Mayor Tishaura Jones, state Rep. Kimberly-Ann Collins and Alderwoman Dwinderlin Evans say they agree with residents that naming a small hospital for Homer G. Phillips threatens his legacy.
Vintage KSDK: Tearing down the Pruitt-Igoe Apartments
Named for an African American fighter pilot and a former U.S. Congressman, the Pruitt-Igoe Apartments was one of the largest public housing complexes in the country. Author: Kay Quinn Updated: 11:30 PM CDT April 22, 2021
ST. LOUIS It was considered a masterpiece of urban planning when it was built in the mid-1950s.
Named for African American fighter pilot Wendell O. Pruitt and a former U.S. Congressman, William L. Igoe, the Pruitt-Igoe Apartment Complex was one of the largest public housing complexes in the country.
But it would soon become a heartbreaking symbol of the failure of public housing, and the community s inability to address problems of racial segregation, poverty and crime.