Gussie Busch

August Anheuser "Gussie" Busch Jr.
August Anheuser "Gussie" Busch Jr.
Born	August Anheuser Busch Jr.; Template:Birth date; St. Louis, Missouri, U.S.
Died	September 29, 1989 (aged 90); St. Louis, Missouri, U.S.
Occupation(s)	Brewing executive, baseball team owner
Years active	1924–1975 (brewing executive), 1953–1989 (baseball owner)
Known for	Chairman of Anheuser-Busch (1946–1975), Owner of St. Louis Cardinals (1953–1989)

August Anheuser "Gussie" Busch Jr. (March 28, 1899 – September 29, 1989) was a prominent American brewing executive who transformed Anheuser-Busch into the globe's largest brewery by 1957, holding the chairman position from 1946 until 1975.

In addition to his brewing empire, Busch owned the St. Louis Cardinals Major League Baseball team from 1953 until his passing and was posthumously inducted into the franchise’s Hall of Fame in 2014.

Early life

Born in St. Louis, Missouri, Busch was the son of August Anheuser Busch Sr., then-president of Anheuser-Busch, and the grandson of the company’s founder, Adolphus Busch.

Anheuser-Busch

Busch advanced within the company, becoming superintendent in 1924 and assuming control of brewing operations after his father’s death in 1934. Upon the passing of his brother Adolphus Busch III in 1946, he ascended to president and CEO.

During his tenure, Anheuser-Busch expanded from a single brewery in St. Louis to nine facilities nationwide, overtaking rivals such as Pabst Brewing Company and Joseph Schlitz Brewing Company. By 1973, the company’s annual beer output surpassed 26 million barrels, with production at the St. Louis plant alone reaching ten million barrels by 1964.

Busch was renowned for his flair and promotional skills, notably popularizing the Clydesdale horse-and-wagon as a marketing icon. This tradition began with a 1933 delivery of Budweiser to President Franklin D. Roosevelt celebrating the repeal of Prohibition.

In May 1975, Busch was removed from his roles as CEO and chairman following a boardroom takeover orchestrated by his son, August Busch III. Nevertheless, he retained the presidency of the Cardinals and maintained associated benefits on condition that he presented his exit as voluntary. He later considered partnering with R. J. Reynolds Tobacco Company for a hostile takeover to regain control but ultimately decided against it to preserve family ownership.

This familial dispute contributed to enduring internal divisions that played a role in InBev’s acquisition of Anheuser-Busch in 2008.

St. Louis Cardinals

In 1953, after Cardinals owner Fred Saigh was convicted of tax evasion and sought to sell the team, Busch intervened when he learned there were potential buyers intending to relocate the franchise to Houston. He encouraged Anheuser-Busch to bid on the team to ensure it remained in St. Louis.

The company acquired the Cardinals for $3.75 million—less than competing Houston offers—demonstrating a commitment to local ownership and community pride. According to biographer William Knoedelseder, Saigh favored local purchasers, and Busch was the first serious bidder dedicated to keeping the club in its home city.

From 1953 until his death, Busch held leadership roles including chairman, president, or CEO, during which time the Cardinals secured six National League pennants (1964, 1967, 1968, 1982, 1985, 1987) along with three World Series championships (1964, 1967, 1982).

Despite their baseball prominence in St. Louis, the Cardinals did not own their stadium. Since 1920 they had leased Sportsman's Park from the St. Louis Browns. After acquiring the team, Busch purchased and refurbished the facility, renaming it Busch Stadium following an unsuccessful attempt to call it Budweiser Stadium. The team continued playing there until moving to Busch Memorial Stadium midway through the 1966 season.

In recognition of his contributions, the Cardinals retired number 85 in Busch’s honor in 1984—the number representing his age that year.

Personal life

Busch entered into matrimony four times and fathered 11 children. Two of these marriages concluded in divorce. His third spouse, Gertrude Buholzer (1927–2016), originally from Switzerland and a practicing Roman Catholic, brought up their seven offspring according to her religious beliefs; Busch later embraced Catholicism himself, though the couple separated in 1978. His fourth wife, Margaret Rohde, passed away in 1988.

Tragically, their youngest daughter, Christina Martina Busch, died at the age of eight due to a car accident in December 1974.

At the time of his passing, his surviving children included Carlota Busch Giersch and Lilly Busch Hermann (daughters of Marie Church Busch); August A. Busch III and Elizabeth Busch Burke (children of Elizabeth Overton Busch); as well as Adolphus A. Busch III, Beatrice Busch von Gontard, Peter W. Busch, Trudy Busch Valentine, William K. Busch, and Andrew D. Busch (offspring of Gertrude Buholzer).

Death and legacy

Busch passed away in St. Louis on September 29, 1989, at the age of 90 due to pneumonia. Following his death, Fred Kuhlman was appointed as president of the Cardinals. In 1996, Anheuser-Busch transferred ownership of the Cardinals to a consortium led by William DeWitt Jr..

In recognition of his pivotal role with the team, Busch was honored in 2014 as a member of the inaugural class inducted into the St. Louis Cardinals Hall of Fame Museum.

External links

Baseball Hall of Fame candidate profile