August Anheuser Busch, Sr.

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August Anheuser Busch, Sr.
File:August Anheuser Busch.jpg
August A. Busch in 1925.
Born (1865-12-29)December 29, 1865
St. Louis, Missouri, U.S.A.
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St. Louis, Missouri, U.S.A.
Occupation Brewing
Spouse(s) Alice Edna Zisemann
Children Adolphus Busch III
Marie Busch
Alice Busch
Clara Hazel Busch Orthwein
August A. "Gussie" Busch, Jr.
Parent(s) Lily (Anheuser) and Adolphus Busch

August Anheuser Busch, Sr. (December 29, 1865 – February 10, 1934) was an American brewing magnate who served as the President and CEO of Anheuser-Busch, based in Saint Louis, Missouri, from 1913-1934. It became the world's largest brewery in 1957 under direction of his son August A. Busch, Jr.[1]

Early life

August Anheuser Busch was born on December 29, 1865 in St. Louis, Missouri. His father, Adolphus Busch, was the German-born founder of Anheuser-Busch. His mother, Lilly Eberhard Anheuser, was the third daughter of brewer Eberhard Anheuser, who owned the Aneuser Brewery.[2] He had eight brothers and five sisters.[2]

Career

Busch became President of Anheuser-Busch in 1913, shortly after his father's death. Under his leadership, the company survived World War I, Prohibition and the Great Depression by innovating and diversifying. The company delved into the production of corn products, baker’s yeast, ice cream, soft drinks and commercial refrigeration units to stay afloat during Prohibition. After Prohibition ended in 1933, many of these operations were discontinued.

Personal life

Busch married Alice Ziesemann on May 8, 1890. Their children were Adolphus III, Marie, Clara, August A., Jr. and Alice Busch. The Busches were among prominent families whoh participated in the Veiled Prophet Ball, and in 1922 Alice Busch was selected as that year's Queen of Love and Beauty.[3]

Both sons joined the family business. The oldest son Adolphus Busch III became President and CEO of Anheuser-Busch. After his death in 1946, August A. Jr. became CEO, building the company as the largest brewery in the world.[1]

Death and legacy

In his later life Busch suffered from heart disease, dropsy, and gout. After being severely ill for several months, he committed suicide at the age of nearly 69 with a gunshot to the abdomen on February 10, 1934 at the Busch Mansion at Grant's Farm.[4] He was buried in Sunset Memorial Park in St. Louis, Missouri.

In 1947, his widow Alice Busch donated $70,000 to help with the purchase of the August A. Busch Memorial Conservation Area, as a memorial to her husband.[5]

See also

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 Holian, Timothy J. "Adolphus Busch", In Immigrant Entrepreneurship: German-American Business Biographies, 1720 to the Present, vol. 3, edited by Giles R. Hoyt. German Historical Institute. Last modified August 09, 2013
  2. 2.0 2.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  3. Spencer, Thomas M. The St. Louis Veiled Prophet Celebration: Power on Parade, 1877-1995, U-MO Press, 2000
  4. Todd C. Frankel, "For Busch family, woman's death is latest in tragic history" , St. Louis Post-Dispatch, 26 December 2010, accessed 1 July 2015
  5. Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.

External links