Albert Bond Lambert
Encyclopedia
Albert Bond Lambert (December 6, 1875 – November 12, 1946) was an American
golf
er who competed in the 1900 Summer Olympics
and in the 1904 Summer Olympics
.
He was also a prominent St. Louis
aviator and benefactor of aviation.
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.
.
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. He finished 12th in this competition.
In the individual competition
he finished eighth in the qualification and was eliminated in the quarter-finals of the match play.
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 served in the Aviation Section of the United States Army Signal Corps
, as an instructor in ballooning and parachuting.
In 1925, for $68,000, Lambert purchased Kinloch Field of Kinloch, Missouri
, a 170 acre (0.6879662 km²) field northwest of St. Louis, which had been used for hot air balloon
ascensions and the first international air meet. For the next seven years, Lambert, at his own expense, developed the field with runways and hangars. In 1927 Charles Lindbergh
used Lambert Field (as it had been renamed) as the starting point for his famous flight to Paris. The following year, 1928, Lambert sold the field to the city of St. Louis for $68,000, the same price he had paid for it before making improvements. Lambert-St. Louis International Airport
thus became the first municipal airport in the United States.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
golf
Golf
Golf is a precision club and ball sport, in which competing players use many types of clubs to hit balls into a series of holes on a golf course using the fewest number of strokes....
er who competed in the 1900 Summer Olympics
1900 Summer Olympics
The 1900 Summer Olympics, today officially known as the Games of the II Olympiad, was an international multi-sport event which was celebrated in 1900 in Paris, France. No opening or closing ceremonies were held; competitions began on May 14 and ended on October 28. The Games were held as part of...
and in the 1904 Summer Olympics
1904 Summer Olympics
The 1904 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the III Olympiad, was an international multi-sport event which was celebrated in St. Louis, Missouri, in the United States from 1 July 1904, to November 23, 1904, at what is now known as Francis Field on the campus of Washington University...
.
He was also a prominent 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...
aviator and benefactor of aviation.
Early life
He was son of Jordan W. Lambert, founder of Lambert Pharmaceutical Company which made Listerine. He initially studied at the University of VirginiaUniversity of Virginia
The University of Virginia is a public research university located in Charlottesville, Virginia, United States, founded by Thomas Jefferson...
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 1900 he finished eighth in the individual eventGolf at the 1900 Summer Olympics
At the 1900 Summer Olympics, two golf events were contested, men's and women's individual events.-Medal summary:-Medal table:France and Greece had golfers compete, but won no medals.-Men's:...
.
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. He finished 12th in this competition.
In the individual competition
Golf at the 1904 Summer Olympics - Men's individual
The men's individual was a golf event held as part of the Golf at the 1904 Summer Olympics programme. It was the second time the event was held at the Olympics, though it took a much different format than the 1900 golf tournament. 75 golfers from 2 nations competed...
he finished eighth in the qualification and was eliminated in the quarter-finals of the match play.
Aviation
Lambert was a Police Commissioner of St. Louis and a local industrialist. 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. (The Club used "military" titles; hence Lambert's title "Major.") He attended the Smith Academy at Washington University in St. LouisWashington University in St. Louis
Washington University in St. Louis is a private research university located in suburban St. Louis, Missouri. Founded in 1853, and named for George Washington, the university has students and faculty from all fifty U.S. states and more than 110 nations...
In 1909, Lambert met the Wright Brothers
Wright brothers
The Wright brothers, Orville and Wilbur , were two Americans credited with inventing and building the world's first successful airplane and making the first controlled, powered and sustained heavier-than-air human flight, on December 17, 1903...
, 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
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, he served in the Aviation Section of the United States Army Signal Corps
United States Army Signal Corps
The United States Army Signal Corps develops, tests, provides, and manages communications and information systems support for the command and control of combined arms forces. It was established in 1860, the brainchild of United States Army Major Albert J. Myer, and has had an important role from...
, as an instructor in ballooning and parachuting.
In 1925, for $68,000, Lambert purchased Kinloch Field of Kinloch, Missouri
Kinloch, Missouri
Kinloch is a city in St. Louis County, Missouri, United States. The population was 298 at the 2010 census.Kinloch is the oldest African-American community to be incorporated in the state of Missouri and was home to a vibrant and flourishing black community for much of the 19th and 20th century. It...
, a 170 acre (0.6879662 km²) field northwest of St. Louis, which had been used for hot air balloon
Hot air balloon
The hot air balloon is the oldest successful human-carrying flight technology. It is in a class of aircraft known as balloon aircraft. On November 21, 1783, in Paris, France, the first untethered manned flight was made by Jean-François Pilâtre de Rozier and François Laurent d'Arlandes in a hot air...
ascensions and the first international air meet. For the next seven years, Lambert, at his own expense, developed the field with runways and hangars. In 1927 Charles Lindbergh
Charles Lindbergh
Charles Augustus Lindbergh was an American aviator, author, inventor, explorer, and social activist.Lindbergh, a 25-year-old U.S...
used Lambert Field (as it had been renamed) as the starting point for his famous flight to Paris. The following year, 1928, Lambert sold the field to the city of St. Louis for $68,000, the same price he had paid for it before making improvements. Lambert-St. Louis International Airport
Lambert-St. Louis International Airport
Lambert-St. Louis International Airport is a Class B international airport serving Greater St. Louis. It is located approximately northwest of downtown St. Louis in unincorporated St. Louis County between Berkeley and Bridgeton. It is the largest and busiest airport in the state with 250 daily...
thus became the first municipal airport in the United States.