Well, first time flying into the St. Louis airport, and it began with a 5:45AM flight out of Birmingham, so it was a long long day. But I knew that if I am in St. Louis, I am obligated to visit the Arch. Work was bringing me here to visit the Callaway Nuclear Station in Fulton, MO, but this was as close as I would get in an airplane. Since we had just done this with the family in '21, I found the same parking deck, walked the same roads, and took probably a few of the same pictures. Just not the same by yourself, but still a fun little side adventure on a work trip. Starving from the weird wake up time for this flight, and quick turn around thru Atlanta, I grabbed some "St. Louis Ribs" and "St. Louis ravioli" and "St. Louis Root Beer" at the Gateway Arch cafe...oh well, I guess I also eat like a tourist. It did not take near as long here as with family, not near as fun on your own. But then I had to head off towards Fulton, Mo to get checked in for the week.
After checking in to my sketchy Baymont Inn (yeah, I have become spoiled quickly in the places I stay now, so this one was not so nice), I passed out on the bed. Woken only by the door to my hotel room closing (yep, that happened), I assumed it was housekeeping, but I was SO tired, I just passed out again. And then woke up around 3PM, and found out that right here in Fulton was the National Churchill Museum, and it closed at 5PM, and I knew I would not have any time during the week to visit...so off I went.
What in the world is America's National Churchill Museum doing in smalltown Fulton, MO? I asked this same question to the guy at the front desk, and he proceeded to tell me the story.
The local Westminster College in Fulton invited Churchill to be its Green Speaker for 1946. This speaker series, which continues to this day, “makes it possible to present lectures designed to promote understanding of economic and social problems of international concern” and provides that “the speaker shall be a person of international reputation.” This may or may not have been tempting to Churchill, but then President Harry S. Truman added a brief postscript to the college dean’s invitation, encouraging Churchill to visit what he termed “a wonderful school in my home state.” He added, “Hope you can do it. I’ll introduce you.” The seventy-one-year-old Churchill accepted the dean’s invitation, and with it, the president’s offer.
That Churchill and Truman would travel to Fulton, Missouri, is a story of a college president with the boldness to ask for the seemingly impossible; of a Westminster College alumnus with access to the President of the United States; of a President of the United States with the willingness to endorse the invitation; and of a recently defeated British Prime Minister with the shrewdness to recognize an opportunity.
The speech given here in Fulton on March 5, 1946 would be one of the most important speeches Churchill would give in his career: the ‘Sinews of Peace’ otherwise known as his ‘Iron Curtain’ speech. As in the past, Churchill was prescient at this time in describing the aggressive ambitions of the Soviet Union.
In the 1960s Westminster College set out to mark what would be the 20th anniversary of Churchill's visit. After due consideration to traditional modes of commemoration, Westminster College settled on the rather more ambitious notion of moving a Christopher Wren designed Church from London. This Church, St. Mary the Virgin Aldermanbury, had stood in London since 1677 when it replaced an earlier structure that had sat on the same site since the 12th century. This magnificent building, badly damaged during the London Blitz, was moved stone by stone to Westminster's campus and rebuilt to Wren's original specifications. Beneath the church is America's National Churchill Museum itself which, through the imaginative and innovative use of technology, brings to life the story of Winston Churchill and the world he knew.
With the support of Westminster College some patrons met with of officials in East Berlin in February 1990. Upon arrival in Berlin, the college patrons realized their plans to secure large portions of the wall would be costly, as 4-foot-wide sections were selling at a cost of $60,000 to $200,000. This obstacle, however, was solved when officials, impressed by the idea of a Berlin Wall monument being erected near the site of Churchill's 1946 "Iron Curtain" speech, allowed Westminster patrons to choose eight sections as a gift to the College. The sections came from an area near the Brandenburg Gate, frequented by artists, because of the dramatic color of the graffiti. The repeated use of the word "Unwahr," within the sections, which in German means "lies" or "untruths" also appealed to her. When placed in its current location, former president Ronald Reagan provided the speech to commemorate this sculpture.
Simply amazing history to see in this little town in Missouri. The rest of the week was just a normal week of work. Other memories such as passing a bald Eagle on two mornings on the way to work, and beautiful hills and fields filled with deer, eating Birria tacos for the first time in my life (WHAT? Why has no one ever told me about these?) are also lying around ready to be dumped into the blogged notes. And probably never to be forgotten was Crazy Magan showing up one night when I forgot to text her...Complete insanity that I am sure the girls will remember, and I don't think she or I will ever have any problems remembering that night.
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