Albert Bond Lambert facts for kids
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| Personal information | ||||||||||||||
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| Born | December 6, 1875 St. Louis, Missouri, U.S. |
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| Died | November 12, 1946 (aged 70) St. Louis, Missouri |
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| Resting place | Bellefontaine Cemetery | |||||||||||||
| Alma mater | Smith Academy at Washington University in St. Louis | |||||||||||||
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Medal record
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Albert Bond Lambert (born December 6, 1875 – died November 12, 1946) was an American businessman. He was the head of the Lambert Pharmacal Company for over 25 years. This company made the famous mouthwash, Listerine. Albert Lambert was also a very good amateur golfer. He was a well-known aviator (someone who flies planes) in St. Louis and helped aviation grow.
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Early Life and Business
Albert Bond Lambert was the son of Jordan W. Lambert. His father started the Lambert Pharmacal Company, which created Listerine. Albert studied at the University of Virginia. In 1896, he became the president of his family's business. He later became chairman in 1923. He left the company in 1926 when it was bought by another firm.
Olympic Golfer
Albert Lambert loved to play golf. In October 1900, he played in golf competitions in Paris. These games were part of the 1900 Summer Olympics. He finished eighth in the men's championship. He also won a special handicap competition.
Four years later, he played golf again at the 1904 Summer Olympics in St. Louis. He was part of the American team that won a silver medal. This made him the only golfer to play in both Olympic golf tournaments. In the individual competition, he reached the quarter-finals.
Aviation Pioneer
In 1906, Albert Lambert became very interested in flying. He started taking lessons to fly hot air balloons. In 1907, he helped start the Aero Club of St. Louis.
He met the famous Wright Brothers in 1909. He even bought his first airplane from them! Orville Wright himself taught Albert how to fly. In 1911, Albert became the first person in St. Louis to get a pilot's license. During World War I, he taught people how to fly balloons and use parachutes for the U.S. Army.
Helping Charles Lindbergh
In 1926, a young pilot named Charles Lindbergh visited Albert Lambert's home. Lindbergh was looking for money to help him fly across the Atlantic Ocean. Albert Lambert gave him money and encouraged others to help too. Because of this support, Lindbergh's famous plane was named The Spirit of St. Louis. Later, the main airport in St. Louis was named St. Louis Lambert International Airport in honor of Albert Bond Lambert.
Building an Airport
In 1925, Albert Lambert bought a large field called Kinloch Field for $68,000. This field was used for hot air balloon flights and early air meets. Albert spent his own money to improve the field. He added runways and hangars for airplanes. In 1928, he sold the field to the city of St. Louis for the same price he paid for it. This field became one of the first city-owned airports in the United States.
Family Life
Albert Lambert was married to Myrtle McGrew. They had a daughter named Myrtle. They also had three sons: Albert Bond Lambert Jr., Don L. Lambert, and George Lea Lambert. Sadly, George, who was a pilot instructor, died in an airplane accident in 1929.
Lambert's Home
The Lambert family lived at 2 Hortense Place in St. Louis, Missouri. Their home was a large, red-brick mansion with tall columns. It was designed by a famous architect named George W. Hellmuth. The house was built between 1902 and 1903, just before the 1904 World's Fair in St. Louis. It had 6 bedrooms and 8 bathrooms. The King of Sweden even visited this house once!
