Albert Schweitzer (artist)

For the Alsatian polymath, see Albert Schweitzer.

Albert L. Schweitzer (November 28, 1921 – January 30, 2023) was an American artist. He was known for his work as a newspaper cartoonist for St. Louis Post-Dispatch. He illustrated its Weatherbird cartoon from 1981 to 1986.^[1][2]

Albert Schweitzer
Born	Albert L. Schweitzer (1921-11-28)November 28, 1921
Died	January 30, 2023(2023-01-30) (aged 101)
Occupation	Artist

Biography

Early life and education

Schweitzer grew up in the Compton Heights neighborhood in St. Louis, Missouri.^[3] He was named after his father, a former prosecuting attorney and eventual president of the St. Louis Board of Aldermen.^[4]

Schweitzer attended Chaminade High School, St. Louis University, and the University of Missouri.^[3][5]

Schweitzer was in the United States Marine Corps in the 1940s.^[6] He served as a gunner on the South Dakota.^[4]

Career

After World War II, he worked for the St. Louis Star-Times and then the Post-Dispatch from 1950 to 1986, when he retired as chief artist.^[4] Later he reported that he had intended to stay with the paper for only two years and then open his own studio.^[7][5]

Schweitzer took over the illustration of the Weatherbird in 1981 following the retirement of Amadee Wohlschlaeger.^[3] Schweitzer frequently used a cigar and a bowtie on the Weatherbird.^[6][8] He was the first artist to consistently draw the character in color.^[4] Following Schweitzer's retirement from the newspaper in 1986, Dan Martin became the illustrator of the Weatherbird.^[5][2]

For eight years, Schweitzer created editorial cartoons for 44 Catholic newspapers in the United States and Canada.^[4][5] He received the Catholic Press Association Journalism award for Best Editorial Cartoon in 1961.^[9] He lost some newspapers due to his liberal stance on civil rights and his refusal to change his cartoons to the liking of southern editors.^[4][5]

Schweitzer was a member of the Missouri Athletic Club and served as its art director.^[3][5]

He taught art classes at Meramec Community College in Kirkwood, Missouri.^[5]

Personal life, death, and legacy

Schweitzer was inducted into the St. Louis Media History Foundation's Hall of Fame in 2017.^[10][3] He donated his papers to the St. Louis Mercantile Library.^[11][3]

Schweitzer lived in Brentwood, Missouri, a suburb of St. Louis.^[5] He was married and had two sons, Albert and Peter. Helene Soule Schweitzer, his wife, predeceased him in 2008.^[6][3]

Schweitzer died on Monday, January 30, 2023.^[3] He was buried at Resurrection Cemetery.^[9]