David R. Francis
| David R. Francis | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| United States Ambassador to Russia | |
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In office May 5, 1916 – November 7, 1917 |
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| President | Woodrow Wilson |
| Preceded by | George T. Marye Jr. |
| Succeeded by | William Christian Bullitt, Jr. (Ambassador to the Soviet Union, 1933) |
| President of the Organizing Committee for the Summer Olympic Games | |
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In office October 28, 1900 – September 3, 1904 |
|
| IOC President | Pierre de Coubertin |
| Preceded by | Pierre de Coubertin |
| Succeeded by | Edward Battell |
| 20th United States Secretary of the Interior | |
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In office September 3, 1896 – March 5, 1897 |
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| President |
Grover Cleveland William McKinley |
| Preceded by | Hoke Smith |
| Succeeded by | Cornelius N. Bliss |
| 27th Governor of Missouri | |
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In office January 14, 1889 – January 9, 1893 |
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| Lieutenant | Stephen H. Claycomb |
| Preceded by | Albert P. Morehouse |
| Succeeded by | William J. Stone |
| 26th Mayor of St. Louis, Missouri | |
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In office April 14, 1885 – January 2, 1889 |
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| Preceded by | William L. Ewing |
| Succeeded by | Edward A. Noonan |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
October 1, 1850 Richmond, Kentucky, United States |
| Died | January 15, 1927 (aged 76) St. Louis, Missouri, United States |
| Resting place | Bellefontaine Cemetery in St. Louis, Missouri, United States |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse(s) | Jane Francis |
| Children | John David Perry Francis David Rowland Francis, Jr. Charles Broaddus Francis Talton Turner Francis Thomas Francis Sidney Rowland Francis |
| Parents | John B. Francis Eliza Caldwell Rowland Francis |
| Alma mater | Washington University in St. Louis |
| Profession | Politician, Merchant |
David Rowland Francis (October 1, 1850 – January 15, 1927) was an American politician and diplomat. He served in various positions including Mayor of Saint Louis, the 27th Governor of Missouri, and United States Secretary of the Interior. He was the U.S. Ambassador to Russia between 1916 and 1917, during the Russian Revolution of 1917. He was a Wilsonian Democrat. His biographer summarizes his personality:
Francis was born in Richmond, Kentucky, on October 1, 1850, the son of Eliza Caldwell (née Rowland) and John B. Francis. He graduated from Washington University in St. Louis in 1870 where he was number two on the rolls of the Alpha Iota Chapter of Beta Theta Pi fraternity. He was a successful businessman in St. Louis and served as the president of the Merchant's Exchange.
On January 20, 1876, he married the former Jane Perry, a granddaughter of former Missouri State Treasurer James Earickson. They had six children: John David Perry, David Rowland, Jr., Charles Broaddus, Talton Turner, Thomas, and Sidney Rowland Francis.
He was elected Mayor of St. Louis, Missouri in 1885. In 1888 he was elected Governor of Missouri, becoming the only Mayor of St. Louis elected Governor of the state. Francis served as the United States Secretary of the Interior under President Grover Cleveland between 1896 and 1897.
Francis was one of the main promoters of the St. Louis World's Fair of 1904, serving as President of the Louisiana Purchase Exposition. Historians generally emphasize the prominence of themes of race and empire, and the Fair's long-lasting impact on intellectuals in the fields of history, art history, architecture and anthropology. From the point of view of the memory of the average person who attended the fair, it primarily promoted entertainment, consumer goods and popular culture.
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