Henry Kiel
Encyclopedia
Henry W. Kiel was the thirty-second Mayor of Saint Louis, serving from 1913 to 1925.
Kiel grew up in St. Louis
and attended St. Louis Public Schools
and the Smith Academy. His family worked in the construction industry, and Kiel learned the bricklayer's trade from his father. He was president of Kiel and Daues Contracting Company and had a role in constructing a number of prominent public and private buildings in St. Louis, including the Opera House, now known as the Kiel Opera House, and the Municipal Auditorium, which was later renamed in his honor as Kiel Auditorium
, and its replacement named the Kiel Center before the corporate-sponsor era naming of stadiums and it became Savvis
Center, now known as Scottrade
Center. He was active in Republican party
politics, serving as committeeman and also servng one year as Chairman of the Republican City Commission.
In 1913, Kiel was elected Mayor by a very narrow margin over the Democratic
candidate, Dr. John Simon. He was re-elected in 1917 and 1921, becoming the first mayor to serve three four-year terms. Mayor Kiel was a strong proponent of the City Charter adopted by the voters in 1914, which remains in effect as of 2005. The City's first zoning
laws were enacted during Kiel's term.
Kiel also supported a number of public works projects in the City, and one of his greatest achievements was passage of an $87 million bond issue in 1923. Construction on many projects included in the bond issue began near the end of his term, but were not completed until after he left office.
After his last term as Mayor, Kiel continued to work in the construction industry and remained active in public affairs, later serving as President of the St. Louis Police Board. He ran unsuccessfully for the United States Senate in 1932. In 1892 he married Irene H. Moonan of St. Louis. They had two sons and two daughters.
Kiel died November 26, 1942 and is buried in a mausoleum at Oak Grove Cemetery in St. Louis.
Kiel grew up in St. Louis
St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis is an independent city on the eastern border of Missouri, United States. With a population of 319,294, it was the 58th-largest U.S. city at the 2010 U.S. Census. The Greater St...
and attended St. Louis Public Schools
St. Louis Public Schools
St. Louis Public Schools is the school district that operates public schools in the city of St. Louis, Missouri, United States. With a 2005 enrollment of approximately 33,000 students it is the largest public school district in the state of Missouri. Its headquarters is in Downtown St...
and the Smith Academy. His family worked in the construction industry, and Kiel learned the bricklayer's trade from his father. He was president of Kiel and Daues Contracting Company and had a role in constructing a number of prominent public and private buildings in St. Louis, including the Opera House, now known as the Kiel Opera House, and the Municipal Auditorium, which was later renamed in his honor as Kiel Auditorium
Kiel Auditorium
Kiel Auditorium was an indoor arena, in St. Louis, Missouri, United States. It was the home of the Saint Louis University basketball team and hosted the NBA's St. Louis Hawks, from 1955-1968....
, and its replacement named the Kiel Center before the corporate-sponsor era naming of stadiums and it became Savvis
SAVVIS
Savvis – A CenturyLink Company is a subsidiary of CenturyLink, a company headquartered in Monroe, Louisiana. Savvis provides information technology solutions for enterprises and government agencies...
Center, now known as Scottrade
Scottrade
Scottrade is a privately owned American discount retail brokerage firm headquartered in St. Louis, Missouri. Its Founder, President and CEO is Rodger O. Riney. Scottrade has 500 branch offices around the U.S...
Center. He was active in Republican party
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
politics, serving as committeeman and also servng one year as Chairman of the Republican City Commission.
In 1913, Kiel was elected Mayor by a very narrow margin over the Democratic
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
candidate, Dr. John Simon. He was re-elected in 1917 and 1921, becoming the first mayor to serve three four-year terms. Mayor Kiel was a strong proponent of the City Charter adopted by the voters in 1914, which remains in effect as of 2005. The City's first zoning
Zoning
Zoning is a device of land use planning used by local governments in most developed countries. The word is derived from the practice of designating permitted uses of land based on mapped zones which separate one set of land uses from another...
laws were enacted during Kiel's term.
Kiel also supported a number of public works projects in the City, and one of his greatest achievements was passage of an $87 million bond issue in 1923. Construction on many projects included in the bond issue began near the end of his term, but were not completed until after he left office.
After his last term as Mayor, Kiel continued to work in the construction industry and remained active in public affairs, later serving as President of the St. Louis Police Board. He ran unsuccessfully for the United States Senate in 1932. In 1892 he married Irene H. Moonan of St. Louis. They had two sons and two daughters.
Kiel died November 26, 1942 and is buried in a mausoleum at Oak Grove Cemetery in St. Louis.