John M. Budd
Encyclopedia
John Marshall Budd was chairman and chief executive officer
of Burlington Northern Railroad
from 1970 to 1971, chairman from 1971 to 1972, and a director
from 1970 to 1977.
. He was the son of Ralph Budd
and Georianna Marshall Budd. He married Frances Bullard, January 31, 1931. They had two children: John M. Budd, Jr., and William B. Budd.
with a Bachelor's of Science in Civil Engineering
in 1930.
In 1933 he was appointed assistant trainmaster at Willmar, Minnesota
. From 1933 to 1940 he was assistant trainmaster and then trainmaster at Sioux City, South Dakota, Wenatchee, Washington
, and Spokane, Washington
.
From 1940 to 1942 he served as division superintendent at Klamath Falls, Oregon
, then Whitefish, Montana
.
From November, 1945, to May, 1947, Budd was assistant general manager for Lines East of Williston, North Dakota
, on the Great Northern.
In June, 1947, he joined the Chicago and Eastern Illinois Railroad
as its president, a position he held until May, 1949. In this capacity he was the youngest president of any U.S. Class I railroad.
He returned to the Great Northern in May, 1949, following the death of Thomas F. Dixon to become the Great Northern's vice-president in charge of operations. He held this position until May, 1951, when he was named president, succeeding Francis J. Gavin who had been in office since 1939. John Budd's father, Ralph Budd
, another civil engineer, was president of the Great Northern from 1919 to 1930, and president of the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad
, a company half-owned by the Great Northern in cooperation with the Northern Pacific Railway
, from 1930 until his retirement in 1949.
In 1955, Budd entered discussions with Robert Stetson Macfarlane
, president of the Northern Pacific, about merger of the Great Northern, Northern Pacific, and the Burlington. The companies continued to the Interstate Commerce Commission
and the U.S. Supreme Court, which resulted in the creation of the Burlington Northern Railroad
in March, 1970.
He died at the age of seventy-one on October 25, 1979.
, Italy
, France
and Germany
. Promoted to lieutenant colonel, he commanded the 727th Railway Operating Battalion. He was discharged in November, 1945.
; Hamline University
.
between 1968 and 1970, which became the largest corporate bankruptcy in the United States to that time.
"John M. Budd, New President of the C&EI," Railway Age, 122 (May 24, 1947): 1081.
Moore, Russell F., editor. Who’s Who in Railroading in North America. New York: Simmons-Boardman, 1964, p. 69.
White, W. Thomas III. "John M. Budd." Encyclopedia of American Business History and Biography; Railroads in the Age of Regulation, 1900-1980. New York: Facts On File, 1988, pp. 53–55.
Chief executive officer
A chief executive officer , managing director , Executive Director for non-profit organizations, or chief executive is the highest-ranking corporate officer or administrator in charge of total management of an organization...
of Burlington Northern Railroad
Burlington Northern Railroad
The Burlington Northern Railroad was a United States-based railroad company formed from a merger of four major U.S. railroads. Burlington Northern operated between 1970 and 1996....
from 1970 to 1971, chairman from 1971 to 1972, and a director
Board of directors
A board of directors is a body of elected or appointed members who jointly oversee the activities of a company or organization. Other names include board of governors, board of managers, board of regents, board of trustees, and board of visitors...
from 1970 to 1977.
Family
Budd was born November 2, 1907, in Des Moines, IowaDes Moines, Iowa
Des Moines is the capital and the most populous city in the US state of Iowa. It is also the county seat of Polk County. A small portion of the city extends into Warren County. It was incorporated on September 22, 1851, as Fort Des Moines which was shortened to "Des Moines" in 1857...
. He was the son of Ralph Budd
Ralph Budd
Ralph Budd was an American railroad executive.-Early life:One of six children of John and Mary Budd, Ralph was born on a farm near Waterloo, Iowa on August 20, 1879...
and Georianna Marshall Budd. He married Frances Bullard, January 31, 1931. They had two children: John M. Budd, Jr., and William B. Budd.
Education
Budd graduated from Yale UniversityYale University
Yale University is a private, Ivy League university located in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701 in the Colony of Connecticut, the university is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States...
with a Bachelor's of Science in Civil Engineering
Civil engineering
Civil engineering is a professional engineering discipline that deals with the design, construction, and maintenance of the physical and naturally built environment, including works like roads, bridges, canals, dams, and buildings...
in 1930.
Career
Budd joined the Great Northern Railway on his summers away from Yale in 1925 and 1926. Following graduation, he joined the Great Northern as assistant to the electrical engineer, a position he held from 1930 to 1932.In 1933 he was appointed assistant trainmaster at Willmar, Minnesota
Willmar, Minnesota
As of the census of 2000, there were 18,351 people, 7,302 households, and 4,461 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,549.9 people per square mile . There were 7,789 housing units at an average density of 657.8 per square mile...
. From 1933 to 1940 he was assistant trainmaster and then trainmaster at Sioux City, South Dakota, Wenatchee, Washington
Wenatchee, Washington
Wenatchee is located in North Central Washington and is the largest city and county seat of Chelan County, Washington, United States. The population within the city limits in 2010 was 31,925...
, and Spokane, Washington
Spokane, Washington
Spokane is a city located in the Northwestern United States in the state of Washington. It is the largest city of Spokane County of which it is also the county seat, and the metropolitan center of the Inland Northwest region...
.
From 1940 to 1942 he served as division superintendent at Klamath Falls, Oregon
Klamath Falls, Oregon
Klamath Falls is a city in Klamath County, Oregon, United States. Originally called Linkville when George Nurse founded the town in 1867, after the Link River on whose falls this city sat, although no falls currently exist; the name was changed to Klamath Falls in 1892...
, then Whitefish, Montana
Whitefish, Montana
Whitefish is a city in Flathead County, Montana, United States. The population was 5,032 at the 2000 census. It is home to a ski resort on Big Mountain called Whitefish Mountain Resort. Montana Governor Brian Schweitzer hails from Whitefish....
.
From November, 1945, to May, 1947, Budd was assistant general manager for Lines East of Williston, North Dakota
Williston, North Dakota
-Demographics:Preliminary data from a 2010 housing study indicates that population has grown by nearly 22 percent over the past decade; the actual increase might be much higher. Williston is in western North Dakota's booming oil patch, and adequate, affordable housing has become a concern. The...
, on the Great Northern.
In June, 1947, he joined the Chicago and Eastern Illinois Railroad
Chicago and Eastern Illinois Railroad
The Chicago and Eastern Illinois Railroad was a Class I railroad that linked Chicago to southern Illinois, St. Louis, and Evansville. Founded in 1877, it grew aggressively and stayed relatively strong throughout the Great Depression and two World Wars before being purchased by the Missouri Pacific...
as its president, a position he held until May, 1949. In this capacity he was the youngest president of any U.S. Class I railroad.
He returned to the Great Northern in May, 1949, following the death of Thomas F. Dixon to become the Great Northern's vice-president in charge of operations. He held this position until May, 1951, when he was named president, succeeding Francis J. Gavin who had been in office since 1939. John Budd's father, Ralph Budd
Ralph Budd
Ralph Budd was an American railroad executive.-Early life:One of six children of John and Mary Budd, Ralph was born on a farm near Waterloo, Iowa on August 20, 1879...
, another civil engineer, was president of the Great Northern from 1919 to 1930, and president of the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad
Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad
The Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad was a railroad that operated in the Midwestern United States. Commonly referred to as the Burlington or as the Q, the Burlington Route served a large area, including extensive trackage in the states of Colorado, Illinois, Iowa, Kentucky, Missouri,...
, a company half-owned by the Great Northern in cooperation with the Northern Pacific Railway
Northern Pacific Railway
The Northern Pacific Railway was a railway that operated in the west along the Canadian border of the United States. Construction began in 1870 and the main line opened all the way from the Great Lakes to the Pacific when former president Ulysses S. Grant drove in the final "golden spike" in...
, from 1930 until his retirement in 1949.
In 1955, Budd entered discussions with Robert Stetson Macfarlane
Robert Stetson Macfarlane
Robert Stetson Macfarlane was president of Northern Pacific Railway 1951-1966.He was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota, on January 15, 1899, the son of Walker K. and Blanche Macfarlane. He married Vivian Clemans on February 21, 1925; together they had Anne , Mary , Robert, Jr., and Vivian Robert...
, president of the Northern Pacific, about merger of the Great Northern, Northern Pacific, and the Burlington. The companies continued to the Interstate Commerce Commission
Interstate Commerce Commission
The Interstate Commerce Commission was a regulatory body in the United States created by the Interstate Commerce Act of 1887. The agency's original purpose was to regulate railroads to ensure fair rates, to eliminate rate discrimination, and to regulate other aspects of common carriers, including...
and the U.S. Supreme Court, which resulted in the creation of the Burlington Northern Railroad
Burlington Northern Railroad
The Burlington Northern Railroad was a United States-based railroad company formed from a merger of four major U.S. railroads. Burlington Northern operated between 1970 and 1996....
in March, 1970.
He died at the age of seventy-one on October 25, 1979.
Military service
In 1942 Budd was commissioned a major in the U.S. Army's Military Railway Service. He served in AlgeriaAlgeria
Algeria , officially the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria , also formally referred to as the Democratic and Popular Republic of Algeria, is a country in the Maghreb region of Northwest Africa with Algiers as its capital.In terms of land area, it is the largest country in Africa and the Arab...
, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
and Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
. Promoted to lieutenant colonel, he commanded the 727th Railway Operating Battalion. He was discharged in November, 1945.
Other Service
Member of the American Association of Railroad Superintendents; Boy Scouts of AmericaBoy Scouts of America
The Boy Scouts of America is one of the largest youth organizations in the United States, with over 4.5 million youth members in its age-related divisions...
; Hamline University
Hamline University
-Red Wing location :Hamline was named in honor of Leonidas Lent Hamline, a bishop of the Methodist Church whose interest in the frontier led him to donate $25,000 toward the building of an institution of higher learning in what was then the territory of Minnesota. Today, a statue of Bishop Hamline...
.
Notability
John M. Budd planned and led one of the largest railroad mergers (Burlington Northern) in the United States to 1970. This is in marked contrast with the attempted merger and subsequent bankruptcy of Penn Central TransportationPenn Central Transportation
The Penn Central Transportation Company, commonly abbreviated to Penn Central, was an American railroad company that operated from 1968 until 1976. It was created by the merger on February 1, 1968, of the Pennsylvania Railroad and the New York Central Railroad...
between 1968 and 1970, which became the largest corporate bankruptcy in the United States to that time.
Sources
"John Budd Goes to GN; Roddewig Heads C&EI," Railway Age, 126 (May 28, 1949): 41-42."John M. Budd, New President of the C&EI," Railway Age, 122 (May 24, 1947): 1081.
Moore, Russell F., editor. Who’s Who in Railroading in North America. New York: Simmons-Boardman, 1964, p. 69.
White, W. Thomas III. "John M. Budd." Encyclopedia of American Business History and Biography; Railroads in the Age of Regulation, 1900-1980. New York: Facts On File, 1988, pp. 53–55.