Albert Bond Lambert
A St. Louis business heir who bankrolled the early age of flight, turning his passion for golf and airplanes into lasting civic landmarks.
1875–1946 (age 71)·American golfer and aviator·Birthday: December 6·The Gilded Age
Biography
Albert Bond Lambert lived at the thrilling intersection of commerce, sport, and the dawn of aviation. The son of the founder of the Lambert Pharmacal Company (makers of Listerine), he inherited a fortune but forged his own legacy in the skies. A skilled amateur golfer who competed in the 1900 and 1904 Olympics, his true love was flight. He learned to fly in 1911, becoming one of the nation's first licensed pilots. Lambert didn't just fly; he financed. He was the primary backer of Charles Lindbergh's 1927 transatlantic flight, providing the crucial funds for the 'Spirit of St. Louis.' His most visible legacy is the airport that bore his name: he purchased and donated the land for the original St. Louis airfield, which grew into Lambert-St. Louis International Airport. He was the archetype of the enthusiastic, wealthy patron whose vision helped turn aviation from a carnival curiosity into a cornerstone of modern life.
The Gilded Age
1860–1882
Born during or after the Civil War, they built industrial America — the railroads, the steel mills, the first skyscrapers. An era of massive wealth, massive inequality, and the belief that the future belonged to whoever could build it fastest.
Albert was born in 1875, placing them squarely in The Gilded Age. The events that shaped this generation — world wars, depression, and rapid industrialization — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Albert Was Born
The biggest hits of 1875
Albert's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1875Born
President: Ulysses S. Grant
1880Started school
Edison patents the incandescent light bulb
President: Rutherford B. Hayes
1888Became a teenager
President: Grover Cleveland
1891Could drive
President: Benjamin Harrison
1893Could vote
World's Columbian Exposition dazzles Chicago
President: Grover Cleveland
1896Turned 21
First modern Olympic Games held in Athens
President: Grover Cleveland
1905Turned 30
Einstein publishes the theory of special relativity
President: Theodore Roosevelt
1915Turned 40
The Lusitania is sunk by a German U-boat
President: Woodrow Wilson
1925Turned 50
The Scopes Trial debates evolution in schools
Home: $4,366President: Calvin Coolidge"Sweet Georgia Brown" — Ben Bernie
1935Turned 60
Social Security Act signed into law
Gas: $0.19/galHome: $3,450President: Franklin D. Roosevelt"Cheek to Cheek" — Fred AstaireBest Picture: Mutiny on the Bounty
1945Turned 70
WWII ends; atomic bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki
Gas: $0.21/galHome: $4,600Min wage: $0.40/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Sentimental Journey" — Les Brown & Doris DayBest Picture: The Lost Weekend
1946Died at 71
United Nations holds its first General Assembly
Gas: $0.21/galHome: $5,150Min wage: $0.40/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Prisoner of Love" — Perry ComoBest Picture: The Best Years of Our Lives
Key Achievements
- Was the chief financial backer for Charles Lindbergh's historic 1927 transatlantic flight.
- Donated the land that became the core of Lambert-St. Louis International Airport, named in his honor.
- Earned U.S. Pilot's License #5 in 1911, becoming a pioneering early aviator.
- Competed as a golfer in the 1900 and 1904 Olympic Games.
Did You Know?
He was a balloonist before becoming a fixed-wing pilot, winning the 1907 Gordon Bennett Cup in ballooning.
Lambert served as a major in the Air Service during World War I, procuring aircraft.
The Lambert-St. Louis airport was the first municipal airport in the United States to receive a license.
“The sky is not the limit; it is the beginning.”
