Anheuser-Busch manufacture it for him. Conrad was an importer of wines and champagnes. Busch studied the pilsner process in Europe, which was used for brewing Budweiser. Adolphus bought the rights to Budweiser from Conrad in October 1882 when Conrad went bankrupt. In 1895, Busch joined Washington University in St. Louis's Board of Directors. He would continue to serve on the Board until his death in 1913, at which point his son, August Busch, Sr. took over his seat. Busch also served as the president of the South Side Bank and the Manufacturers Railway. He had helped organize the latter as a short-line rail serving local industry. Likewise, he was a director of the Louisiana Purchase Company. Like other business leaders, he served as a director of the 1904 World's Fair in St. Louis, contributing to civic efforts. In 1909, Busch was the leading investor when a consortium of St. Louis capitalists purchased Laclede Gas from North American, a public utilities conglomerate, which also owned Union Electric and United Railways, the consolidated streetcar company in St. Louis, which operated as St. Louis Traction Company. Busch invested in new buildings and businesses in Dallas, Texas, which was growing rapidly in the early 20th century as an industrial city. In 1912, Busch constructed the Adolphus Hotel there as the tallest building in the state. Another was the Busch Building, which has been adapted as the Kirby Residences, and is located at 1509 Main St. It is a National Historic Landmark. Philanthropy From his early years, Busch contributed generously to charitable and education needs. With a lifelong interest in his homeland, he assisted in repairing devastation from the 1882 flooding of Mainz-Kastel by the Rhine River. He donated $100,000 (equivalent to $ million today) to San Francisco after the 1906 earthquake - $50,000 personally and $50,000 from his company. Busch contributed a total of $350,000 (equivalent to $ million today) to Harvard to endow a Germanic museum, named Adolphus Busch Hall. Personal life Busch married Elise "Lilly" Eberhard Anheuser, the third daughter of Eberhard Anheuser, on 7 March 1861, at a Lutheran church in St. Louis, Missouri. They had thirteen children: Nellie Busch (1863 - 1934) Edward Busch (1864 - 1879) August Anheuser Busch Sr. (1865 - 1934) Adolphus Busch, Jr. (1868 - 1898) Alexis Busch (1869 - 1869) Edmee Busch (1871 - 1955) Emilee Busch (1870 - 1870) Peter Busch (1872 - 1905)