The Lambert Pharmacal Company was steered for over 25 years by a man who balanced corporate leadership with competitive golf and pioneering aviation.
Business Leadership
Born in St. Louis in 1875, Lambert was the son of Jordan W. Lambert, the founder of the Lambert Pharmacal Company. After studies at the University of Virginia and Smith Academy at Washington University in St. Louis, he assumed the presidency of the family firm in 1896. He transitioned to chairman in 1923, holding that position until the enterprise was acquired by another company in 1926.
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Lambert competed in golf during the 1900 Exposition Universelle in Paris, where he finished eighth in the men's championship and secured a victory in the handicap competition. By 1904, he represented the American team, which earned a silver medal. He remains the only individual to have participated in both Olympic golf tournaments held prior to the sport's long absence from the games.
Aviation Contributions
Initiated into ballooning in 1906, Lambert helped establish the Aero Club of St. Louis. He purchased his first airplane from the Wright Brothers in 1909 and received flight instruction from Orville Wright. During World War I, he served as a major, organizing and commanding a training school for balloonists that eventually integrated into the Army Signal Corps.
The Spirit of St. Louis
Lambert played a pivotal role in the career of Charles Lindbergh. In 1926, he provided essential financial backing and encouraged additional investment for Lindbergh's planned transatlantic flight. In recognition of this support, Lindbergh named his aircraft The Spirit of St. Louis. In 1925, Lambert had purchased Kinloch Field for $68,000, upgrading it with hangars and a terminal before selling the land to the city of St. Louis for the original purchase price in 1928, facilitating the creation of the first municipally owned airport in the United States.
Fast facts
- Born: 1875, St. Louis
- Died: 1946, St. Louis
- Education: University of Virginia, Washington University in St. Louis
- Business: President, Lambert Pharmacal Company
- Olympic participation: 1900 and 1904 golf tournaments
- Aviation: Founder, Aero Club of St. Louis
- Residence: 2 Hortense Place, St. Louis
- Burial: Bellefontaine Cemetery
Questions readers ask
What connection did Albert Bond Lambert have to St. Louis Lambert International Airport?
He purchased the Kinloch Field site in 1925 and developed it with hangars and a terminal before selling it back to the city of St. Louis in 1928 at his own cost.
Was Albert Bond Lambert a professional pilot?
He was a prominent amateur aviator and benefactor who held a pilot's license and served as a commanding officer of a balloonist training unit during World War I.
Achievements
- Recorded as golfer, businessperson and aircraft pilot