Judge, Mayor of St. Louis, Missouri. He went to Harvard and was admitted to the Missouri Bar. He served as a judge on the St. Louis Court of Appeals from 1917 to 1940. While still serving as a judge, Becker won the election for mayor of St. Louis. As mayor, Becker was a leading proponent of aviation. He pushed for the expansion of Lambert Field and the development of a second airport. On Sunday, August 1, 1943, thousands of spectators gathered at Lambert Field for an air show. Mayor Becker and several city and county officials went up in an army glider, which had made a successful test flight earlier in the day. The C-47 airplane towing the glider made three passes in front of the spectators and released the glider. Almost immediately the right wing of the glider buckled and separated form the fuselage. The glider was sent spinning towards the earth and hit the ground at an estimated 230 miles per hour. There were no survivors. William Becker was the second mayor of St. Louis to die in office.
Judge, Mayor of St. Louis, Missouri. He went to Harvard and was admitted to the Missouri Bar. He served as a judge on the St. Louis Court of Appeals from 1917 to 1940. While still serving as a judge, Becker won the election for mayor of St. Louis. As mayor, Becker was a leading proponent of aviation. He pushed for the expansion of Lambert Field and the development of a second airport. On Sunday, August 1, 1943, thousands of spectators gathered at Lambert Field for an air show. Mayor Becker and several city and county officials went up in an army glider, which had made a successful test flight earlier in the day. The C-47 airplane towing the glider made three passes in front of the spectators and released the glider. Almost immediately the right wing of the glider buckled and separated form the fuselage. The glider was sent spinning towards the earth and hit the ground at an estimated 230 miles per hour. There were no survivors. William Becker was the second mayor of St. Louis to die in office.
Bio by: Connie Nisinger
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