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~ Our
History ~
In 2002, after much research and brain-storming in 2001, our
not-for-profit 501 (C) 3 was established as a public charity by our three
founders and current officers, namely Cicardi A. Bruce - Chairman, Richard T.
Pisani - President and Sean P. Clancy - Secretary/Treasurer and Legal Counsel.
Then, in 2003, the President of the Saint Louis Ambassadors, Frank
Ferrara, and Executive Director, Jim Olsen, agreed to help us with our
administrative tasks and offered to house our group at their Cabanne' House
offices in Forest Park. Their St. Louis based civic organization, then headed by
Mayor Francis Slay and County Executive Buzz Westfall, gave us support so we
were able to sponsor or co-sponsor major events planned in Forest Park in 2004
to properly celebrate the 100 Year Anniversary of the 1904 World's Fair and III
Olympics. It was an unbelievable year filtered with excitement and surrounded by
memories that were created by the leaders of our community at the turn of the
century.
The year 2004 brought about a productive change in the way our
charity would operate. The then Saint Louis Ambassadors President, Ralph Turney,
guided our move to an all-volunteer staff run by 'core group members' using
phone power, the internet and constant communication by email…to this day, we
keep ‘snail mail’ to a minimum to save money.
The current Executive Advisory Board is made up of key volunteers
and includes the following core group members: Joan K. Bengston, C. Robert
Bess, Leslie A. Copeland, Dr. Jim Logan, Mary P. Lyon, Carol Ann Miller, Robert
V. Mitchell, Jr. and John P. Walsh.
As a matter of historical protocol, our organization is
continually headed by state and local political officials as they are sworn into
office. The reason for this etiquette and modus operandi is the 1904 World's
Fair & III Olympics, then officially named The Louisiana Purchase Exposition,
was headed by President David R. Francis who was the former Mayor of St. Louis,
Governor of Missouri and Ambassador to Czarist Russia. Currently, Missouri
Governor Matt Blunt is our Honorary State Chairman and Lt. Governor Peter Kinder
is our Honorary State Co-Chairman. Our St. Louis Honorary Co-Chairs are St.
Louis City Mayor, Francis Slay and St. Louis County Executive, Charlie A.
Dooley. Our officers and advisory board members meet annually with all of these
political leaders to keep them up to date on our accomplishments.
Lou Brock, St. Louis Baseball Legend and Hall of Famer, along with
his wife, the Reverend Jacqueline Brock were officially appointed by Governor
Matt Blunt on February 14, ,2007 as the new Co-Chairs of our charitable
foundation's 'Honorary Advisory Board'. Joining them as honorary board members
are the following public figures and celebrities: Cardinal Justin Rigali,
Archbishop Raymond Burke, U.S. Congressman Todd Akin, Centenarian Ollie
Blackburn, U.S. Senator Christopher Bond, U.S. Congressman Lacy Clay, News
Anchor Larry Conners, News Anchor Rick Edlund, St. Louis Rams' Owner Georgia
Frontiere, Radio Personality Ed Goodman, MO Senator Chuck Gross, Airport
Director Dick Hrabko, News Anchor Julius Hunter, Police Chief Joe Mokwa, News
Anchor Vickie Newton, Radio Personality Guy Phillips, Centenarian Louise Stark,
State Representative Vicki Schneider, Aldermanic President Jim Shrewsberry, U.S.
Senator Jim Talent and Chancellor Blanche Touhill.
Since 2004, we have promoted,
supported, sponsored or co-cosponsored events and fundraisers for various
organizations in the St. Louis area. Through the regional
promotion of our cause and support of Forest Park Forever, ‘The Grand Basin
Fountains’ in Forest Park below Art Hill were reconstructed for $600,000. We
annually raise money for the Forest Park “Flora Conservancy” to continue the
parks ‘beautification program’. We have donated money to AMC Cancer for breast
cancer and the ShowMe Aquatic & Fitness charity that helps people with
disabilities…we do this through our foundation’s ‘A Taste of Italy’ Gala &
Auction event.
~Fair
History
~
Research, brainstorming and fundraising began
in the early 1890’s with “The Group of 200” to ensure that St. Louis would
secure the ‘host city’ position for The Louisiana Purchase Exposition in 1904.
The purpose of this 7 month long fair was to celebrate the 100 Year Anniversary
of the’ great land purchase’ executed by U.S. President, Thomas Jefferson,
called The Louisiana Purchase of 1803. For fifteen million dollars, he and
Congress acquired over 800,000 square miles of land west of the Mississippi
River and added 14 states to the U.S. To build The Fair, twenty million dollars
was raised from the U.S. Government, the City of St. Louis and shares of stock
sold to individual investors in St. Louis. This funding properly financed the
construction of The Fair so that St. Louis could officially welcome 34 countries
from around the world that wanted to participate in this world-class event.
Once
David R. Francis, the former Mayor of St. Louis and Governor of Missouri, was
appointed as President of this new forward thinking group, construction
commenced in 1896 to convert the 1240 acre Forest Park into a venue for the 1904
World’s Fair & III Olympics. On April 30th 1904, 187,000 people came to St.
Louis and witnessed the grand opening of The Louisiana Purchase Exposition. At
the time, St. Louis was the fourth largest city in the U.S. and a world-class
cultural center. The city came together to plan, produce and celebrate man's
societal and technological progress, as well as commemorate the centennial
anniversary of The Louisiana Purchase. The new technology of the day unveiled
at The Fair was the launch of the automobile, the airplane and electricity for
the common household. Food items like ice cream in a cone, cotton candy and a
hot dog in a bun with mustard were popularized.
Over
1,500 buildings, structures and statues were built for the opening of The Fair
in Forest Park on April 30, 1904. St. Louis also hosted the first-ever two week
long Olympics in America, which was originally planned to be held in Chicago.
Except for the Art Museum and the Bird Cage, all of the structures, which were
made of a temporary construction material called ‘staff’, were demolished after
The Fair closed on December 1, 1904. With the net proceeds of this grand event,
the Jefferson Memorial was built in Forest Park as a salute to our visionary
forefathers that planned, staged and hosted The Fair and III Olympics. Later,
the St. Louis Zoo was built around The Bird Cage and the World’s Fair Pavilion
was erected to serve as a gathering place for Forest Park visitors to remember
the history of The Fair.
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