the time) in 1939. His first
contracts were for the Douglas and Boeing companies, which were
inundated with wartime government contracts.
The company grew exponentially during World War II and “Mr. Mac”
was instrumental in the development of jet-propelled fighter aircraft.
After the war, McDonnell still pursued building jet fighters,
but also branched into space. McDonnell built the United States’
first manned orbital spacecraft-Mercury. He also built Gemini,
the first two-man space capsule.
With the merger of McDonnell and Douglas corporations in 1967,
he achieved his long-sought goal of a balance between government
and commercial business.
When McDonnell died in 1980, his company that he started with
nothing but a briefcase employed 40,000 in St. Louis (over 80,000
worldwide) and had revenues of more than $6 billion.
Through the family and company philanthropic funds, McDonnell
oversaw the distribution of hundreds of millions of dollars for
charity and for scientific and medical research. He helped provide
money for the finishing of the construction of the landmark James
S. McDonnell Planetarium —named after him, not his company—now
being updated through The Boeing Company as well as others. McDonnell’s
spirit of giving lives on in the Boeing-McDonnell Douglas Foundation.
Mr. Mac received many honors for his pioneering, enduring work.
Among them were the St. Louis Award, the Daniel Guggenheim Medal,
the Robert J. Collier Trophy, two NASA public service awards,
the Forrestal Memorial Award, the Spirit of St. Louis Aviation
Award, and the National Academy of Sciences’ Hunsaker Award. He
made the cover of Time magazine in 1967.
Howard Baer said McDonnell was a genius and a great man, and
states in his book, St. Louis to Me, “Failure was not in his vocabulary,
and his persistence was such that once he determined on a course
of action, he simply would not recognize an obstacle.”
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Above: William A. McDonnell was a successful banker
and civic leader. He and his brother were recognized as men of
the year in 1969. Photo from the collection of the Mercantile
Library at the University of Missouri?St. Louis.
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William A. McDonnell
(1894 - 1988)
Not to be outdone by his younger brother, the aerospace giant,
William McDonnell became a successful banker and civic leader
in his own right.
Born in Arkansas, he earned a bachelor of law degree from Vanderbilt
University in 1917. During World War I he was a field artillery
captain with the U.S. Army Expeditionary Forces in France, serving
as an operations officer, 1917 to 1919.
Recognized nationally for his banking expertise, McDonnell served
as president of First National Bank in St. Louis, a member of
the executive committee of the American Bankers Association and
director of the Federal Reserve Bank. He served on the boards
of Southwestern Bell and General American Life Insurance, among
others.
His civic involvement is legendary. From serving as chair of
the Chamber of Commerce and Civic Progress to president of the
St. Louis Area Council Boy Scouts of America, McDonnell answered
the civic call to duty. In 1948, he headed the Community Chest
campaign, which was so successful that in 1955 he was asked to
lead the first drive of its successor, the United Fund. In 1967,
the McDonnell brothers shared the St. Louis Globe-Democrat “Man
of the Year” award.
He was also known for his humor. Once he appeared on the same
stage with comedian Bob Hope. At the end of the program, Hope
said “I’m glad I don’t have to follow that act every day.”
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Above: Edgar M. Queeny took the Monsanto Company
from saccharin producer with sales of $9 million in 1918 to a
chemical giant with $1 billion in sales by the time he retired
in 1962. Photo from the Missouri Historical Society Photographs
and Prints Collection, 1965.
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Edgar Monsanto Queeny
(1897 - 1968)
Monsanto Chemical Works was founded by Edgar Queeny’s father,
John F. Queeny in 1901. In 1928, with his father ill from cancer,
Edgar, age 30, took over the family business. A year later, the
company listed on the New York Stock Exchange. One share of the
company’s stock bought then would be worth more than $22,000 today.
Expanding the company from a saccharin producer to a chemical
giant, Edgar saw the company’s sales grow from $9 million in 1918
to $1 billion by the time he retired in 1962. He expanded the
company initially across the Midwest and eventually around the
world. His legacy in St. Louis continues with Queeny Tower at
Barnes-Jewish Hospital and Queeny Park in west St. Louis County.
Queeny enlisted in the United States Navy as a seaman when the
U.S. entered World War I in 1917. After the War, he joined Monsanto
(1919), becoming president in 1928. He served in that capacity
until 1943, when he was elected chairman of the board.
He served as chairman of the board of trustees of Barnes Hospital
and in 1967, received the St. Louis Award for outstanding community
service for his work there; honorary vice president of the St.
Louis Symphony, and a director of the United Fund of Greater St.
Louis. He was a member emeritus, past vice chairman and one of
the founders of Civic Progress. He served on the board of directors
for the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis as well as for a number
of other companies.
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Above: Through his company, International Shoe,
Edgar E. Rand turned St. Louis into the “shoe town” it was earlier
in the century. Photo from the collection of the Mercantile Library
at the University of Missouri-St. Louis.
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Edgar E. Rand
(1905 - 1955)
The king of shoes, Rand’s company, International Shoe, was the
world’s largest shoemaker. After graduating from Vanderbilt University,
he joined the company started by his father. He took time out
during World War II to work on the War Production Board and returned
in 1946 to head the manufacturing, merchandising and distribution
of men’s and boys’ footwear for International Shoe.
He was chairman of the board of trustees of Vanderbilt University
and of the board of trustees of Barnes Hospital. He was also a
director of the Mercantile-Commerce Bank and Trust Company, American
Investment Company, Columbia Terminals Company and McDonnell Aircraft
Corporation. He was also president of the Big Brother Organization.
The New York Herald-Tribune described Rand as someone who was
“liked for his genuineness and total lack of pretense; he’s respected
for his know-how and application to his job.”
Rand was responsible for making St. Louis the shoe town that
it was in the earlier part of this century, thus dubbed “First
in shoes, first in booze and last in the American League.”
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Above: The St. Louis skyline would certainly look
different if it hadn’t been for Luther Ely Smith’s determination
to build the Jefferson National Expansion Memorial. Photo from
the Missouri Historical Society Photographs and Prints Collection,
1930.
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Luther Ely Smith
(1873 - 1951)
An attorney, Smith’s legacy is his perseverance in bringing a
monument to his beloved adopted city—the Jefferson National Expansion
Memorial. He got the idea to build the memorial from being a member
of the federal commission that built the George Rogers Clark Memorial
in Indiana. Since the inception of the plan, he worked continuously
toward the erection of an even greater memorial on the St. Louis
riverfront to commemorate national expansion. To accomplish the
feat, “He almost single-handedly slugged his way through the mire
of indifference, lack of funds and plain antagonism,” Baer says
in his book. Unfortunately he died before it was completed.
Born in Illinois, his family lived briefly in several cities
during his youth. He received an undergraduate degree from Amherst
College and a Law Degree from Washington University. He was admitted
to the Bar in St. Louis in 1899. He served in both the Spanish
American War and World War I.
From the beginning of his career, Smith was active in civic affairs.
At the turn of the century, he organized an Open Air Playground
Committee, which gave the city its first public playgrounds. He
served on the General Council of civic Needs from 1929 to 1938,
when he was made honorary chairman for life. He was also chairman
of the City Club, which built the De Soto Hotel as its clubhouse.
In 1941, Smith received the St. Louis Award for his successful
leadership in the state’s campaign to adopt the non-partisan court
plan and for his many civic services.
He was active in establishing a permanent condemnation board
for city improvement projects, in city recreational development,
slum clearance and smoke abatement.
And he was recognized by the Audubon Society, for his work in
conservation, education and in stimulating outdoor activities;
the Lawyers’ Association; and Washington University and Amherst
University, which presented him with honorary degrees.
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Above: Tom K. Smith, president of Boatmen’s National
Bank, led the institution through the Great Depression. He began
his vigorous leadership in the community and banking field upon
his arrival to St. Louis in 1904 as University of Missouri representative
to the Louisiana Purchase Exposition World’s Fair. Photo from
the Missouri Historical Society Photographs and Prints Collection,
1923.
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Tom K. Smith
(1882-1964)
An investment banker, Smith went to Boatmen’s National Bank when
his firm, Kaufman, Smith & Co., was acquired by the bank. He became
president of Boatmen’s in 1929. Four months after his appointment,
the stock market crashed. There followed a succession of major
bank closings around the country. Of the 53 banks conducting business
in St. Louis in mid-1929, only 32 remained five years later. Boatmen’s
loan totals plummeted from $20.5 million to $8.5 million between
1929 and 1933. Smith’s skill and tenacity led the bank through
these difficult times.
During the Great Depression that followed the crash, Smith was
active in philanthropic causes and became one of St. Louis’ most
influential and respected businessmen. Well in advance of the
times, he began a policy at Boatmen’s in 1931, of lending money
to minority-owned businesses, a practice then eschewed by other
St. Louis banks.
Smith earned respect locally as well as nationally. He was invited
by the U.S. secretary of the treasury to help devise a temporary
national system of bank deposit insurance. Smith accepted and
his performance impressed President Franklin D. Roosevelt, who
offered him an appointment as U.S. undersecretary of the treasury.
Smith declined, choosing instead to return to St. Louis and Boatmen’s.
Smith’s work in Washington was also esteemed by the banking industry,
which named him president of the American Bankers Association
in 1936.
He served as president of Boatmen’s for 17 years, until 1947,
when he became chairman. In addition to his business activities,
he took an active part in civic affairs, serving as president
of the Board of Curators of the University of Missouri, as chairman
of the St. Louis Social Security Commission, as chairman of the
National Citizen’s Committee on Mobilization for Human Needs,
and member of the board of National War Fund, Inc., At the same
time, he served on the boards of the American Telephone and Telegraph
Co, the General American Life Insurance Co, the Wabash Railroad
Co., and the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis.
He was the first winner of the St. Louis Award in 1932 for his
work as chairman of the Citizen’s Committee on Relief and Employment,
and later was honored with the Modern Patriot Award of the Sons
of the Revolution.
His wife, the former Jane Howard Wells, was the daughter of Mayor
Rolla Wells.
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Above: Leif J. Sverdrup’s imprint is seen all around
St. Louis through his company’s work. Photo from the Missouri
Historical Society Photographs and Prints Collection, 1970.
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Leif Sverdrup
(1898 - 1976)
Leif “Jack” Sverdrup left his native Norway and family at the
age of 17 to move to Minnesota. In 1918, he joined the U.S. Army
as a private, left the service after World War I to receive a
bachelor of art’s degree from Augsburg College and a bachelor’s
of science degree in civil engineering from the University of
Minnesota. Sverdrup returned to the military during World War
II when he served as a colonel in the Corps of Engineers. In 1945
he was promoted to Major General and put in charge of the Engineering
Construction Command for the Pacific Theater of War. He received
the Distinguished Service Cross and was honored by Gen. Douglas
MacArthur as “the engineer soldier at his best.”
In addition to his distinguished service record, Sverdrup’s imprint
is seen all around St. Louis through his company’s work on many
of the region’s landmarks. His company designed Busch Memorial
Stadium, designed numerous bridges—Poplar Street Bridge, Blanchette
Bridge, and Highway 40 bridges, the program management of MetroLink’s
initial routes and managed expansion programs for Lambert?St.
Louis International Airport. The firm opened its doors as Sverdrup
& Parcel in 1928 as a partnership of entrepreneur Leif Sverdrup
and his college engineering professor John I. Parcel. For the
first 10 years of its existence, the firm concentrated its efforts
almost entirely on bridge building. Today it is one of the world’s
largest companies in engineering, architecture and construction,
merging with Jacobs Engineering Group in January 1999.
Sverdrup also served the St. Louis area through his community
involvement. He was instrumental in bringing the black community
together, worked endless hours with the Boy Scouts and was the
first chairman of the Bi-State Development Commission.
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Above: Rolla Wells was a successful businessman
as well as mayor from 1901 to 1909. Photo from the Missouri Historical
Society Photographs and Prints Collection, 1903.
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Rolla Wells
(1856 - 1944)
A respected businessman educated at Washington University and
Princeton, Wells was president of the American Steel Foundry in
1903 and served as director of the Mississippi Valley Trust Co.
and State National Bank. A Democrat, Wells served as a delegate
to the Democratic National Convention, mayor of St. Louis for
two terms (1901-1909), and treasurer of the Democratic National
Committee. “New St. Louis” was the slogan of his administration.
He headed the City’s government during the World’s Fair. In preparation
for the big event, he attacked the water pollution problem, got
a bill passed to improve the service and maintenance of the United
Street Railways car lines, and spearheaded street improvements.
“In the four years before the fair, in 227 projects, more than
70 miles of streets were rebuilt and 30 miles of new streets or
extensions were constructed,” according to Primm in Lion of the
Valley.
Also during Mayor Wells’ administration, the City bought Fairground
Park for $700,000. City playgrounds and public bathhouses were
constructed. Then in 1905, a $2,000,000 bond issue was voted on
by the people of the city to build the Municipal Courts, Jail
and Children’s buildings.
President Wilson appointed him as the first governor of the Eighth
Federal Reserve District here in 1914.
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