Francis, David Rowland

David R. Francis was born on October 1, 1850 in Richmond ( Kentucky ). In 1870, he graduated from Washington University in St. Louis (Missouri), after which he became a successful entrepreneur in this city. In 1876, he married Jane Perry, the granddaughter of former Missouri treasurer James Erickson, from whom D. Francis had six sons. In 1877, D. Francis founded his own company, “DR Francis and Brothers Commission Company,” and in 1884 became director of the business exchange in St. Louis .

In 1885, David R. Francis was elected mayor of St. Louis . In 1889, he already became the Governor of Missouri , becoming the only mayor of St. Louis in history to be elected Governor of the State. In 1896 - 1897, D. Francis served as Secretary of the Interior of the United States under the leadership of President Grover Cleveland . In 1904, in St. Louis, he organized a world exhibition as part of the III Olympic Games , and on July 1, 1904 he opened the Olympics itself.

In 1916, President Woodrow Wilson sent D. Francis the US ambassador to Russia. David R. Francis was the last US ambassador accredited to the Russian imperial court, and the last ambassador to work in Petrograd . Having worked in Russia for only two years, he witnessed the fateful events - the February Revolution , the October Revolution and the Civil War .

After the victory of the February Revolution in March 1917 , D. Francis immediately declared official recognition of the US Provisional Government of Russia . Thus, the United States became the first state to recognize the new leadership of the country ^[2] . He takes the initiative in the matter of recognition, which he was always very proud of ^[3] . “This revolution,” Francis wrote to US Secretary of State Robert Lansing , “is a practical implementation of the rule of government that we advocated and promoted. I mean a government based on the consent of those who rule. Our recognition will produce a tremendous moral effect, especially if we do it first ” ^[4] . P. N. Milyukov recalled that “the United States Ambassador, dear Francis (but no diplomat), certainly wanted America to be the first to recognize the Russian coup” ^[5] . On March 9 (22), 1917, in a ceremonial setting, Francis announced to the Provisional Government his recognition by the US Government. In May 1917, Francis wrote: “I have not lost hope that Russia will emerge from this test as a republic with a government created on the basis of sound principles” ^[6] .

After the October Revolution , relations between Russia and the United States , in which the Soviet regime saw the imperialist state, markedly worsened. However, until February 1918, D. Francis and the American embassy stayed in Petrograd , and the ambassador recommended that Washington provide Russia with a new loan of $ 10 million, noting that the situation in Petrograd was calm ^[7] . In February 1918, German troops launched an attack on Petrograd . Fearing its capture, diplomatic missions began evacuating from the city. Evacuation to Moscow was impossible, because the Bolsheviks demanded the provision of credentials, and therefore the official recognition of Soviet Russia , which diplomats could not do. In this regard, D. Francis February 27, 1918, together with the embassy, ​​as well as the Japanese, Chinese, Siamese, Brazilian mission went to Vologda . Among the Americans were members of the Petrograd branch of City Bank of New York and the American Red Cross mission (led by Colonel R. Robins). Later, in March-April 1918, they were joined by representatives of the French, Italian, Serbian and Belgian embassies, who were unable to evacuate from Russia through Finland, which was embraced by the civil war ^[8] . David R. Francis himself became the head ( Doyen ) of the diplomatic corps in Vologda ^[9] . In May 1917, Francis wrote: “I have not lost hope that Russia will emerge from this test as a republic with a government created on the basis of sound principles” ^[10] . However, already on July 24, 1918 , under the pressure of the Bolsheviks, the diplomatic corps, headed by D. Francis, left Vologda and went to Arkhangelsk .

On November 7, 1918, David Francis left Russia, and the American embassy itself was closed by the Bolsheviks 10 months later. D. Francis published his memoirs of being an ambassador in 1921 in the book “Russia: A View from the US Embassy (April 1916 - November 1918)” (Eng. Russia from the American Embassy, ​​April 1916 - November 1918) ^[8] .

According to the American historian W. Williams, while his ambassador to Russia, Francis, like his British counterpart J.W. Buchanan , insisted on the arrest and physical liquidation of V.I. Lenin in order to avoid the development of events undesirable for their countries in Russia ^[11] .

David R. Francis passed away in St. Louis on January 15, 1927 and was buried in Bellefontaine Cemetery.

During his life in 1895, the University of Missouri inaugurated the David R. Francis Courtyard. In addition, a bronze bust of D. Francis was installed at the university. A popular tradition for students at the University of Missouri is to rub the nose of the former governor before taking the test to get an excellent mark.

Francis Field is named after D. Francis - a stadium for athletics and football at the University of Washington in St. Louis. Francis Field is the venue for the III Olympic Games in 1904 . A neighboring gymnasium is also named after D. Francis.

In 1916, D. Francis donated 60 acres of land to St. Louis as a Christmas present. Today this park bears his name.

• Background information on David R. Francis on the St. Louis Public Library website
• American ambassadors and envoys in Russia
• A Brief Biography of David R. Francis