Samuel T. Bledsoe
Encyclopedia
Samuel T. Bledsoe was the sixteenth president of Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway
.
, on May 12, 1868. His education took him through various public and private schools in the area; he later attended the Southern Normal School
and the Bowling Green Business College. He then took up teaching from 1885 to 1887.
; he was admitted to the bar in 1890 and began his practice specializing in land and railroad issues in the Indian
and Oklahoma
territories. His first work for the Santa Fe Railroad began in 1895, which eventually led to his appointment as the railroad's general counsel in 1908. Bledsoe worked his way up through management to succeed William Benson Storey
on May 2, 1933, as president of the railroad, serving in that position until his death on March 8, 1939. Bledsoe was the first Santa Fe president to be promoted from a career path that did not lead through the operations or technical aspects of the railroad. During Bledsoe's time as president, he worked to reduce the railroad's operating expenses and bring profitability during the Great Depression
; it was also during his term that the railroad introduced diesel locomotive
s into its motive power fleet and launched new passenger trains such as the famed Super Chief
.
Bledsoe also served as a director of the Railway Express Agency
and the Continental Illinois Bank and Trust Company.
Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway
The Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway , often abbreviated as Santa Fe, was one of the larger railroads in the United States. The company was first chartered in February 1859...
.
Early life and family
Bledsoe was born in Clinton County, KentuckyClinton County, Kentucky
Clinton County is a county located in the U.S. state of Kentucky. It was formed in 1836. As of 2000, the population was 9,634. Its name is in honor of the seventh Governor of New York State, DeWitt Clinton. Its county seat is Albany, Kentucky, and it is a prohibition or dry county...
, on May 12, 1868. His education took him through various public and private schools in the area; he later attended the Southern Normal School
Western Kentucky University
Western Kentucky University is a public university in Bowling Green, Kentucky, USA. It was formally founded by the Commonwealth of Kentucky in 1906, though its roots reach back a quarter-century earlier....
and the Bowling Green Business College. He then took up teaching from 1885 to 1887.
Railroad career
In 1888, Bledsoe moved to Texas where he studied law at the University of Texas School of LawUniversity of Texas School of Law
The University of Texas School of Law, also known as UT Law, is an ABA-certified American law school located on the University of Texas at Austin campus. The law school has been in operation since the founding of the University in 1883. It was one of only two schools at the University when it was...
; he was admitted to the bar in 1890 and began his practice specializing in land and railroad issues in the Indian
Indian Territory
The Indian Territory, also known as the Indian Territories and the Indian Country, was land set aside within the United States for the settlement of American Indians...
and Oklahoma
Oklahoma Territory
The Territory of Oklahoma was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from May 2, 1890, until November 16, 1907, when it was joined with the Indian Territory under a new constitution and admitted to the Union as the State of Oklahoma.-Organization:Oklahoma Territory's...
territories. His first work for the Santa Fe Railroad began in 1895, which eventually led to his appointment as the railroad's general counsel in 1908. Bledsoe worked his way up through management to succeed William Benson Storey
William Benson Storey
William Benson Storey, Jr. was the fifteenth president of the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway....
on May 2, 1933, as president of the railroad, serving in that position until his death on March 8, 1939. Bledsoe was the first Santa Fe president to be promoted from a career path that did not lead through the operations or technical aspects of the railroad. During Bledsoe's time as president, he worked to reduce the railroad's operating expenses and bring profitability during the Great Depression
Great Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
; it was also during his term that the railroad introduced diesel locomotive
Diesel locomotive
A diesel locomotive is a type of railroad locomotive in which the prime mover is a diesel engine, a reciprocating engine operating on the Diesel cycle as invented by Dr. Rudolf Diesel...
s into its motive power fleet and launched new passenger trains such as the famed Super Chief
Super Chief
The Super Chief was one of the named passenger trains and the flagship of the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway. It was often referred to as "The Train of the Stars" because of the many celebrities who traveled on the streamliner between Chicago, Illinois and Los Angeles, California.The Super...
.
Bledsoe also served as a director of the Railway Express Agency
Railway Express Agency
The Railway Express Agency was a the national monopoly set up by the Untied States federal government in 1917. Rail express services provided small package and parcel transportation using the extant railroad infrastructure much as UPS functions today using the road system...
and the Continental Illinois Bank and Trust Company.