James F. Conway facts for kids

James F. Conway was an important leader in St. Louis, Missouri. Born on June 27, 1932, he was a successful businessman and politician. He became the 41st mayor of St. Louis, serving the city from 1977 to 1981.

Early Life and Education

James F. Conway grew up in St. Louis, Missouri. He went to local schools there. Later, he attended Saint Louis University. He earned two degrees from the university. One was in geophysical engineering, which is about studying the Earth's physical properties. He also earned a degree in Business Administration.

His Career Path

Before becoming a politician, James Conway worked in business. He was a sales engineer and production manager for a company called Nooter Corporation. Later, he became the president of A.C.I Plastics Company.

Conway then decided to enter politics. He joined the Democratic Party. In 1966, he was elected to represent his area in the state government. He served several terms as a state representative. In 1974, he was elected to the Missouri State Senate. This meant he helped make laws for the entire state of Missouri.

Becoming Mayor of St. Louis

James Conway wanted to use his skills to help his home city. In 1977, he decided to run for mayor of St. Louis. He first had to win the Democratic Party's primary election. In this election, he defeated a former mayor, A.J. Cervantes. After winning the primary, Conway went on to win the main election in April by a large number of votes. This made him the 41st mayor of St. Louis.

Challenges and Changes as Mayor

Being mayor of St. Louis was not always easy for James Conway. The city's government system had different parts that sometimes disagreed. For example, Mayor Conway and the city's comptroller (who manages the city's money) had different ideas about how to interpret the City Charter. The City Charter is like a rulebook for how the city government should work. Their disagreements sometimes led to lawsuits.

One important thing Mayor Conway achieved was getting voters to remove a salary limit. Before, the city charter said that city workers could only earn up to $25,000. Many people thought this limit made it hard to hire and keep talented people for city jobs. By removing this limit, the city could offer better pay to skilled workers.

Mayor Conway also looked at the city's two public hospitals: City Hospital and Homer G. Phillips Hospital. He noticed that both hospitals offered many of the same services. In 1979, he decided to combine most hospital services at City Hospital. This decision was not popular with everyone, especially people living near Homer G. Phillips Hospital in North St. Louis.

Life After Being Mayor

In 1981, James Conway ran for re-election as mayor. However, he was defeated in the Democratic primary election by Vincent C. Schoemehl. After leaving office, Conway went back to his business, ACI Plastics. He continued to be involved in community activities.

In the late 1990s and early 2000s, he worked with other former mayors, Vincent C. Schoemehl, Jr. and Freeman Bosley Jr. They were part of a group called Citizens for Home Rule. This group worked on ideas to change the city's charter to improve how the city was governed.

James Conway is married to Joan C. Newman. They have five grown children. One of their sons, Steven Conway, also became a politician. He was elected to the St. Louis Board of Aldermen in 1991. After serving many terms, he was appointed as the City Assessor in 2017.