Harry Ashby deButts was a former president of Southern Railway

Southern Railway (US)

The Southern Railway is a former United States railroad. It was the product of nearly 150 predecessor lines that were combined, reorganized and recombined beginning in the 1830s, formally becoming the Southern Railway in 1894...

 in the United States

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

. He was succeeded by D. William Brosnan

D. William Brosnan

D. William Brosnan was a former president of Southern Railway in the USA, a railroad that later merged with Norfolk and Western Railroad to form Norfolk Southern Railway. He succeeded Harry A. deButts in 1962...

 in 1962.

deButts graduated from the Virginia Military Institute

Virginia Military Institute

The Virginia Military Institute , located in Lexington, Virginia, is the oldest state-supported military college and one of six senior military colleges in the United States. Unlike any other military college in the United States—and in keeping with its founding principles—all VMI students are...

 in 1916 and joined Southern Railway that year. He served in the United States Marine Corps

United States Marine Corps

The United States Marine Corps is a branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for providing power projection from the sea, using the mobility of the United States Navy to deliver combined-arms task forces rapidly. It is one of seven uniformed services of the United States...

in World War I and then returned to Southern Railway, where he would spend the remainder of his career. He became President of the company in 1952 and Chairman of Board on February 1, 1962 before retiring in November of that year.