Adolphus Busch
| Adolphus Busch | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Born |
July 10, 1839 Kastel (Hesse, Germany) |
| Died | October 10, 1913 (aged 74) Lindschied (Hesse, Germany) |
| Occupation | Brewing Executive and Founder |
| Net worth | USD $60 million at the time of his death (approximately 1/781st of US GNP) |
| Spouse(s) | Lilly Eberhard Anheuser (m. 1861) |
| Children | Adolphus Busch II August A. Busch, Sr. Carl Busch |
| Parent(s) | Ulrich Busch and Barbara Pfeiffer |
Adolphus Busch (10 July 1839 – 10 October 1913) was the German-born co-founder of Anheuser-Busch with his father-in-law, Eberhard Anheuser. He introduced numerous innovations, building the success of the company in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. He became a philanthropist, using his great wealth for education and humanitarian needs. His great-great-grandson, August Busch IV is now on the board of Anheuser-Busch InBev.
Busch was born on July 10, 1839 to Ulrich Busch and Barbara Pfeiffer in Kastel, then a district of Mainz in the Grand Duchy of Hesse. He was the twenty-first of twenty-two children. His wealthy family ran a wholesale business of winery and brewery supplies. Busch and his brothers all received quality educations, and he graduated from the Collegiate Institute of Belgium in Brussels.
In 1857 at the age of 18 Busch emigrated with three of his older brothers to St. Louis, Missouri which was a major destination for German immigrants in the nineteenth century. Because he had so many siblings, Adolphus did not expect to inherit much of his father's estate and had to make his own way. Since St. Louis was home to so many German immigrants, the market for beer was large. The city also had two natural resources essential for manufacturing and storing beer before refrigeration: the river provided an ample water supply; and the city had many caves that would keep beer cool.
His brother Johann established a brewery in Washington, Missouri. Ulrich, Jr, married a daughter of Eberhard Anheuser in St. Louis, and settled in Chicago. Anton was a hops dealer who later returned to Mainz.
Busch's first job in St. Louis was working as a clerk in the commission house. He was also an employee at William Hainrichshofen's wholesale company. During the American Civil War Busch served in the Union Army for six months. During this period, he learned that his father had died and he had inherited a portion of the estate.
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