Vincent C. Schoemehl, Jr. (born October 30, 1946 in St. Louis) was the 42nd mayor of St. Louis, Missouri, serving three terms from 1981 to 1993. At the time of his first election, he was one of the City's youngest mayors. Schoemehl is remembered for his leadership in the areas of historic preservation and urban design. He helped save the Cupples Warehouses from demolition and promoted "public-private partnerships" that led to more than 600 successful rehabilitation projects. He also launched Operation Brightside, a City beautification program, and Operation Safestreet, a home safety program.
In 1992, Schoemehl was defeated in the Democratic primary by lieutenant governor Mel Carnahan in a bid to become governor of Missouri.
Born in Saint Louis in 1946, Schoemehl received a degree in history from the University of Missouri-St. Louis in 1972. Subsequently, he was elected to the City of St. Louis board of aldermen as a representative from the 28th ward for six years before being elected mayor in 1981. Currently, he serves as president and CEO of Grand Center, Inc. Schoemehl returned to public office in 2003, winning election as a member of the St. Louis School Board. He resigned from that position in November 2005.
He and his wife, Lois, have two sons. Their son Tim Schoemehl made a run for Missouri State Representative District 64 in 2004.
The Homeless uprising that brought hundreds of homeless people and advocates for the homeless to camp on the City Hall Lawn for weeks on end is sometimes referred to as Schoemehlville. This is viewed by many as the earliest seed of the occupy movement.
| Preceded by James F. Conway |
Mayor of St. Louis 1981–1993 |
Succeeded by Freeman Bosley, Jr. |
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