Supporters want 'hometown hero' on Wall of Fame; lack of funding proves stumbling block

The late Gen. Seth McKee is a "hometown hero" whose portrait should be added to the Missouri Wall of Fame in downtown Cape Girardeau, according to a local veterans group.

American Legion Post 63 has joined the efforts of family and friends of McKee to add the four-star general to the Wall of Fame on the west side of the floodwall.

Post 3 Adjutant Tom Giles formally made the request Jan. 4 in a letter to the city council, the convention and visitors bureau, Downtown Merchants Association and Old Town Cape.

But city and downtown officials said no funding is in place to add the general's image to the riverfront mural.

Regardless of funding, no decision has been made on whether to add any portrait to the wall, they said.

Missouri Wall of Fame is shown Tuesday in downtown Cape Girardeau.Andrew J. Whitaker

Members of the local American Legion post adopted a resolution that detailed reasons to add McKee to the Wall of Fame.

The resolution states McKee became "a highly decorated and respected military leader, not only nationally but worldwide."

It adds McKee was "one of the fathers" of the U.S. Air Force. He grew up in Cape Girardeau and considered the city his home, the resolution states.

The resolution points out the Wall of Fame includes two other generals -- Omar Bradley and John J. Pershing -- who are not Cape Girardeau natives.

Brad McKee, the general's nephew, said he believes his uncle should be represented on the Wall of Fame for his military achievements, including the combat missions he flew in World War II.

Gen. Seth J. McKee, right, commander of the North American Air Defense Command, presented a souvenir to President Richard M. Nixon during the chief executive's visit to NORAD headquarters underground complex in Cheyenne Mountain in Colorado Springs, Colorado, in 1971. McKee grew up in Southeast Missouri and graduated from Cape Girardeau Central High School in 1934.Southeast Missourian file

The Wall of Fame, painted in 1995 by Margaret Dement, depicts 47 famous people who were born in Missouri or achieved fame while living in the state.

In 2006, Chicago artist Thomas Melvin, who previously led a team of artists who painted the River Tales mural on another part of the floodwall, participated in repainting the Wall of Fame to add detail to the portraits.

But the people portrayed on the wall have remained the same since it first was created.

Tony Koeller, a friend of the McKee family, said he initially approached community leaders about adding McKee to the wall two years ago at the suggestion of McKee's brother, Pat.

"We ran into a roadblock," he recalled.

Koeller said he was informed by Old Town Cape executive director Marla Mills her downtown redevelopment organization had no money to pay for adding a portrait to the mural.

As a result, he said he dropped the idea.

But in November, when he learned France would award McKee its highest honor, Koeller said he renewed his effort to have McKee's portrait placed on the Wall of Fame.

Seth McKee died Dec. 26 in Scottsdale, Arizona, at the age of 100. His brother, Pat, died three days later in Cape Girardeau.

The request to add Seth McKee's portrait remains in limbo.

"Basically, we are just stuck," Koeller said.

Local artist Craig Thomas said Tuesday he would paint the portrait on the wall if funding is found.

He estimated the project could be done for $5,000 and could include touch-up of some of the existing portraits that are covered in soot from the diesel-powered trains that travel regularly by the mural.

"I can get there and get that thing on the wall in three days," Thomas said, adding the McKee portrait could be placed between author Samuel Clemens (Mark Twain) and Bradley.

Koeller estimated the mural work could cost $6,000 to $8,000. He said the estimate includes the cost of obtaining necessary permits from the Army Corps of Engineers that oversees the floodwall.

But Mills said Tuesday there is no solid figure on what it would cost. She said the work could cost even more. Long-lasting paint needs to be used for such murals, she said.

Mayor Harry Rediger called the effort to add McKee's portrait to the mural "a worthy request."

But Rediger said the city needs to have a policy in place to deal with requests to add portraits to the mural.

Funding also must be found before work can start, he said.

Cape Girardeau's riverfront murals and several more painted on various buildings were funded through sponsorships secured by the River Heritage Mural Association.

But the association disbanded five or six years ago, Mills said.

"There is no more mural association," she said.

Mills said Old Town Cape agreed to take over maintenance of the existing murals. The association's remaining funds were given to Old Town Cape. But that funding was limited and designed to be used strictly to maintain existing murals, Mills said.

She said the lack of funding is not the only issue in regards to an effort to add McKee's likeness to the mural.

She said her group has not addressed whether to make changes or additions to the existing murals.

"If we ever do anything, we want to make sure we respect the artist," she said.

Mills said Old Town Cape had received other suggestions for adding other portraits to the Wall of Fame, which so far have not been accepted.

"We don't want to just stick a picture up there," she said.

She added, "The wall is not for sale, so to speak."

Mills said portraits should not be added to the Wall of Fame solely on the basis of whether there is funding.

Thomas said Old Town Cape has a process to consider adding portraits to the Wall of Fame. Thomas serves on Old Town Cape's mural committee, which he said could look at whether to add McKee's portrait or any other portrait to the Wall of Fame.

But Thomas said the committee was not asked to consider the McKee request two years ago.

He said he believes McKee's portrait should be added to the Wall of Fame.

Thomas said the issue comes down to whether the city, Old Town Cape or other organizations want to foot the bill.

The artist said he wishes there was more community support for murals.

"We have no additional funding coming in," he said.

mbiss@semissourian.com

(573) 388-3641

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Who’s Who on Missouri Wall of Fame

The Missouri Wall of Fame mural depicts 45 famous people who were born in the state or achieved fame while residing in the state.

The mural portraits showcase:

• Burt Bacharach, piano and composer
• Josephine Baker, singer and dancer
• Thomas Hart Benton, painter
• Thomas Hart Benton, senator (not the painter)
• Yogi Berra, Hall of Fame catcher
• George Caleb Bingham, artist
• Susan Elizabeth Blow, founder of the first public kindergarten
• Omar Bradley, U.S. Army general in World War II
• George Brett, Hall of Fame third baseman
• Lou Brock, Hall of Fame outfielder
• Jack Buck, longtime St. Louis Cardinals broadcaster
• August Busch Jr., brewery magnate
• Calamity Jane, frontierswoman and scout
• Dale Carnegie, writer and researcher
• George Washington Carver, inventor and researcher
• Kate Chopin, author
• Walter Cronkite, CBS news anchorman
• T.S. Eliot, poet, dramatist and literary critic
• Don Faurot, celebrated former University of Missouri football coach
• Eugene Field, author
• Redd Foxx, comedian
• Joe Garagiola, catcher and sportscaster
• Linda Godwin, scientist and NASA astronaut
• Jean Harlow, actress
• Langston Hughes, poet, novelist and social activist
• John Huston, actor and film director
• Jesse James, outlaw
• Frank James, outlaw
• Scott Joplin, composer and musician
• Rush Limbaugh, talk-radio pioneer
• Stan Musial, Hall of Fame outfielder
• Marie Elizabeth Oliver, creator of the Missouri state flag
• Rose O’Neill, illustrator and creator of the Kewpie character
• James Cash Penney, retailer and founder of J.C. Penney
• Marlin Perkins, host of “Wild Kingdom” TV show
• John J. Pershing, Army general during World War I
• Vincent Price, actor known for his work in horror films
• Joseph Pulitzer, newspaper publisher and creator of the Pulitzer Prize
• Ginger Rogers, dancer
• Samuel Clemens, author better known as Mark Twain
• Dred Scott, slave and celebrated plaintiff
• Jess Stacy, swing pianist
• Harry S. Truman, only Missourian to serve as U.S. president
• Porter Wagoner, country musician
• Laura Ingalls Wilder, author of the “Little House on the Prairie” series
• Tennessee Williams, playwright