SaLees Smith Seddon

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. Mrs. SaLees (Smith) Seddon, daughter of Luther Ely Smith (June 11, 1873 - April 2, 1951).

Luther Ely Smith was a St. Louis Lawyer and civic booster and is referred to by the National Park Service as the "Father of the Jefferson National Expansion Memorial (Gateway Arch).

Mrs. Salees Seddon at official ceremonies, along with her brother Luther Ely Smith Jr., were captured by photographers pouring water taken from the source of the Mississippi River into the last batch of concrete that would be poured into the south leg of the Gateway Arch.

Mrs. Seddon graduated from John Burroughs School in St. Louis and Vassar College in Poughkeepsie New York. A year after graduating she married Dr. John Wickham Seddon (1908 - 1990).

In 1964, Mrs. Seddon was named Globe-Democrat Woman of Achievement in Civic Affairs and later was honored as "Women of the Year" by the Downtown Business and Professional Women's Club.

Mrs. Seddon founded "Landmarks", and five years later the Women's committee that worked on the St. Louis Bicentennial celebration.

Mrs. Seddon, was the Project Director for the "Women's Crusade Against Crime" and also served on the Police-Community Relations Technical Advisory Committee of the Missouri Law Enforcement Assistance Council Region 5.

Mrs. Seddon was a member of the St. Louis Library Board and was on the executive committees of the Coalition for the Environment and the Jefferson National Expansion Memorial Association. She had been active in the League of Women Voters, St. Louis Visitors' Center, and the Women for City Living.

Mrs. Seddon was appointed by Missouri Governor Christopher Samuel "Kit" Bond in 1973 as a St. Louis Metropolitan Police Board Commissioner. (The first women ever to be appointed to the St. Louis Board of Police Commissioners) Mrs. Seddon was referred to after that as "Colonel" Seddon.

St. Louis City Metropolitan Police Board Commissioners, at that time, were appointed by the Governor and were responsible for overseeing the administrative operations of the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department.

During her time on the Police Board, Mrs. Seddon was instrumental in the formation of the sexual assault unit, staffed by officers specially trained to deal with rape victims, and the implementation of the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department Chaplin program as documented and presented to her by a young St. Louis police Juvenile Division Officer.

Mrs. Seddon was given the 1975 Distinguished Citizen Award by the St. Louis Argus Newspaper.

In 1977, Mrs. Seddon received the John Burroughs School Outstanding Alumnus Award. Also in 1977, she was given the Soroptimist International Women Helping Women Award.

Mrs. Seddon was survived by her husband, four sons, a sister, and five grandchildren.

Memorial Services were held at Christ Church Cathedral, 1210 Locust Street with burial in Bellefontaine Cemetery.