John Danforth
Born September 5, 1936

Already nicknamed "Senator" at Country Day High School, St. Louisan John Danforth was elected Missouri's Attorney General in 1968. He won a U.S. Senate seat in 1976 and for the next 18 years unified the Senate on difficult issues, including his landmark 1991 civil rights bill. Bipartisan respect for his integrity led to his selection in 1999 to investigate the federal raid at Waco and a presidential appointment in 2001 to seek peace in the Sudan. Intent on revitalizing St. Louis, he chaired The Danforth Foundation and St. Louis 2004. Like his brother William, John Danforth fully embraced his family's devotion to public service and his hometown.

Robert McFerrin, Sr.
Born March 19, 1921

Baritone Robert McFerrin moved to St. Louis in 1936 and began classical voice training at Sumner High. He sang on Broadway and with the National Negro Opera Company, and in 1955 became the Metropolitan Opera's first African-American male soloist. McFerrin provided the vocals for Sidney Poitier in the 1959 film classic "Porgy and Bess," and toured and taught internationally before returning to St. Louis in 1973. A severe stroke in 1989 impaired his verbal ability but not his voice, and he courageously resumed performances, including concerts with his Grammy-winning son, Bobby. In 2003 Opera America honored Robert McFerrin, Sr. with a lifetime achievement award.

Harold Ramis
Born November 21, 1944

A Chicago native, Harold Ramis attended Washington University in St. Louis and graduated in 1966. Inspired by life in a fraternity house on Forsyth Boulevard, Ramis co-wrote the 1978 collegiate farce Animal House, the first of his box-office hits. In the 1980s he wrote and starred in Stripes and Ghostbusters, and directed Caddyshack and National Lampoon's Vacation. In 1993 he wrote and directed the mature comedy Groundhog Day, and later directed 1999's Analyze This and 2002's Analyze That. A dedicated Washington University alumnus and member of its board, Harold Ramis deftly combined wry wit and slapstick into some of Hollywood's most popular and beloved comedies.

David Sanborn
Born July 30, 1945

Saxophonist David Sanborn grew up in Kirkwood and began playing in St. Louis area clubs as a teen. He backed legends like Albert King, Little Milton and Gil Evans, then joined the Paul Butterfield Blues Band in 1967, later playing with them at Woodstock. For decades he worked with music's biggest names, from Miles Davis and James Brown to the Eagles and the Rolling Stones. 1975's Taking Off launched a solo career that in the 1980s produced five Grammys in jazz, R&B and pop; Sanborn added a sixth Grammy for 1999's Inside. Whether on his own works like Voyeur, collaborations such as Double Vision, or hundreds of recordings with other artists, David Sanborn left an indelible mark on the music of his time.

Mary Wickes
Born June 13, 1910