Lawrence K. Roos

Roos was born in St. Louis, Missouri, on February 1, 1918. He attended Yale University, graduating in 1940, and served in the United States Army from 1941 to 1945.{{cite web|url=http://collections.mohistory.org/archive/ARC:A1320 |title=Roos, Lawrence K. (1918- ). Papers (circa 1962-1974.) |publisher=collections.mohistory.org |date=1918-02-01 |access-date=2013-02-13}} In the army, he served in the European Theatre, rising to the rank of major; he was awarded with a Bronze Star and five battle stars. After World War II, he worked in St. Louis for an advertising and public relations firm.

Roos was first elected to public office in 1946, serving two terms (1947–1951) in the Missouri House of Representatives.

After several years out of politics, he was elected as St. Louis County Supervisor (now known as "St. Louis County Executive") in 1962. He would remain as county executive for three terms (1963–1975). While serving as county executive, he was the Republican nominee for Governor of Missouri in 1968. Although he won the Republican primary easily,{{cite web|url=http://www.ourcampaigns.com/RaceDetail.html?RaceID=381651 |title=MO Governor - R Primary Race - Aug 06, 1968 |publisher=Our Campaigns |access-date=2013-02-13}} he lost the general election to the incumbent governor, Warren E. Hearnes, by a margin of 61–39%.{{cite web|url=http://www.ourcampaigns.com/RaceDetail.html?RaceID=174334 |title=MO Governor Race - Nov 05, 1968 |publisher=Our Campaigns |access-date=2013-02-13}}

Following his three terms as county executive, Roos was appointed first as vice president of the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, and then on March 5, 1976, president of the bank.{{cite news |title=People and Business; St. Louis Reserve Bank Appoints New President |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1976/03/06/archives/people-and-business-st-louis-reserve-bank-appoints-new-president.html |newspaper=The New York Times |date=5 March 1976 |access-date=13 February 2013}} He would serve as president of the bank from March 1976 to January 31, 1983.{{cite web|url=https://fraser.stlouisfed.org/title/482 |title=Statements and Speeches of Lawrence K. Roos - FRASER |publisher=Fraser.stlouisfed.org |access-date=2014-10-16}}

Roos died from stomach cancer in Barnes-Jewish Hospital in St. Louis on September 23, 2005, at the age of 87.{{citation |url=|title=Roos was county's "prime mover" Lawrence K. Roos / 1918-2005. (Metro) (Obituary) |date=2005-09-25 |access-date=}} The St. Louis County administrative office building in Clayton was named the Lawrence K. Roos Government Building in his honor.{{cite web |last=Birt |first=Nate |url=http://clayton-richmondheights.patch.com/listings/lawrence-k-roos-government-building |title=Lawrence K. Roos Government Building - Clayton-Richmond Heights, MO Patch |publisher=Clayton-richmondheights.patch.com |access-date=2013-02-13 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121229072430/http://clayton-richmondheights.patch.com/listings/lawrence-k-roos-government-building |archive-date=2012-12-29 |url-status=dead }}

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• [https://fraser.stlouisfed.org/title/482 Statements and Speeches of Lawrence K. Roos]

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Category:1918 births

Category:2005 deaths

Category:United States Army personnel of World War II

Category:County executives of St. Louis County, Missouri

Category:Deaths from cancer in Missouri

Category:Deaths from stomach cancer in the United States

Category:Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis presidents

Category:Republican Party members of the Missouri House of Representatives

Category:United States Army officers

Category:20th-century members of the Missouri General Assembly