He served in various positions including Mayor of St. Louis, the 27th Governor of Missouri, and United States Secretary of the Interior.

[1] He graduated from Washington University in St. Louis in 1870 where he was number one on the rolls of the Alpha Iota chapter of Beta Theta Pi fraternity.

[1] After graduating from University, he became a successful businessman in St. Louis and served as the president of a grain merchant's exchange.

In 1896, Francis was appointed United States Secretary of the Interior by President Grover Cleveland and served until 1897.

Francis was one of the main promoters of the St. Louis World's Fair of 1904, serving as president of the Louisiana Purchase Exposition.

From the point of view of the memory of the average person who attended the fair, it primarily promoted entertainment, consumer goods and popular culture.

His biographer, Harper Barnes, summarized his personality: David R. Francis was a brash, opinionated, stubborn, smart, sometimes foolish, straight-talking, quick-acting, independent-minded, proud, self-made man who represented the United States in Russia for two and a half years, during the most tumultuous era in that country's history.

A popular MU student tradition is to rub Governor Francis' nose before taking a test in order to get an A.

The bronze sculpture of David R. Francis is the work of American artist and sculptor, Harry Weber.