Gussie Busch facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Gussie Busch
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August A. Busch, Jr.
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August Anheuser Busch Jr.
March 28, 1899 St. Louis, Missouri, U.S.
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| Died | September 29, 1989 (aged 90) St. Louis, Missouri, U.S.
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| Occupation | Brewing Executive |
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| Children | 10, including August Busch III |
| Parent(s) | August Anheuser Busch Sr. |
| Relatives | Adolphus Busch (paternal grandfather) |
August Anheuser "Gussie" Busch Jr. (born March 28, 1899 – died September 29, 1989) was an American business leader. He helped make the Anheuser-Busch company the biggest brewery in the world by 1957. He was the company's chairman from 1946 to 1975.
Busch was also famous in the world of sports. He owned the St. Louis Cardinals baseball team, part of Major League Baseball, from 1953 until he passed away. The Cardinals honored him by putting him in their team's Hall of Fame in 2014.
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Early Life and Family
August Anheuser Busch Jr. was born on March 28, 1899, in St. Louis, Missouri. His father, August Anheuser Busch Sr., was the president of Anheuser-Busch. His mother was Alice Zisemann. His grandfather, Adolphus Busch, was born in Germany and founded the Anheuser-Busch company.
Leading a Business
Anheuser-Busch Brewery
Gussie Busch learned a lot about his family's business. In 1924, he became the superintendent of brewing operations at Anheuser-Busch. After his father died in 1934, he became the head of the brewing division. When his older brother, Adolphus Busch III, passed away in 1946, August A. Jr. became the company's president and CEO.
Under August Busch's leadership, the company grew a lot. By 1957, it became the largest brewery in the world. It passed other big companies like Pabst Brewing Company and Joseph Schlitz Brewing Company. He expanded the company from just one brewery in St. Louis to nine breweries across the country. By 1973, Anheuser-Busch sold over 26 million barrels of beer each year. In 1964, the St. Louis brewery alone produced ten million barrels in one year.
Busch was known for being a great showman and salesman. He started using the famous Clydesdale horse-and-wagon team in 1933. He used them to celebrate the end of Prohibition, a time when alcohol was illegal. A team of Clydesdales carried the first case of Budweiser beer to President Franklin D. Roosevelt at the White House. He made the Clydesdales a part of the company's image. They often appeared at public events.
In May 1975, Busch left his roles as CEO and chairman of the company. His son, August Busch III, took over. Busch was allowed to stay as president of the Cardinals baseball team. He also kept the company benefits that came with that job.
A year later, Busch thought about trying to get his leadership role back. However, he decided he could not be the one to take the company away from his family. This decision was not made public for ten years.
St. Louis Cardinals Baseball Team
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| Gussie Busch's number 85 was retired by the St. Louis Cardinals in 1984. |
In 1953, the owner of the Cardinals, Fred Saigh, had legal troubles. He decided to sell the team. When Busch heard that Saigh might sell the team to people who would move it to Houston, he stepped in. He wanted Anheuser-Busch to buy the team to keep the Cardinals in St. Louis.
Anheuser-Busch bought the Cardinals for $3.75 million. This was less than what the Houston buyers offered. Many people believed that Busch convinced Saigh that keeping the team in St. Louis was more important than making more money. In fact, Saigh wanted to sell to local buyers first. Busch was the first serious buyer who would keep the team in town.
As the leader of the Cardinals from 1953 until his death, Busch saw the team win many titles. They won six National League championships (in 1964, 1967, 1968, 1982, 1985, and 1987). They also won three World Series (in 1964, 1967, and 1982).
The Cardinals were the main baseball team in St. Louis, but they did not own their own stadium. Since 1920, they had rented Sportsman's Park from another team, the St. Louis Browns. After buying the Cardinals, Busch bought and improved the park. He renamed it Busch Stadium. The team played there until a new stadium, Busch Memorial Stadium, was built in 1966.
In 1984, the Cardinals honored Busch by retiring the number 85. This was because he was 85 years old at the time.
Personal Life and Family
Gussie Busch was married four times and had a total of 11 children. Two of his marriages ended. His third wife, Gertrude Buholzer, was from Switzerland. Their seven children were raised in her faith. Busch later joined that church. His fourth wife, Margaret Rohde, passed away in 1988.
At the time of his death, his surviving children included Carlota Busch Giersch and Lilly Busch Hermann. These were his daughters with Marie Church Busch. His children with Elizabeth Overton Busch were August A. Busch III and Elizabeth Busch Burke. His children with Gertrude Buholzer Busch were Adolphus A. Busch III, Beatrice Busch von Gontard, Peter W. Busch, Trudy Busch Valentine, William K. Busch, and Andrew D. Busch.
Death and Legacy
August Busch Jr. passed away in St. Louis on September 29, 1989. He was 90 years old.
After his death, Fred Kuhlman became the president of the Cardinals team. Seven years later, in 1996, Anheuser-Busch sold the Cardinals to a group of investors.
In 2014, the Cardinals announced that Busch would be one of the first people inducted into the St. Louis Cardinals Hall of Fame Museum. This was part of the museum's first group of honorees in 2014.
See also
- List of St. Louis Cardinals owners and executives
- St. Louis Cardinals Hall of Fame Museum
