This Month in St. Louis History

Famous births and Gateway Arch stunts

Novembers past were the birth dates of a St. Louis Cardinals' World Series hero and a singer who was seriously injured while entertaining troops in World War II.

Stunts involving the Gateway Arch happened in past Novembers. One of them ended up in death.

Also, St. Louis' first YMCA was established in November, 1853.

These are some of the people and events that shaped the long history of St. Louis and the surrounding area. Each month, the staff of the Missouri History Museum compiles information about historic area happenings.

Young Saint Louis.com then brings those reports to you so you can know more about the state's and city's past. St. Louis is one of the oldest cities in the Midwest and its past has been significant and colorful.

(For more, be sure to check www.mohistory.org.)

Cardinals' Joe Medwick
(Nov. 24, 1911-March 21, 1975)

Joseph (Ducky) Medwick was born on Nov, 24, 1911, in Carteret, N.J. He started his major league baseball career with the St. Louis Cardinals in 1932. He also finished his career with the Cardinals in 1948.

A member of the Cardinals' infamous "Gashouse Gang," he is a member of the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, N.Y. He was a 10-time all-star, the 1937 MVP and had a lifetime batting average of .324.

But, he may be best known for an incident in the 1934 World Series between the Cardinals and the Detroit Tigers. He was ordered out of the series' seventh game by Baseball Commissioner Kenesaw Mountain Landis.

Landis took the action to protect Medwick after he was pelted with garbage by fans when playing in the outfield. The fans got upset when they thought Medwick slid too aggressively into third base on a triple.

During his career, Medwick led the league in batting, runs, home runs, base hits (twice) and RBIs (three times).

His career almost ended in 1940 when a former Cardinal teammate beaned him just six days after his trade to the Brooklyn Dodgers.

(For more on the Gashouse Gang, visit http://en.Wikipedia.org/wiki/Gashouse_Gang.)

Singer Jane Froman
(Nov. 10, 1907-April 22, 1980)

Jane Froman was born in University City on Nov. 10, 1907. She spent her childhood in Clinton, Mo., and her teens in Columbia, Mo.

In 1934, at age 27, she was the top-polled "girl singer." When asked about his top-10 singers, composer/producer Bill Rose reportedly said, "Jane Froman and nine others."

She became even more popular after a 1943 airplane crash while she was entertaining troops on a USO tour. She suffered a cut below her left knee that nearly severed her leg, multiple fractures of her right arm and a compound fracture of the right leg.

She underwent 39 operations over the years and used a leg brace for the rest of her life. But, she returned to do 95 USO shows while walking with crutches.

She starred in movies and had her own TV show on CBS. Her life story was featured in a 1952 film, "With a Song in My Heart." It starred actress Susan Hayward and Ms. Froman supplied the singing voice.

(For more, visit http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jane_Froman.)

Bizarre Gateway Arch Stunts

Since the Gateway Arch was built as part of the Jefferson National Expansion Memorial, it has been a target of stuntmen. It's been especially attractive to fliers of small planes.

The first flier went through it June 22, 1966, less than a year after it was completed.

But, the most dangerous flight was Nov. 2, 1977. That's the night a pilot flew his unlighted plane down Market Street at 50 feet "just above the street lights." He went through the Arch and across the Mississippi River.

A total of 11 flights (including one by a helicopter) were recorded prior to 1991.

But, other stuntmen got into the act. On Nov. 22, 1980, Kenneth Swyers of Overland parachuted to a landing on the top of the Arch. But, a wind gust threw him off balance and he slid down the North Leg.

He tried to use a second parachute but it didn't deploy. He landed on his head on the concrete below and died.

(For more about the Jefferson Memorial, visit www.nps.gov/archive and find the Jefferson National Expansion's administrative history.)

St. Louis's First YMCA

In 1844, clothing store clerk George Williams founded the Young Men's Christian Association in London, England. Only nine years later, the first public meeting of the St. Louis Chapter of the YMCA was held on Nov, 13, 1853, at the Mercantile Library here.

Two hundred ninety-eight new members attended. They represented 12 different Christian denominations.

In 1881, the St. Louis chapter opened its first "medical mission" to provide free medical care. A small 25-bed hospital opened a year later. The first gymnasium opened in 1886.

(For more YMCA history, visit www.umsl.edu/~whmc/guides/whm0473.htm.)