Repository: St. Louis Mercantile Library Special Collections
Title: M-358: Gene McNary Collection
Date: 1963-2010
Extent: 5 linear feet (2 record boxes and oversized items)
Location note: Archives
Language: English
Abstract: The Gene McNary Collection consists of correspondence, business records, photographs, newspaper articles, political cartoons, and personal items that relate to Mr. McNary’s political life in St. Louis, MO. There is a wide variety of political cartoons that reflect Mr. McNary in both a positive and negative light. The Collection also has a number of newspaper articles and documents that relate to his political campaign in 1974 for St. Louis County Supervisor and the St. Louis Cardinals NFL stadium proposal in 1987.
Biographical note: Mr. Gene McNary was born on September 14, 1935 in Muncie, Indiana. After graduating with his law degree from Indiana University, Mr. McNary moved to St. Louis, MO. He spent two years with the Lashly, Lashly & Miller law firm and then started his political career by becoming the Assistant Public Defender for St. Louis, County in 1963. In 1966, Mr. McNary was elected for the Prosecuting Attorney of St. Louis County. Then in 1974, Mr. McNary was elected the County Executive of St. Louis County (County Supervisor) where he served until 1989. While Mr. McNary was County Supervisor, he put together a stadium proposal to keep the St. Louis Cardinals (NFL) in St. Louis. The team eventually moved to Arizona after a lawsuit by St. Louis City. In 1980 he lost the Senate election to Senator Thomas Eagleton. In 1984 he lost the Republican primary for Governor to John Ashcroft who was the Attorney General. In 1989, Mr. McNary was appointed to the Commissioner of the Immigration and Naturalization Service by President George H.W. Bush. Mr. McNary formed the law firm McNary, Morris & Smalley and ran for a number of political positions that he lost in election. Mr. McNary was appointed the Executive Director of the Missouri Gaming Commission by Governor Matt Blunt from 2006-2010. Mr. McNary is married to Susan McNary and they have five children together. His son is Missouri State Representative Cole McNary.
Scope and Content note: The Gene McNary Collection consists of correspondence, business records, photographs, newspaper articles, political cartoons, and personal items that relate to Mr. McNary’s political life in St. Louis, MO. The various items of the collection include personal artifacts, such as hats and trophies, and also artifacts for St. Louis County, such as posters and city signs. The political cartoons cover Mr. McNary’s political career in St. Louis, MO. Mr. McNary saved both the positive and negative cartoons that reflect his time as the St. Louis County supervisor and his time spent on the St. Louis Cardinals NFL stadium proposal. A few of the cartoons have been signed by the artists. The photographs in the collection are from Mr. McNary’s political career. A majority of the photographs are from the “Toast of the Town” event held in 1988. The documents are related to St. Louis Cardinals NFL stadium proposal in 1987 and Mr. McNary’s political career. Mr. McNary proposed to Bill Bidwell to build a stadium in St. Louis County as Mr. Bidwell, the owner, was unhappy with Busch stadium, specifically the number of seats, in St. Louis city. The documents include personal, business, and financial documents for the stadium proposal, the lawsuit, and other political documents relating to Mr McNary’s career. The newspaper articles are from a variety of newspapers, including the St. Louis Post-Dispatch and the St. Louis Globe Democrat. The articles cover Mr. McNary’s St. Louis County Supervisor campaign and election and the St. Louis Cardinals stadium proposal and lawsuit. There are also a limited number of articles that cover different aspects of Mr. McNary’s political career.
Arrangement note: The Gene McNary Collection is arranged into 5 series: 1) Documents; 2) Newspaper Articles; 3) Political Cartoons; 4) Images; 5) Objects Objects range from hats, trophies, posters, and a street sign. Documents are arranged to the folder level by date. Newspaper Articles are arranged to the folder level by date. Political Cartoons are arranged by artist and by date. Images are arranged to the folder level. Objects range from hats, trophies, posters, and a street sign.
Controlled Subject Headings
Geographic Name(s)
Personal Name(s)
Subject(s)
Conditions Governing Access note: This collection is open for research.
Conditions Governing Use note: Some of the material in this collection may be photocopied, digitally scanned or photographed, subject to condition and the judgment of Library staff. Library staff members reserve the right to deny reproduction services for any reason at any time.
Copyright Information: The researcher assumes full responsibility for observing all copyright, property, and libel laws as they apply.
Fee Services: Fees associated with staff research time, cost recovery in reproductions processing time and materials, and licensing may apply.
Preferred Citation note: The preferred citation for this collection is "From the collections of the St. Louis Mercantile Library at UM - St. Louis."
Collection Inventory:
Scope and Contents note
The personal records are related to St. Louis Cardinals NFL stadium proposal in 1987 and Mr. McNary’s political career. Mr. McNary proposed to Bill Bidwell to build a stadium in St. Louis County as Mr. Bidwell, the owner, was unhappy with Busch stadium, specifically the number of seats, in St. Louis city. The documents include personal, business, and financial documents for the stadium proposal, the lawsuit, and other political documents relating to Mr McNary’s career.
Box 1 Folder 1-1 Personal notes
Box 1 Folder 1-2 Letters to Gene McNary
Box 1 Folder 1-3 Records for stadium proposal 1987
Box 1 Folder 1-4 St. Louis Cardinals (NFL) stadium proposal
Box 1 Folder 1-5 Records for St. Louis Cardinals stadium lawsuit 1987
Box 1 Folder 1-6 Division of Public Defender Annual Report, St. Louis County 1963
Box 1 Folder 1-7 The McNary Report 1975-1989
Box 1 Folder 1-8 John Ashcroft State Auditor flyer
Box 1 Folder 1-9 Democratic sample ballot (MO) 1974
Box 1 Folder 1-10 County of St. Louis General Obligation Public Improvement Bond 1986
Box 1 Folder 1-11 Outstanding Service Certificate 1976-1989
Scope and Contents note
The newspaper articles are from a variety of newspapers, including the St. Louis Post-Dispatch and the St. Louis Globe Democrat. The articles cover Mr. McNary’s St. Louis County Supervisor campaign and election and the St. Louis Cardinals stadium proposal and lawsuit. There are also a limited number of articles that cover different aspects of Mr. McNary’s political career.
Box 1 Stadium newspaper articles
Box 1 Folder 2-1 St. Louis Cardinals (NFL) stadium lawsuit 1987
Box 1 Folder 2-2 St. Louis Cardinals (NFL) stadium 1985-1987
Box 1 Folder 2-3 Sporting venue articles
Box 1 Political newspaper articles
Box 1 Folder 2-4 St. Louis County Supervisor election 1974
Box 1 Folder 2-5 General political
Scope and Contents note
The political cartoons cover Mr. McNary’s political career in St. Louis, MO. Mr. McNary saved both the positive and negative cartoons that reflect his time as the St. Louis County supervisor and his time spent on the St. Louis Cardinals NFL stadium proposal. A few of the cartoons have been signed by the artists.
Box 1 "St. Louis County Pothole" Engelhardt (signed) 1977
Box 1 Ed Kohorst (signed) 1976
Box 1 "Ground Attack" Engelhardt 1986
Box 1 "We Visionaries Always Have To Fight For What's Grand And Uplifting And Monumental" Engelhardt 1979
Box 1 Folder 3-1 Rick Tucker 1987
Box 1 Folder 3-2 "Clayton City Limits"
Box 1 Folder 3-3 Dick Henderson (signed)
Box 1 Folder 3-4 "Mcnary's Bi-State Alternative" Shay
Box 1 Folder 3-5 "City vs County" Shay
Box 1 Folder 3-6 "2nd District Democratic Bastion"
Box 1 Folder 3-7 Renkins
Box 1 Folder 3-8 "I'm For Anybody Who'll Force Americans To Burn More Oil And Gasoline" Engelhardt
Box 1 Folder 3-9 "This'll Bring It Into The Jet Age, John" Engelhardt
Box 1 Folder 3-10 Engelhardt 1974
Box 1 Folder 3-11 "I Decided To Give Myself A Couple of Presents Next Tuesday" Engelhardt 1977
Box 1 Folder 3-12 "Joy Riders" Engelhardt 1978
Box 1 Folder 3-13 "That'll Show The City Who's Boss Around Here" Engelhardt 1979
Box 1 Folder 3-14 "Why Shouldn't The County Have Some Cultural And Sports Activities Of Its Own?" Engelhardt 1979
Box 1 Folder 3-15 "Ok, Kid. How Do You Want To Use This One?" 1979
Box 1 Folder 3-16 "Reverse Robin Hood" Engelhardt 1979
Box 1 Folder 3-17 "Notice How Nicely It Balances?" Engelhardt 1979
Box 1 Folder 3-18 "Send Me To Washington And I'll Show You How To Make Government Work" Engelhardt 1980
Box 1 Folder 3-19 "Relax Honey-I Bought These Out Of Your 'Surplus' Food Money" Engelhardt 1980
Box 1 Folder 3-20 "We Wonder Hou You'd Feel If We Have To Make Some Necessary Cutbacks" Engelhardt 1981
Box 1 Folder 3-21 "We'll Show Bi-State, Won't We?" Engelhardt 1981
Box 1 Folder 3-22 "Concrete County" Engelhardt 1981
Box 1 Folder 3-23 "End Of The Line" Engelhardt 1982
Box 1 Folder 3-24 "Nossir, We're Not Gonna Let Anybody Steal Money From Our Buses For Any Rail System" Engelhardt 1983
Box 1 Folder 3-25 "I Don't Care What McNary And The Developers Say-This Prefabricated Housing Is The Pits" Engelhardt 1986
Box 1 Folder 3-26 "See-It's A Balanced Budget" Engelhardt 1986
Box 1 Folder 3-27 "It Sure Is A Lot More Efficient, Working Together Like This" Engelhardt 1986
Map & Print 9-4 "Take Me For A Ride, John" Engelhardt 1977
Map & Print 9-4, folder 3-28 "The Defense" Hesse 1976
Map & Print 9-4, folder 3-29 "Belt Tightening" Hesse 1975
Scope and Contents note
The images in the collection are from Mr. McNary’s political career. A majority of the photographs are from the “Toast of the Town” event held in 1988 and portraits by Pat Hays Baer.
Box 1 Folder 4-2 County Executive portraits, small
Map & Print 9-4 County Executive portraits, large
Box 1 Folder 4-3 St. Louis County pictures by Pat Hays Baer
Box 1 Folder 4-4 Political photographs
Box 1 Folder 4-5 The "Toast of the Town" photographs 1988
Map & Print 9-4 Jet from 110th TFS St. Louis, MO
Scope and Contents note
The various objects of the collection include personal artifacts, such as hats and trophies, and also artifacts for St. Louis County, such as posters and city signs.
Box 1 Folder 5-1 County Executive folder with Seal of St. Louis County, MO
Box 2 Captain hat
Box 2 S.S.McNary hat
Box 2 Grand Marshall trophy for Afton Days Parade
Box 2 St. Louis Great Debator trophy from St. Louis Urban Corps 2010
Box 2 Decade of Service Award from The Chesterfield Area Civic Progress 2000
Box 2 The "Toast of the Town" photo album 1988
Map & Print 9-4 Honorary Life Member card from the St. Louis Carousel in Faust Park 1989
Transportation Archives St. Louis Memorial Day Riverboat Race trophy 1982-1989
Transportation Archives Gene McNary statue head
Map & Print 9-4 Circus Flora Faust County Park poster
Map & Print 9-4 Elm Avenue Expressway street sign
Map & Print 9-4 Miss Universe Pageant (signed) 1983
Map & Print 9-4 St. Louis Count Proclamation
Map & Print 9-4 Sam the Olympic Eagle mascot poster 1980
Map & Print 9-4 St. Louis poster
