William D. Becker

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William D. Becker (Born October 23, 1896 in East St. Louis, Illinois - Died August 1, 1943 in St. Louis, Missouri) was the thirty-ninth Mayor of Saint Louis (from 1941 to 1943).

Becker graduated from Harvard University and attended St. Louis Law School. After 15 years of private law practice, he was elected to a twelve year term on the St. Louis Court of Appeals in 1916. He was re-elected for another 12 year term in 1928. In 1941 Becker was the Republican Party nominee for Mayor of St. Louis. He defeated incumbent Mayor Bernard F. Dickmann (a Democrat) who was seeking election to a third term in the April 1941 election.

Perhaps the most significant development during Becker's term as mayor was the adoption of a civil service amendement to the City Charter. The amendement enacted a merit system for the hiring of city employees. Prior to that time, a political patronage system prevailed in which all city employees could be replaced with a change of partisan administration. Becker supported the civil service reform and it was approved by the voters in September 1941. Becker also retained Raymond Tucker who had been appointed Smoke Commissioner by Mayor Dickmann, and supported his efforts to reduce air pollution within the city.

Mayor Becker and five other City and County leaders were killed on August 1, 1943 (at age 46), in the crash of a glider at Lambert-St. Louis Airport. Much of his program was left incomplete with his untimely death. He was buried at Bellefontaine Cemetery.

Source: Much of the original content for this article was based on the brief biographies of St. Louis Mayors found at the St. Louis Public Library's Website: http://exhibits.slpl.lib.mo.us/mayors/mayors3.asp

Preceded by: Bernard F. Dickmann

Mayor of St. Louis 1941–1943

Succeeded by: Aloys P. Kaufmann