David Rowland Francis: Missourian and progressive public servant

To students of St. Louis history, the name David Rowland Francis recalls the 1904 St. Louis World's Fair. Much has been written about the 1904 Fair, but little has been written about the man who spearheaded it. This dissertation demonstrates that the role of David R. Francis as a Missouri public servant merits separate attention. It will focus on the Missouri contribution of Francis as an elected public official between 1885 and 1893. This research shows that David R. Francis created a new era in Missouri politics during the 1880s and 1890s. As a progressive mayor and governor, he laid the groundwork for much of the progressive achievements and legislation in Missouri during his years of elected public service.;In Chapter Two, the rural heritage of Francis will be surveyed. His early education at Richmond Academy, a small Presbyterian school at Richmond, Kentucky, his college education at Washington University in St. Louis, his early career as a grain merchant and his entry into the political arena will be discussed.;In Chapter Three, Francis is placed in historical perspective, and the social forces and economic conflicts that he faced as a Democratic public servant are described. Recent scholarship by Richard McCormick and David Thelen, supported by other leading contemporary Missouri historians, provides new information on reform efforts within Missouri and on Francis. In general, the consensus of the contemporary Missouri scholars is that Governor Francis's administration enacted a number of Missouri's early progressive statutes.;Chapter Four traces the origin and development of Francis's progressive public policy. Chapter Five follows Francis as Mayor. Chapter Six describes and analyzes his gubernatorial administration. Chapter Seven critiques Francis as a public servant. From these analyses, this dissertation concludes that Francis had played an important role in reshaping the social and political agenda of St. Louis and Missouri progressively.