Richard A. Meyer

{{Short description|American businessman (1916–1990)}}

{{Infobox person

| name = Richard A. Meyer

| image =

| alt =

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| birth_name =

| birth_date = {{Birth date|1916|11|9}}

| birth_place = St. Louis, Missouri, USA

| death_date = {{Death date and age|1990|12|10|1916|11|9}}

| death_place = Richmond Heights, Missouri, USA

| occupation = Businessman

| years_active =

| known_for = President, Anheuser-Busch (1971–1974)
Executive vice president, St. Louis Cardinals (1953–1974)

| notable_works =

}}Richard Allan Meyer (November 9, 1916 – December 10, 1990) was an American businessman, an executive with the Anheuser-Busch Companies (1937–1974) and the St. Louis Cardinals of Major League Baseball (1953–1974). He was president of Anheuser-Busch from 1971–1974 and a longtime senior manager for and aide to brewery owner August A. Busch Jr. Meyer was born in St. Louis.{{cite web |title=U.S., Social Security Applications and Claims Index, 1936-2007 |url=https://www.ancestry.co.uk/discoveryui-content/view/17333592:60901?tid=&pid=&queryId=140d6c464c74e6a89e8374bc94c88267&_phsrc=ddL25996&_phstart=successSource |website=Ancestry |access-date=9 November 2023}} He attended the St. Louis University School of Commerce and Finance.

In 1953, when Busch purchased the Cardinals from Fred Saigh, he named brewery executive Meyer the general manager of the franchise because Meyer had been a baseball player as a youth.{{Cite book| last=Eisenbath| first=Mike| title=The Cardinals Encyclopedia| location=Philadelphia| publisher=Temple University Press| year=1999| isbn=1-56639-703-0| url-access=registration| url=https://archive.org/details/deepvegetarianis0000foxm}} Pages 409-410 Although a Major League general manager during the 1950s typically combined career-long experience in professional baseball as a player or in baseball operations (including talent evaluation and player acquisition and development) with business acumen, Meyer held the position for two full seasons. During that tenure, the Cardinals introduced three standout rookies: outfielders Wally Moon and Bill Virdon and third baseman Ken Boyer. They broke the franchise's "color line" when their first African-American player, first baseman Tom Alston, made his National League debut on April 13, 1954. But the Redbirds struggled on the field: they went 140–168, finished sixth ({{baseball year|1954}}) and seventh ({{baseball year|1955}}), and changed managers, from Eddie Stanky to Harry Walker, on May 27, 1955.

Busch and Meyer then hired veteran baseball executive Frank Lane, formerly with the Chicago White Sox, to assume the team's general manager duties on October 6, 1955.[http://retrosimba.com/2015/10/08/frank-lane-and-his-tumultuous-stint-as-cardinals-gm/ Retrosimba.com] Meyer returned to the brewery but remained executive vice president of the Cardinals, serving the team for another 18 years. For much of that time, he acted as the direct liaison between the Cardinals' general managers—Lane, Bing Devine, Bob Howsam and Stan Musial—and owner Busch.Stahl, Jon Harry, and Nowlin, Bill, editors (2013): Drama and Pride in the Gateway City: The 1964 St. Louis Cardinals, Society for American Baseball Research, {{ISBN|978-1-4962-1050-0}}

Meyer, then 57, resigned from the brewery and the Cardinals in February 1974 after 38 years with Anheuser-Busch after a disagreement with Busch over personnel reduction.The New York Times, "Anheuser Elects New President," February 28, 1974]

Meyer died on December 10, 1990, at the age of 74.{{cite news |title=Richard A. Meyer, 74; Former Brewery Boss |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/st-louis-post-dispatch/134889230/ |access-date=9 November 2023 |work=St. Louis Post-Dispatch |date=12 December 1990}}