Rolla Wells

Rolla Wells (June 1, 1856November 30, 1944), also called "Rollo", was an American politician. He served two terms as Mayor of St. Louis, Missouri, was named an officer of the Democratic National Committee in the 1912 Wilson campaign, and served as Governor of the St. Louis branch of the Federal Reserve Bank. Biography Born in St. Louis, Missouri on June 1, 1856 in St. Louis Missouri to Erastus Wells and Isabella Bowman Henry Wells. His father Erastus was a representative from Missouri. He was educated at Washington University in St. Louis and Princeton University, and later in life received honorary MA degrees from both institutions. His name first appears in print in the on October 9, 1892 edition of New York Times, where he is described as the "President of the Fair Association" for St. Louis. In the March 18, 1893 edition, he is quoted as the "President of the Jockey Club" of St. Louis; and the July 16, 1896 edition includes the statement "Rolla Wells, President of the Jefferson Club, resigned last night, announcing that he could not support the Chicago platform" (the "Chicago platform" referring to William Jennings Bryan). On April 1, 1901, the New York Times reported that "One of the hardest fought municipal campaigns in the history of St Louis closed to-night" and that the candidates were "Rolla Wells, Democratic; George W. Parker, Republican; Chauncey I. Filley, Good Government; Lee Meriwether, Public Ownership; Leon Greenbaum, Social-Democrat, and Lewis C. Fry, Socialist-Labor."