On October 28, 1965, the Gateway Arch in St. Louis, Missouri, was completed. The arch is a monument to westward expansion in the United States, particularly the Lewis and Clark expedition that embarked from St. Louis in 1804 to explore the Louisiana Territory. Today, the Gateway Arch is the tallest arch in the world, standing 192 meters (630 feet). The Gateway Arch was designed by the Finnish-American architect Eero Saarinen. Saarinen was inspired to create an innovative design to represent the “modern age.” “Neither an obelisk nor a rectangular box nor a dome seemed right on this site or for this purpose. But here, at the edge of the Mississippi River, a great arch did seem right.” The Gateway Arch remains the most striking symbol of the “Gateway to the West.” It is the centerpiece of a national park—the Jefferson Expansion Memorial, named after the president (Thomas Jefferson) who made the Louisiana Purchase.