William K. Bixby (January 2, 1857 – October 29, 1931) was a collector of art and rare books, and is known for his significant philanthropic contributions around the St. Louis area.

Life

William Keeney Bixby was born on January 2, 1857, in

Adrian, Michigan Adrian is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan and the county seat of Lenawee County. The population was 20,645 at the 2020 census. Adrian lies in Michigan's 7th congressional district. History Adrian was founded on June 18, 1826 by Addison Co ...

, to parents Alonzo Foster and Emma Louisa Bixby. After his high school graduation from Adrian High School, Bixby moved to Texas to work as a baggage handler and night watchman on the International & Great North Pacific Railroad. In 1881, Bixby married Lillian Tuttle, and the two had six children. As he worked through the ranks of the Texas railroad, his vigor caught the eye of H.M. Hoxie, the president of the

Missouri Pacific Railroad The Missouri Pacific Railroad , commonly abbreviated as MoPac, was one of the first railroads in the United States west of the Mississippi River. MoPac was a Class I railroad growing from dozens of predecessors and mergers. In 1967, the railroad ...

. Hoxie soon convinced Bixby to move to St. Louis to work for the Union Pacific, and in 1889, Bixby spearheaded the merger of eighteen companies that led to the creation of the American Car & Foundry Company. He served as president and as a member of the Board until his retirement in 1905, at age 48. One year prior to his retirement, he and his wife Lillian purchased a mansion in the Central West End, which is now the site of the

Chase Park Plaza The Chase Park Plaza Royal Sonesta St. Louis is a historic hotel and apartment complex located at 212 N. Kingshighway Boulevard in the Central West End, St. Louis, Missouri. It consists of two buildings - the Chase Hotel, built in 1922 by develope ...

. Bixby's retirement at such a young age provided him with ample opportunities to pursue his passions in travel and literature. He was an ardent collector of autographs, manuscripts, rare books, and art.

Later career

After his time working at the Missouri Union and later at the American Car & Foundry Company, Bixby dedicated his time to numerous groups and activities in the St. Louis area. In the year preceding his retirement, he headed the Fine Arts Commission for the

1904 World's Fair The Louisiana Purchase Exposition, informally known as the St. Louis World's Fair, was an World's fair, international exposition held in St. Louis, Missouri, United States, from April 30 to December 1, 1904. Local, state, and federal funds tota ...

, an act that helped inspire the creation of the

St. Louis Art Museum The Saint Louis Art Museum (SLAM) is one of the principal U.S. art museums, with paintings, sculptures, cultural objects, and ancient masterpieces from all corners of the world. Its three-story building stands in Forest Park in St. Louis, Mi ...

. He was elected a member of the

American Antiquarian Society The American Antiquarian Society (AAS), located in Worcester, Massachusetts, is both a learned society and a national research library of pre-twentieth-century American history and culture. Founded in 1812, it is the oldest historical society in ...

in 1906. After his retirement from the railroad industry, he served as president for the Missouri Historical Society twice: from 1907 to 1913 and 1925 to 1930. He also served on the board of

Washington University in St. Louis Washington University in St. Louis (WashU or WUSTL) is a private research university with its main campus in St. Louis County, and Clayton, Missouri. Founded in 1853, the university is named after George Washington. Washington University is r ...

, where he worked with

Robert S. Brookings Robert Somers Brookings (January 22, 1850 – November 15, 1932) was an American businessman and philanthropist, known for his involvement with Washington University in St. Louis and his founding of the Brookings Institution. Early life Robert ...

to rebuild the

medical school A medical school is a tertiary educational institution, or part of such an institution, that teaches medicine, and awards a professional degree for physicians. Such medical degrees include the Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS, M ...

and helped create the Bixby Chair of Surgery. He briefly served as the president of Laclede Gas and as a director of numerous banks around St. Louis.

Legacy

William Bixby's name can be found in countless places throughout St. Louis. Most notably, Washington University in St. Louis named Bixby Hall after him, which was built in 1926 to house the Washington University School of Fine Arts. The main restaurant in the Missouri History Museum, "Bixby's", is also named after him. His name also appears alongside a myriad of donated works. Bixby was passionate not only about art and rare books but was also passionate about sharing his love for these hobbies. He donated items such as The Nuremberg Chronicle, 1493, papers of Thomas Jefferson, and an illuminated Medieval Missal leaf to the Missouri Historical Society. He also donated parts of his collections to the St. Louis Art Museum, Washington University in St. Louis, the St. Louis Mercantile Library, and the St. Louis Artist's Guild, among others.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Bixby, William 1857 births 1931 deaths People from St. Louis People from Adrian, Michigan American philanthropists American art collectors Washington University in St. Louis people Members of the American Antiquarian Society