"The little-known secrets behind the men & women who shaped America"

Why is Albert Bond Lambert so famous in St. Louis?

By Paul Niemann

[September 03, 2009]  Albert Bond Lambert's last name is familiar to all St. Louisans. If you've ever flown into St. Louis, then you probably think you know who Albert Lambert is… Read on because there is so much more to this story that you probably haven't heard before.

Albert Lambert was born in Alexandria, Va., in 1875, the son of Jordan and Lily Lambert. He was once the president of the Board of Police Commissioners in St. Louis, but that was not his claim to fame.

Albert had taken over his family's business in 1896. His father, who named the company Lambert Pharmacal, had invented a new product that became a huge hit, even to this day. Albert would later become president of the company, but that was not his claim to fame either.

Albert Lambert's love of flying was fueled in part by a memorable -- and historic -- flight that he took way back in 1907. Four years later, he became the first St. Louisan to receive his pilot's license. He was the 61st person to ever receive a pilot's license.

In fact, Albert liked flying so much that he even made a $1,000 investment in an unknown 25-year-old Minnesota pilot in 1927. The investment helped fund the Minnesota man's entry in a flying contest that year.

Lambert's father's company, Lambert Pharmacal, merged with William Warner's company in 1955 to become known as Warner-Lambert. The new product that had become a huge hit was Listerine, but that was not Albert Lambert's claim to fame.

So why is Albert Lambert's name familiar to St. Louisans?

Because of the St. Louis airport. But you probably already knew that, didn't you?

And what about his memorable -- and historical -- flight way back in 1907?

The pilot was none other than Orville Wright.

Then what about the investment Lambert made to help fund a young Minnesota pilot's entry in a flying contest in 1927?

That was the Orteig Prize, which offered $25,000 to the first person to fly solo from New York to Paris.

Then who was the 25-year-old Minnesota man?

That would be Charles Lindbergh, of course! Charles Lindbergh had flown from Lambert Field to New York before taking off for his solo flight from New York to Paris. As any St. Louisan will tell you, Lambert Field is the St. Louis airport.

And now the story is officially over.

[By PAUL NIEMANN]

Paul Niemann's column has appeared in more than 80 newspapers and counting. He is the author of the "Invention Mysteries" series of books and can be reached at [e-mail].

Copyright Paul Niemann 2009

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