EXPO2000 ::The Saint Louis World Exposition 1904::

"David R. Francis was born on 1 October 1850 in Richmond in Kentucky. He went to school in his home town and in St. Louis. In 1870 he obtained his doctorate at Washington University. What he really wanted to do was to pursue a career in commerce. After working for a short time as a ship's chaplain, he set up a cereal business in 1877 which later made a name for itself as D. R. Francis & Bro. Commission Co. In 1884 his business acumen helped him become president of the Stock Exchange of St. Louis and the director of major railway companies and banks. In 1883 he became the mayor of St. Louis and in 1888 was elected Governor of Missouri by the Democratic Party. Under his administration St. Louis became one of the premier cities in the union. Due to his reorganisation, its financial situation became extremely healthy. In 1896 President Cleveland appointed him Secretary of State for the Interior. Besides pursuing his extremely active career, he still found time to study everything that characterised a man of universal education. Only such a man seemed able to master the enormous task of organising this world exposition. Whenever his special knowledge and energy failed to achieve the desired success, he employed the magic of his personality. In this way he ensured the success of the world exposition from the very outset. At a meeting of the "Business Men´s League" on 7 June 1896, David R. Francis did his utmost to win their support for a World´s Fair in St. Louis by stressing the commercial significance of such an undertaking and at the same time using enthusiastic words to underline its moral value,."
quotation from: Schmülling 1904, p. 21, 23.

Year: 1904	City: St. Louis	Country: USA
Duration: 30th April - 1st December 1904