Mary Lou Hess – 2017
Mary Lou Hess put her degree in journalism and advertising to good use throughout her entire career in St. Louis. She wrote ad copy and also worked as a fashion model for Stix, Baer & Fuller, staged fashion shows, and handled marketing for the May Company before becoming director of marketing for the soon-to-be-opened Plaza Frontenac. For her work there she was honored by the National Research Bureau, and, locally, her name became synonymous with her employer among members of the press who worked with her. She was the first woman to be elected president of the St. Louis Ad Club.