The City of Creve Coeur will hold a rededication ceremony for Dr. H. Phillip Venable Memorial Park, 10630 Country View Drive, at 1 p.m. Saturday, September 18, 2021.
Creve Coeur acquired land for the park from Dr. Venable and his wife, Katie W. Venable, through eminent domain in the late 1950s.
“Both city and court records show that the people leading this effort were seeking to exclude the Venables from the city due to their race. The history of the park’s origins had been forgotten for many years, but the facts were brought to the City Council’s attention in 2019 by members of the community,” according to a Creve Coeur press release.
In December 2019, the City Council passed a resolution renaming the park as Dr. H. Phillip Venable Memorial Park. The city also acknowledged and apologized “for the abhorrent actions of their predecessors.”
“I encourage everyone to attend this important event for our community,” said Mayor Robert Hoffman. “We want to ensure the people who enjoy the park also remember the history behind it. As we take this step toward correcting this past injustice, I invite the community to come together and celebrate the incredible legacy of Dr. Venable.”
Members of Dr. Venable’s family, including nieces Rossalind Yvonne Venable Woodhouse and Victoria Cheryl Venable Fletcher and nephew Allen Wade Wright Venable, will speak during the ceremony.
Dr. Will Ross, professor of medicine at Washington University in St. Louis and a past colleague of Dr. Venable, will share his thoughts on Dr. Venable and the ceremony will be hosted by Kelly Jackson of KSDK. Dr. Venable passed away in 1998.
Three-time Emmy Award winner Bobby Norfolk will conclude the event with a storytelling performance.
The City Council also established the Venable Park Task Force to work with family members regarding the rededication event and future memorial to be incorporated into the park.
Donations from individuals, businesses and organizations to support the future memorial are being accepted.
To learn more about Dr. Venable, please visit www.crevecoeurmo.gov/VenablePark.
