John Sherman Darst (Republican), was born in Cheshire, Gallia county, Ohio, October 3, 1860. He attended the public schools, where he acquired his education, and later learned the miller's trade, which he followed for a number of years both in Ohio and West Virginia. When he came to West Virginia he located in Jackson county, with his home and business at Cottageville. The first public office held by Mr. Darst was member of the House of Delegates from Jackson county. He was elected in 1896 and took an active part in framing the laws of the State. He was twice re-elected as a member of the House of Delegates and in 1902 was elected to the State Senate, where he served four years. During his term in the Senate, Mr. Darst became a potent factor in the creation of the new tax system and was also the patron of the constitutional amendment, later ratified by the voters of the state, which placed the office of State Auditor on a salary basis, made the Secretary of State an elective officier and eliminated the fee system in both offices. Mr. Darst was appointed Assistant State Tax Commissioner following his term in the State Senate and served until 1908 when he was made the Republican nominee for State Auditor. With his associates on the Republican State ticket he was elected in 1908 and re-elected in 1912. Mr. Darst now lives at Charleston and is a citizen of Kanawha county. He married Miss Blanch McKay, of Meigs county, Ohio, and they have three children - Lieutenant Gilford Darst, of the United States Navy, assigned to special duty at Baltimore; Mrs. Helen Corbin, of Morgantown; and Moses Darst, First Lieutenant United States Regulars, at this date (October 25, 1917) stationed at Ft. Sill, Oklahoma. Mr. Darst as Auditor of West Virginia is also ex-officio Insurance Commissioner of the State and was honored in 1915 with election to the Presidency of the International Convention of Insurance Commissioners. He is also a successful business man, heavily interested in Charleston real estate and a stockholder in banks and mercantile establishments. At the primary election held June 6, 1916, Mr. Darst was nominated for State Auditor on the Republican ticket, and was re-elected at the general election November 7th, following. |
Joseph Miltenberger Darst 1889-1953, former mayor of St. Louis, Missouri. Joseph Darst was the 37th mayor of St. Louis, serving from 1949 to 1953. A real estate man, Major Darst's greatest accomplishments were in the field of public housing, for which he received national acclaim. During his four years in office, 704 public housing family units were completed, 17,000 more were under construction, and another 4,000 were in the planning stages. He ignored Realtor opposition and labored for slum clearance and low-cost public housing. The John Cochran Apartments, the City's first post-war public housing project, was completed under his direction. Construction in the DeSoto-Carr area was in process on the Pruitt homes. In 1950 and 1951 the first headway was made in preparation for land clearance and redevelopment of blighted areas. The first project agreed on was the Plaza Area, extending from Fifteenth to Eighteenth and Olive to Market Streets. Under this program the areas were developed with private capital. Before his election he had opposed the Earnings Tax, but he came to believe it was necessary as a source of revenue to bolster the fiscal position of the City. He led the campaign to urge the Missouri Legislature to pass an enabling act making the tax lawful. Major Darst was born in St. Louis and attended Barat Hall, a boys school, St. Louis University High School, Christian Brothers College and Saint Louis University. In 1910 he went into the real estate business with his father. In 1930 he married Miss Lucile Rose. He became interested in politics early in life. He campaigned in support of Democrat William H. Igoe for Mayor n 1925, for Al Smith's presidential campaign in 1928, and for Bernard F. Dickmann's mayoral campaign in 1933. He was appointed director of Public Welfare under mayor Dickmann and oversaw the construction of Bliss Psychopathic, Homer G. Phillips and the State Training School hospitals. Mr. Darst served as director of the Federal Housing Administration for the eastern district of Missouri for almost one year during 1947 and 1948. In April of 1949 Mr. Darst was elected Major by an 18,000 vote margin. His health was poor during the last year of his administration and he spent many days in the hospital. He died June 8, 1953, just two months after his term as mayor was completed. Interment was at Calvary Cemetery. |
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| Available Darst Biography |
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