St. Vincent Park near Velda City in St. Louis County, Missouri — The American Midwest (Upper Plains)

Lloyd Lionel Gaines

1912-unknown

Photographed by Jason Voigt, February 10, 2022

1. Lloyd Lionel Gaines Marker

Marker is a cenotaph with historical information. Unfortunately the text is difficult to read, possibly due to factors including weather.

Inscription. A Lincoln University graduate who in 1935 brought a lawsuit against the segregation policies of the University of Missouri. The case was ultimately judged by the United States Supreme Court, who in 1938 ruled that since the State of Missouri did not have equal educational opportunities for blacks, Gaines must be admitted to the University Law School. Shortly thereafter Gaines disappeared. But because of his efforts, segregation in America was dealt a lethal blow. His case led to the historic 1954 Brown v. Board of Education.

This stone honoring Lloyd Lionel Gaines is set by the Elijah Lovejoy Society to honor the courage, faith and determination of a young man who gave his life in pursuit of freedom.

Erected 1999 by Elijah Lovejoy Society.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: African Americans • Civil Rights • Education. A significant historical year for this entry is 1935.

Location. 38° 41.61′ N, 90° 17.97′ W. Marker is near Velda City, Missouri, in St. Louis County. It is in St. Vincent Park. It can be reached from the intersection of Lucas and Hunt Road (State Highway U) and

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St. Louis Avenue. Marker/cenotaph is located at St. Peters Cemetery. Main entrance is at the intersection of Lucas and Hunt Road and St. Louis Avenue. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 2101 Lucas and Hunt Rd, Saint Louis MO 63121, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in Greater St. Louis.

It is also in the American Midwest,

in the Lewis & Clark Corridor,

in the Corn Belt,

and in the Great River Road Region.

Globally, it is in North America,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once the Viceroyalty of New France,

the territory of the Mississippian Culture,

the Louisiana Purchase,

and the Antebellum South.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 3 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: Legendary "Cool Papa" Bell (approx. half a mile away); Harriet Robinson Scott (approx. 0.7 miles away); St. Vincent Greenway - University of Missouri - St. Louis (approx. 1.1 miles away); UMSL Commons (approx. 1.2 miles away); Combat Wounded Veterans (approx. 1.3 miles away); St. Vincent Greenway Trail - 3.5 Miles

Photographed by Jason Voigt, February 10, 2022

2. Lloyd Lionel Gaines Marker

Marker/cenotaph is located in the back of St. Peters Cemetery (Section 29, Lot 217)

(approx. 1½ miles away); Veterans Memorial (approx. 2 miles away); Ackert Walkway and a Path to Urban Renewal (approx. 2.2 miles away).

Another marker is no longer nearby. Marguerite Ross Barnette (was approx. 1.4 miles away but has been confirmed missing).

More about this marker. Marker was dedicated on November 6, 1999.

Also see . . . Lloyd L. Gaines on Wikipedia. Born in Mississippi, Gaines' family moved to St. Louis in 1926. He excelled in high school, graduating after his third year attending Vashon High School. Gaines would graduate with honors from Lincoln University, a historically black college in Jefferson City, Missouri. He did not want to study law outside Missouri, so he tried to get into Missouri Law School. As the marker says, he was denied because of his race. The NAACP as well as future Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall helped him in his court cases. He was in Chicago, visiting his fraternity brothers, at the time he went missing. To this day, it is not known what happened to Gaines. Some historians believe he was attacked and abducted, and some believe he fled somewhere and started a

Photographed by Jason Voigt, February 10, 2022

3. Lloyd Lionel Gaines Marker

Looking west

new life. Gaines was honored by the University of Missouri School of Law in later years, and a portrait of him hangs in the building. (Submitted on February 10, 2022, by Jason Voigt of Glen Carbon, Illinois.)

Credits. This page was last revised on March 31, 2023. It was originally submitted on February 10, 2022, by Jason Voigt of Glen Carbon, Illinois. This page has been viewed 397 times since then and 15 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on February 10, 2022, by Jason Voigt of Glen Carbon, Illinois.