Albert Schweitzer | |
|---|---|
| Born | Albert L. Schweitzer November 28, 1921 |
| Died | January 30, 2023 (aged 101) |
| Occupation | Artist |
Albert L. Schweitzer (November 28, 1921 – January 30, 2023) was an American artist. He was known for his work as a newspaper cartoonist for St. Louis Post-Dispatch. He illustrated its Weatherbird cartoon from 1981 to 1986. [1] [2]
Biography
Early life and education
Schweitzer grew up in the Compton Heights neighborhood in St. Louis, Missouri. [3] He was named after his father, a former prosecuting attorney and eventual president of the St. Louis Board of Aldermen. [4]
Schweitzer attended Chaminade High School, St. Louis University, and the University of Missouri. [3] [5]
Schweitzer was in the United States Marine Corps in the 1940s. [6] He served as a gunner on the South Dakota. [4]
Career
After World War II, he worked for the St. Louis Star-Times and then the Post-Dispatch from 1950 to 1986, when he retired as chief artist. [4] Later he reported that he had intended to stay with the paper for only two years and then open his own studio. [7] [5]
Schweitzer took over the illustration of the Weatherbird in 1981 following the retirement of Amadee Wohlschlaeger. [3] Schweitzer frequently used a cigar and a bowtie on the Weatherbird. [6] [8] He was the first artist to consistently draw the character in color. [4] Following Schweitzer's retirement from the newspaper in 1986, Dan Martin became the illustrator of the Weatherbird. [5] [2]
For eight years, Schweitzer created editorial cartoons for 44 Catholic newspapers in the United States and Canada. [4] [5] He received the Catholic Press Association Journalism award for Best Editorial Cartoon in 1961. [9] He lost some newspapers due to his liberal stance on civil rights and his refusal to change his cartoons to the liking of southern editors. [4] [5]
Schweitzer was a member of the Missouri Athletic Club and served as its art director. [3] [5]
He taught art classes at Meramec Community College in Kirkwood, Missouri. [5]
Personal life, death, and legacy
Schweitzer was inducted into the St. Louis Media History Foundation's Hall of Fame in 2017. [10] [3] He donated his papers to the St. Louis Mercantile Library. [11] [3]
Schweitzer lived in Brentwood, Missouri, a suburb of St. Louis. [5] He was married and had two sons, Albert and Peter. Helene Soule Schweitzer, his wife, predeceased him in 2008. [6] [3]
Schweitzer died on Monday, January 30, 2023. [3] He was buried at Resurrection Cemetery. [9]
References
- ^ Harvey, Robert C. (2014-12-03). Insider Histories of Cartooning: Rediscovering Forgotten Famous Comics and Their Creators. Univ. Press of Mississippi. ISBN 978-1-62674-354-0.
- ^ a b McGuire, John (1999-12-19). "This Old Bird Saw the Century Fly by". St. Louis Post-Dispatch. p. 39. Retrieved 2023-05-23.
- ^ a b c d e f g h Martin, Dan (2023-02-02). "P-D artist Albert Schweitzer Jr., who drew the Weatherbird, died Monday at 101". St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Retrieved 2023-05-23.
- ^ a b c d e f "Post-Dispatch Bird Men Have Been Characters". St. Louis Post-Dispatch. 2001-02-11. p. 143. Retrieved 2023-05-23.
- ^ a b c d e f g h "Post-Dispatch Artist Retires after 36 Years". St. Louis Post-Dispatch. 1986-12-14. p. 54. Retrieved 2023-05-23.
- ^ a b c "Creative, Talented & Passionate: Al Schweitzer's Illustrated Life". Bethesda Health Group. 2015-10-21. Retrieved 2023-05-23.
- ^ "Put Some Pants on!". St. Louis Post-Dispatch. 2005-06-01. pp. P010. Retrieved 2023-05-23.
- ^ Gateway Heritage: Quarterly Journal of the Missouri Historical Society. Missouri Historical Society. 2000.
- ^ a b "Schweitzer, Albert L. Jr". St. Louis Post-Dispatch. 2023-02-05. pp. A19. Retrieved 2023-05-23.
- ^ "Schweitzer, Albert". St Louis Media History Foundation. 2022-05-17. Retrieved 2023-05-23.
- ^ "Mercantile Library - Special Collections - Alphabetical Listing". University of Missouri-St. Louis. Retrieved 2023-05-23.
External links
- Obituary at The Daily Cartoonist