Albert Bond Lambert
Albert Bond Lambert was an American businessman. He was the president of Lambert Pharmacal Company, marketer of Listerine, for over 25 years. He was also a keen amateur golfer and prominent St. Louis aviator and benefactor of aviation.
Early life
He was son of Jordan W. Lambert, founder of Lambert Pharmacal Company, which marketed Listerine. He initially studied at the University of Virginia and became president of the family business in 1896. He became chairman in 1923 and stepped down in 1926 when it was acquired by another firm.Golf
In October 1900, Lambert competed in the golf competitions held as part of the Exposition Universelle in Paris. He finished eighth in the men's championship competition, later classified as part of the 1900 Summer Olympics, and won the handicap competition.Four years later he was part of the American team which won the silver medal, making Lambert the only golfer to have competed in both Olympic golf tournaments prior to the sport's long hiatus from 1908 to 2016. He finished 12th in this competition. In the Golf at the [1904 Summer Olympics – Men's individual|individual competition] he finished eighth in the qualification and was eliminated in the quarter-finals of the match play.
Aviation
In 1906 he became interested in aviation and took ballooning lessons. In 1907 he was one of the founders of the Aero Club of St. Louis. He attended the Smith Academy at Washington University in St. Louis.In 1909, Lambert met the Wright Brothers, and purchased his first airplane from them. He took flying lessons from Orville Wright, and in 1911 became the first St. Louis resident to hold a pilot's license. During World War I, he organized and financed a training school in St. Louis for balloonists; the school was incorporated into the Army Signal Corps and moved to Texas. Lambert was commissioned as a major and served as the unit's commanding officer.
In 1926, a young Charles Lindbergh visited his home while looking for financial support for his proposed transatlantic flight. Lambert offered financial support to Lindbergh and encouraged others to do the same. In return for this support, Lindbergh's plane was named The Spirit of St. Louis.
In 1925, for $68,000, Lambert purchased Kinloch Field in Kinloch, Missouri, a field northwest of St. Louis, which had been used for hot air balloon ascensions and the first international air meet. At his own expense, Lambert developed the field by adding hangars and a passenger terminal. In 1928, Lambert sold the airfield to the city of St. Louis for $68,000, the same price he had paid for it before making improvements. The St. [Louis Lambert International Airport], of which he is the namesake, is located on the same site and was the first municipally owned airport in the country.
Family
Lambert was married to Myrtle McGrew, daughter of the George F. McGrews of St. Louis. They had a daughter, Myrtle, and sons, Albert Bond Lambert Jr., Don L. Lambert and George Lea Lambert. George, a pilot instructor, died in an airplane accident on July 29, 1929, in St. Louis, Missouri.Residence
2 Hortense Place was the Lamberts' home in St. Louis, Missouri.The Albert Bond Lambert House is a red-brick and symmetrical mansion which has a two-story portico with columns. The nearly 12,000 square foot Neoclassical-style home was designed by noted architect George W. Hellmuth and was built between 1902 and 1903. It has 6 bedrooms and 8 bathrooms. Before construction, its cost was estimated to be $45,000. This home was constructed just before the 1904 World's Fair. The King of Sweden also visited this house with the fireplace in the solarium apparently being a gift from the king.