Luther Ely Smith
| Luther Ely Smith | |
|---|---|
| Born | June 11, 1873 Downers Grove, Illinois |
| Died | April 2, 1951 (aged 77) St. Louis, Missouri |
| Cause of death | Heart attack |
| Resting place |
Bellefontaine Cemetery St. Louis, Missouri |
| Education | Williston Northampton School (1890), Amherst College (1894), Washington University in St. Louis (1897) |
| Occupation | Lawyer |
| Known for | "Founder of Jefferson National Expansion Memorial" |
| Spouse(s) | Sa Lees Kennard |
| Children | Addeline Smith Boyd Sa Lees Smith Seddon Luther Ely Smith, Jr. |
Luther Ely Smith (June 11, 1873 – April 2, 1951) was a St. Louis, Missouri lawyer and civic booster. He has been described by the National Park Service as the "father of the Jefferson National Expansion Memorial." In the 1930s, he conceived of the idea of a memorial to President Thomas Jefferson in Saint Louis, the starting point of the Lewis and Clark Expedition and opening of the West through the city. He chaired the Association to develop the memorial for nearly 15 years, every year but one from 1934 through 1949, after the design competition had been completed and the winner Eero Saarinen selected for his "Gateway Arch". Construction of the Gateway Arch started in 1963, after Smith's death; it fulfilled his vision of a symbol of the city to represent its role with the American West.
Luther Ely Smith was born in Downers Grove, Illinois. He attended prep school at Williston Northampton School in Easthampton, Massachusetts graduating in 1890; Amherst College, where he was a classmate of Harlan F. Stone, future Chief Justice of the United States; and a year ahead of Calvin Coolidge and Dwight W. Morrow. He graduated in 1894 and earned a law degree at Washington University in St. Louis in 1897.
He volunteered with the Third U.S Volunteer Engineers during the Spanish–American War (1898).
...
Wikipedia