July 2026
Top Fermentation by Tom Schlafly
Miles Davis and Marilyn Monroe, two 20th century icons in their respective fields of jazz and cinema, were born six days apart 100 years ago in 1926: Miles on May 26 in Alton, Illinois; Marilyn on June 1 in Los Angeles. As some alert readers (ARs) may realize, not only were these two cultural legends the same age as Route 66 (which was featured in this space two months ago); but the fabled highway ran through the counties in which both of them were born. They both also died on Route 66: Marilyn on August 4, 1962 in Los Angeles; Miles on September 28, 1991 in Santa Monica.
Miles Davis was widely regarded as one of the best trumpet players of all time. He studied at Lincoln High School in East St. Louis and Juilliard School of Music in New York. While known primarily as a jazz musician, he strongly influenced other genres as well, including rock, funk, classical and hip-hop. In December of 1970 he recorded his famous “Cellar Door Sessions” at a club across the street from an apartment where I lived in my senior year at Georgetown. Unfortunately I had graduated a few months earlier and was not able to attend any of these sessions.
Although Marilyn Monroe (born Norma Jeane Mortenson), made her name as an actress, she is also well remembered for two non-cinematic performances. In December of 1953 she was featured on the cover of the first issue of Playboy and as the nude centerfold in the same issue. Nine years later she memorably sang “Happy Birthday, Mr. President” to President John F. Kennedy on May 19, 1962 in Madison Square Garden. The tightly clinging dress she wore for the occasion later sold for $4.8 million and was worn for five minutes by Kim Kardashian at the Met Gala in 2022.
Less than one month after Marilyn’s sultry crooning to JFK Jack Nicklaus won his first U. S. Open Championship at Oakmont Country Club in Pennsylvania from June 14-17, 1962. Gambling on sports was strictly illegal at the time thanks to the Federal Wire Act of 1961, which had been advocated by Attorney General Robert Kennedy and signed into law by his brother John on September 13, 1961. The stated purpose of the legislation was to clamp down on organized crime.
This prohibition of sports betting was subsequently strengthened by The Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act of 1992 (PASPA), popularly called The Bradley Act after its sponsor Senator Bill Bradley. As ARs of a certain age may recall, Bradley excelled at Crystal City High School and Princeton before playing for New York Knicks teams that won NBA championships in 1970 and 1973, the latter being the team’s last title until 2026. It’s probably safe to say that Bradley appreciated the dangers gambling posed to the integrity of professional and amateur sports better than anyone else in the Senate.
Twenty-six years later, on May 14, 2018 The United States Supreme Court declared PASPA unconstitutional, leaving states free to enact their own laws regulating betting on sports.
I’m proud to join Jack Nicklaus in supporting Normandie Golf
Six years later, on November 5, 2024 Missouri voters went to the polls and narrowly approved an amendment to the State Constitution to legalize sports betting. Supporters of the amendment had described it as “Winning for Missouri Education.” They spent over $40 million in the most expensive campaign ever on a ballot issue in the state. Since the amendment was passed billions of dollars have been wagered on sports in Missouri. The amount of money that has actually trickled down to schools from “Winning for Missouri Education” represents a minuscule fraction of what was spent on the election and an even more minuscule fraction of what has been wagered.
Jack Nicklaus, by contrast, truly is an athlete who is using his sport to help students in Missouri schools. And he’s doing it free of charge. I am not making this up.
Normandie Golf Club at Emerson Park will soon become a Jack Nicklaus Signature design course. In addition to world class golf it will offer community and youth-related programming to an underserved population. Instead of charging his customary fee, which could amount to millions of dollars, Nicklaus isn’t charging a penny.
Upon learning about the project I was inspired to make a personal contribution, albeit nowhere near Jack’s level. ARs who are interested in learning more can visit www.normandiereimagined.com.
Normandie Golf Club, located at 7605 St. Charles Rock Road, was designed and built by Robert Foulis and is the oldest public golf course west of the Mississippi. It opened in 1901, the same year construction began on a building at 2100 Locust Street, designed by Samuel Sherer. Some ARs might recall that Sherer later served as the Director of The St. Louis Art Museum from 1922 to 1928, a position he held when Miles Davis and Marilyn Monroe were born and Route 66 was completed. ARs may also recall that Sherer’s building was repurposed as The Schlafly Tap Room in December of 1991, three months after Miles Davis died.
It’s too bad that neither Miles Davis nor Marilyn Monroe lived long enough to visit The Tap Room.
I would be honored to host Jack Nicklaus at either The Tap Room or Bottleworks to thank him for what he’s done for St. Louis. Perhaps when he comes to town for the grand opening of his signature course at Normandie. Or any other time that’s convenient for him.
Tom Schlafly
Chairman
