Howard Baer donated his papers to the Western Historical Manuscript Collection on May 31, 1978. He is a successful businessman and civic leader. In the late 1960s and early 1970s, he served on the St. Louis Zoological Commission during important construction and renovation projects such as the Children's Zoo and Big Cat Country. From June to December, 1972 he headed a campaign to broaden the base of tax support for the Zoo and St. Louis Art museum to include St. Louis county. This culminated in the creation of the Zoo-Museum Tax District. Howard BAer also served on the St. Louis City-County Airport Commission/Authority from 1954 to 1970, but remained involved with plans concerning the expansion of Lambert Field until 1977. He also sponsored several sculpture shows and the development of Schoenberg Fountain at the Missouri Botanical Garden from 1965 to 1976. Other civic concerns of Howard Baer include Kiener Park and Aloe Plaza at Union Station. He won the St. Louis Award in 1969 and the Globe-Democrat Man-of-the-Year Award in 1971.
SCOPE AND CONTENT
The Howard Baer papers document his many activities as a civic leader. Most of the material dates from 1969 to 1978, with papers concerning the Zoo dating from 1963 and 1965, correspondence with Washington University from 1961, and Airport Commission papers from 1960. The papers are divided into three series: St. Louis Zoological Park, Other Civic Projects and Personal Correspondence. A copy of Baer's 1978 book, Saint Louis To Me, appears at the end of the collection (folder 41.) A copy of Baer's 1982 (?) book, An Ordinary Man, is located on the WHMC-St. Louis bookshelf.
SERIES DESCRIPTION
SERIES 1 - ST. LOUIS ZOOLOGICAL PARK - 12 FOLDERS
The St. Louis Zoological Park papers include correspondence; Zoological Board meeting minutes; labor disputes petitions and letters; financial and legal reports concerning the St. Louis Zoo; as well as legal documents, correspondence and notes concerning the development of the Zoo-Museum Tax District.
SERIES 2 - OTHER CIVIC PROJECTS - 12 FOLDERS
The Other Civic Projects material includes correspondence and records concerning the St. Louis City-County Airport Commission; the Missouri Botanical Garden; the Kiener Park Project; the Louis Baer Memorial in Charleston, West Virginia; Aloe Plaza at Union Station; and the stained glass windows at Temple Israel.
SERIES 3 - PERSONAL CORRESPONDENCE - 16 FOLDERS
Personal correspondence includes congratulatory letters over the St. Louis Award, the Globe-Democrat Man-of-the-Year Award, and the creation of the Zoo-Museum Tax District; letters to and from Washington University, Christopher and Carolyn Bond, John Poelker; and correspondence with researcher Jane Duty concerning a book on Carl Milles.
FOLDER LIST
BOX 1 (110181)
Folders 1-12
SERIES I, ST. LOUIS ZOOLOGICAL PARK, 1963-1978
1. St. Louis Zoological Park, 1963, 1973-1974
2. St. Louis Zoological Park, 1975
3. St. Louis Zoological Park, 1976
4. St. Louis Zoological Park, 1977
5. St. Louis Zoological Park, 1978
6. Children's Zoo, 1965-1970
7. Big Cat Country, 1972-1976
8. Zoo-Museum Tax District, Legal Documents and Correspondence, May 1972
9. Zoo-Museum Tax District, Legal Documents and Correspondence, May 1972
10. Zoo-Museum Tax District, Legal Documents and Correspondence, January 1973 - May 1973
11.Zoo-Museum Tax District, Legal Documents and Correspondence, November 1973 - July 1974
12. Zoo-Museum Tax District, Diary, Notes and Correspondence
BOX 2 (110882)
FOLDERS 13-24
SERIES 2 - OTHER CIVIC PROJECTS, 1960-1977
13. St. Louis City-County Airport Commission/Authority, 1960-1965
14. St. Louis City-County Airport Commission/Authority, 1972-1977
15. Missouri Botanical Garden, St. Louis Bicentennial Sculpture Show, September - November 1965
16. Missouri Botanical Garden, Shoenberg Fountain, March 1972 - August 1974
17. Missouri Botanical Garden, Sculpture Show, May 1972
18. Missouri Botanical Garden, 1976
19. Keiner Park Project, 1972-1977
20. Louis Baer Memorial, Charleston, West Virginia, 1972-1976
21. Aloe Plaza, 1971-1974
22. Aloe Plaza, 1971-1974
23. Temple Emanuel, Stained Glass Windows, 1968-1970
24. Temple Emanuel, Stained Glass Windows, 1968-1970
BOX 3, FOLDERS 25 - 35
SERIES 3 - PERSONAL CORRESPONDENCE, 1969-1971
25. St. Louis Award Congratulations Letters, 1969
26. St. Louis Award Congratulations Letters, 1969
27. St. Louis Award Congratulations Letters, 1969
28. St. Louis Award Congratulations Letters, 1969
29. Globe-Democrat, Man of the Year Award, Congratulations Letters, 1971
30. Globe-Democrat, Man of the Year Award, Congratulations Letters, 1971
31. Globe-Democrat, Man of the Year Award, Congratulations Letters, 1971
32. Globe-Democrat, Man of the Year Award, Congratulations Letters, 1971
33. Globe-Democrat, Man of the Year Award, Congratulations Letters, 1971
34. Zoo-Museum Tax District Congratulatory Letters, 1971
35. Zoo-Museum Tax District Congratulatory Letters, 1961-1978
36. Zoo-Museum Tax District Congratulatory Letters, 1971
37. Correspondence concerning Washington University, 1961-1978
38. Correspondence with John Poelker, 1972-1977
39. Correspondence with Christopher and Carolyn Bond, 1972-1978
40. Correspondence with Jane Duty concerning book on Carl Milles, 1977-1978
41. St. Louis and Me by Howard F. Baer, 1978.
STATE HISTORICAL SOCIETY OF MISSOURI RESEARCH CENTER-ST. LOUIS
222 THOMAS JEFFERSON LIBRARY
UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI-ST. LOUIS
ONE UNIVERSITY BOULEVARD
ST. LOUIS, MO 63121
(314) 516-5143
E-MAIL: whmc@umsl.edu