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David Rowland Francis (October 1, 1850January 15, 1927) was an American politician. He served in various positions including Mayor of Saint Louis, the 27th Governor of Missouri, and United States Secretary of the Interior. He was the U.S. Ambassador to Russia between 1916 and 1917, during the Russian Revolution of 1917. He was a Democrat. ==Biography== Francis was born in Richmond, Kentucky, on October 1, 1850, the son of Eliza Caldwell (''née'' Rowland) and John B. Francis. He graduated from Washington University in St. Louis in 1870 where he was number two on the rolls of the Alpha Iota Chapter of Beta Theta Pi fraternity. He was a successful businessman in St. Louis and served as the president of the Merchant's Exchange. On January 20, 1876, he married the former Jane Perry, a granddaughter of former Missouri State Treasurer James Earickson.〔()〕 They had six children: John David Perry, David Rowland, Jr., Charles Broaddus, Talton Turner, Thomas, and Sidney Rowland Francis. He was elected Mayor of St. Louis, Missouri in 1885. In 1888 he was elected Governor of Missouri, becoming the only Mayor of St. Louis elected Governor of the state. Francis served as the United States Secretary of the Interior under President Grover Cleveland between 1896 and 1897. Francis was one of the main promoters of the St. Louis World's Fair of 1904, serving as President of the Louisiana Purchase Exposition. The 1904 Summer Olympics were held in combination with that Exposition, and by overseeing the opening ceremony, Francis became the only American to open an Olympic Games who never served as President or Vice-President of the United States. In 1910, Francis was arrested for non-payment of taxes, but released on bail.〔(Gov. Francis Gives $200 Bail ), at the ''Tacoma Times'' (via Chronicling America); published March 12, 1910; retrieved April 14, 2014〕 President Woodrow Wilson appointed Francis as the last U.S. Ambassador to the Russian Empire between 1916 and 1917. He served in that post during the Russian Revolution of 1917. Francis died in St. Louis, Missouri, on January 15, 1927. He was buried in Bellefontaine Cemetery. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「David R. Francis」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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