Bruce Sommer

Bruce Sommer was born in St. Louis to Richard and Martha (Bugg) Sommer. He grew up on Flora Place, attended St. Margaret of Scotland Elementary School and graduated from Chaminade College Preparatory School in 1959.

He was preceded in death by his parents, and his siblings Jane, Dickie, Jerry, Judy and Mark. He is survived by his brother Joe, his sons John (Pat) and David (Afia), and his two grandsons, Austin and Marshall.

After high school, Bruce attended St. Louis University and Regis University, and in 1961, he joined the U.S. Army as the Viet Nam War was heating up. He was sent to Fort Leonard Wood, then deployed to southern Germany, where he was stationed for three years.

After his discharge in 1964, he returned to St. Louis where the GI Bill made it possible for him to complete his Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Political Science from the University of Missouri-St. Louis (UMSL). He got married and his two sons were born while he was in graduate school.

In 1971 he began working for the Saint Louis University School of Medicine as Assistant to the Chair of the Community Medicine Department. He was also a full-time faculty member, teaching Human Biology and Ecology to medical students, and he taught night classes at Washington University, Webster University and UMSL.

During the summer of 1971, Bruce worked with the mayor’s office to organize and run the largest youth environmental health project in the U.S. with 2,000 city kids. They made a 16mm feature film about lead-based paint poisoning, and in March 1972, he took six of the kids to New Orleans to testify before President Nixon’s Committee on Health.

Bruce became involved in politics when a friend who was running for State Rep asked him to manage his political campaign. In 1973 he was elected President of the St. Louis New Democratic Coalition.

In 1974 Bruce began his campaign for St. Louis Alderman, 6th Ward, and served from 1975-1983. In 1975, Bruce and his family were among the first residents of LaClede Town, a mixed-income, federally funded housing project in the City of St. Louis.

In 1978 Bruce bought and restored the 911 Tucker Building in the city of St. Louis, a former speakeasy, and opened The Sommer House Restaurant, a fine dining establishment that he operated until 1986.

In 1984 Mayor Schoemehl appointed Bruce to his cabinet as Executive Director of the Cervantes City Convention Center and Kiel Auditorium. In 1989, he closed Kiel Auditorium and led the City’s effort to buy the St. Louis Arena (also known as the Checkerdome) and became the Executive Director of that facility as well as Tickets Now, which was the largest ticket agency in St. Louis at that time. In 1994 after Scottrade Center opened, he closed the St. Louis Arena and it was famously demolished in 1999.

In 1994 Bruce led the effort to replace Cervantes Center with the newly constructed America’s Center and Dome Stadium. He continued as Executive Director until 2009, when he retired after 25 ½ years of service.

In 2007, Bruce was presented with the UMSL Chancellor’s Award for outstanding contributions to the St. Louis community. The Bruce T. Sommer Scholarship in Political Science was endowed in his name for political science students who demonstrate financial need and a strong commitment to public service, community collaboration and leadership.

During his retirement, Bruce spent his time cooking, traveling and volunteering with the Ronald McDonald Foundation, Mercy Children’s Hospital and the St. Louis Science Center. He was proud of the fact that he was able to visit all seven continents, as well 48 lower U.S. states.

Bruce donated his body to Saint Louis University and asked that no services be held, but to instead honor him with your memories.