Cathy Smentkowski will retire from the city of St. Louis today after more than 50 years of service. She actually celebrated her 50th work anniversary last November, complete with a mayoral resolution, but wanted to stay on until the end of a mayoral term.
Smentkowski was recruited by the city in 1974, back when she was still in high school, to be a stenographer. She retires as a public information officer—with plenty of fond memories of the nine mayors she’s served. (And yes, she counts her two weeks under Mayor Cara Spencer.) She spoke with us on her second-to-last day at City Hall on Tuesday, sharing her thoughts on the changes she’s seen and what she plans to do once she’s done with her 8-to-5 daily shift.
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This conversation has been edited for length and clarity.
SLM: Were you tempted to retire once you hit 50?
CS: When people asked that, I said, “No, no, this is like signing up for the Army. You’re going to be there those four years.” The time to retire is at the end of one term or beginning of another term.
If Mayor Tishaura Jones had gotten reelected, would you have stayed for four more years?
CS: No, I told her even before the election, win or lose. I said, I’m going to be 70 years old this year, OK? I spent 50 years with the city, and I’ve been doing this eight to five, Monday through Friday, since 1974, and I’m feeling my age.
When you started back in 1974, who was the mayor at that point?
CS: That was Mayor John Poelker, in the middle of his term. I ended up here because the Personnel Department went to Central High School. I was in the typing and shorthand class there. Back in the day, shorthand was at a premium. I was, like, number 13 on the list, and after I graduated, they called me and said, “Come on down and work for the city.” I put myself through college working for the city; I have a nice degree from Saint Louis University. I got that during the Harmon administration. He was at my graduation.
So you’ve worked for nine mayors. Of those nine, I don’t want to ask who was your favorite, but who was the most memorable?
CS: Oh, there are just memorable things about all of them. They all did wonderful things during that time to make me feel special.
So there’s none of them you’d point to as someone you don’t like?
CS: Yeah, no, I like them all. If I didn’t want to work here, I’d go out and work at the airport.
What’s one thing that hasn’t changed during your 50 years with the city?
CS: The issues. They’re still the same. There’s housing, there’s still economic development.
What’s one thing that has changed?
CS: Technology. I had a manual typewriter on my desk, and that was because if the electricity went out, I could still be typing. I used carbon paper for copies. We had one fax machine and it was in the law department. And you really, really, really had to have something very serious to use a fax machine. And then, the computers came in. When they brought Mayor Vince Schoemehl his first budget, the stack of paper was probably as tall as he was. And he was like, You got to be kidding me. So the computer came in and they computerized the budget.
What are you going to do when you don’t have to report for work in the morning?
CS: Well, my first day, on Thursday, when I wake up, probably at the usual time, at 6 a.m., I’m just gonna roll over and sleep some more. I may go out to breakfast. I like to do breakfast. Maybe Chris’ Pancake House.
What do you think you’ll miss the most about City Hall?
CS: I am going to miss just working with people. I mean, I’m a people person. I enjoy talking to the public. I’ve been a public servant, you know, all this while. I like solving problems, hooking people up with the right department. I love to work on proclamations. Those are fun, and I’ve made a lot of people cry in a happy way.
I have one that made me cry. Somebody submitted a request for October 9, because it was their mother’s 80th birthday. She was born in 1913. That was my mother’s same birthday, but she had passed away at the age of 76, and I get this proclamation request, and I thought, “Oh my gosh.”
But I have so many people say, “I cried in a good way.” It’s just so happy to get your day.
And now you’ve gotten a resolution, last fall! Congratulations on your retirement.
CS: Thank you. I’ll probably come down here and volunteer maybe once I’m retired. First of all, I have to clean up my office. I was just in my 2006 box. I have boxes from Lyda, I have Slay boxes. I collect things.
I’ll be honest, I’m skeptical that you’re going to be able to clear out by end of day tomorrow.
CS: I was here on the weekend starting to work on it! And I just can’t pack the box up; I have to look at it.
Yeah, I don’t think tomorrow is the last day you’ll be at City Hall.
CS: I’m kind of in denial about the whole thing.
