BUSCH, AUGUST ANHEUSER, JR.

born March 28, 1899, St. Louis, Mo., U.S. died Sept. 29, 1989, near St. Louis byname Gussie Busch American beer baron, chairman (194675) of Anheuser-Busch Inc., who built the company into the world's largest brewery. In 1922 Busch was put to work sweeping floors and cleaning vats at the brewery that had been founded by his grandfather Adolphus A. Busch (1876), but by 1924 he was general superintendent of brewing operations. After his father died (1934), Busch became head of the brewery department, and he was installed as president of the company following his older brother's death (1946). Busch was a civic leader who helped revive St. Louis in the 1950s by donating $5 million toward the construction of Busch Memorial Stadium and purchasing the St. Louis Cardinals professional baseball team for $7.8 million. Busch, a familiar figure during post-season home games, often rode into the stadium in a wagon drawn by Clydesdales, the horses that were indelibly identified with the beer wagons of Budweiser, Anheuser-Busch's main brand. The company later branched out into such enterprises as Busch Gardens, an entertainment complex in Tampa, Fla., which is only slightly larger than Grant's Farm, the Busch family estate near St. Louis.