Third in a 12-part series

Past business tycoons in local cemeteries

(Editor's note: This is the third in a series about famous St. Louisans who are buried in local cemeteries. The information is from author Kevin Amsler's book, "Final Resting Place: The Lives and Deaths of Famous St. Louisans.)

Among the famous St. Louisans buried in the Bellefontaine Cemetery in north St. Louis are two who started what have become giant international companies and another who was the first Busch of local beer fame.

Edward Mallinkrodt's name is now well known in chemistry circles. John Queeny was the one who started what is now Monsanto Co. Adolphus Busch joined up with Eberhard Anheuser to start the beer-making company that is now the world's largest.

This article offers sketches of more famous St. Louisans who helped to frame the area's history. If you'd be interested in the previous two "cemetery" stories, go to Past Stories on the home page and click on to October, 2006 and/or November, 2006.

(If you'd like to know more, you can buy Mr. Amsler's book at local bookstores or by visiting www.STL-Books.com.)

Adolphus Busch
(July 10, 1839-October 10, 1913)

Eberhard Anheuser was a wealthy owner of a local soap factory when he bought the Bavarian Brewery in St. Louis in 1840. Adophus Busch was working as a clerk in a malt and hops storage house when he met and married Anheuser's daughter, Lilly.

After serving in the Civil War, Busch rejoined his father-in-law in business. The company introduced its trademark Budweiser brand of beer in 1876. Three years later, the company changed its name to Anheuser-Busch.

Adolphus became company president in 1880 after the death of Anheuser.

Besides the brewery, Adolphus started other companies that benefited his beer business. Among them were the Manufacturers' Railroad, the Adolphus Busch Glass Manufacturing Co. and the Geyser Ice Company.

Besides business, Adolphus Busch engaged in much philanthropy, donating to Washington University, Harvard University and the University of Missouri-Columbia. He also was an active promoter of the 1904 World's Fair.

On Christmas Eve, 1907, he suffered a severe attack of pneumonia. By 1913, his health had deteriorated. But, he made a final trip to Villa Lilly, his German estate on the Rhine River. It was there that he died.

Edward Mallinckrodt
(January 21, 1845-February 1, 1928)

Edward Mallinckrodt grew up working on the family farm north of St. Louis. At 18, he got interested in agricultural chemistry after reading a book on the subject.

His father agreed to send him and his brother, Otto, to Germany to study chemistry. They worked in a laboratory in Wiesbaden and in a chemical works in Hanover.

With another brother, Gustav, the three boys started G. Mallinckrodt & Company in a small building on the family farm. The first years were hard. Both Otto and Gustav died and Edward temporarily lost his eyesight in an explosion.

The company incorporated in 1882 as the Mallinckrodt Chemical Works. In the next 40 years, the firm produced 1,500 chemical products and had offices in New York, New Jersey, Toronto and Montreal.

In addition to his own businesses, Edward was a director of the Missouri Botanical Garden, president of Mercantile Library and a board member at Washington University.

He also was generous in giving to various hospitals. Included was an endowment for the Jennie Mallinckrodt Ward at St. Louis Children's Hospital.

Just days after his 83rd birthday, he suffered a heart attack. After bout with pneumonia, he died a few days later.

Robert Brookings
(January 22, 1850-November 15, 1932)

Robert Brookings came to St. Louis at 16 and started working at Cupples & Marston, a wood products manufacturer. His brother got him a clerk's job at $25 a month.

For the next 25 years, Brookings helped build the Cupples firm into a widely known company. He had become a partner when he was only 21.

After retiring from the firm at age 46, he turned his attention to Washington University. He became president of the Washington University Corporation in 1897. He convinced the board to start the medical school, which he financed himself.

In 1917, President Wilson named him to head the Price Fixing Committee of the War Industries Board. After WWI ended, he moved to Washington, D.C. permanently.

In 1923, he established the Robert Brookings Graduate School of Economics and Government. That is known today as the Brookings Institute, a noted think-tank.

David Francis
(October 1, 1850-January 15, 1927)

David Francis was one of the first graduates of Washington University. He worked for a wholesale grocery company and then established his own grain-exporting firm.

Most of his fame came in politics. At 35, he was elected mayor of St. Louis in 1885.

Three years later, he was governor Missouri. He served as Secretary of the Interior for President Cleveland. He was U.S. ambassador to Russia at the time of the Revolution.

Probably his greatest achievement was as head of the 1904 World's Fair. Francis Field was built at Washington University and served as the site of the 1904 Olympic Games.

Chris Von der Ahe
(October 7, 1851-June 5, 1913)

One of the more colorful figures in St. Louis history was Chris Von der Ahe. He was the founder and owner of the St. Louis Browns baseball team.

As one time, he was called the "P.T. Barnum of baseball." That was because he, like the operator of the Barnum & Bailey Circus, was a tireless promoter.

With Charles Comiskey as manager, the St. Louis Browns won baseball pennants from 1885-1888. In 1886, the Browns won from the Chicago White Stockings.

Ironically, the Browns declined in the 1890s after Comiskey went to the White Sox.

By 1898, Von der Ahe was about at the end of his financial rope. A fire broke out at his stadium and 100 spectators were injured. Before that, his business setbacks even forced him to sell several of his Browns players.

In 1899, he sold all his players and the team for $33,000. In 1908, the Browns and the Cardinals played a pre-season series at Sportsman's Park. The $5,000 in gate receipts went to Von der Ahe, who was bankrupt.

George and Alanson Brown

George Brown came to St. Louis to work for his brother, Alanson. George started as a shipping clerk at the Hamilton-Brown Shoe Company, which Alanson headed as president.

In those days in the late 1800s, shoes were brought to the Midwest from Eastern factories and sold through shoe wholesalers.

But, five years after starting at the Hamilton-Brown wholesale company, George left to start a shoe manufacturing company. George started the Bryan, Brown and Company with just five shoemakers and very little money.

When George died in 1921, the Brown Shoe Company had 6,000 employees at its offices and factories. The Buster Brown line of children's shoes was nationally known.

John Queeny
(August 17, 1859-March 19, 1933)

John Queeny came to St. Louis in 1891 as a buyer for the Meyer Brothers Drug Company. Ten years later, he started his own small chemical company to make the artificial sweetener, saccharin.

Up to that time, all saccharin was purchased from Germany because no U.S. company produced it. As the only saccharin supplier in America, Queeny's company grew and added other products such as vanilla and aspirin.

Queeny named his company, Monsanto, after his wife, Olga Monsanto Queeny.

Later, John Queeny moved to chairman and his son, Edgar, became president. At that time, Monsanto had 2,000 employees with branches in the U.S. and England.

The company has continued to grow over the years to become one of the best-known names in St. Louis.