Daniel Willard
Encyclopedia
Daniel Willard was a railroad executive best known as the president of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad
from 1910 to 1941. He served on or headed several government railroad commissions in World War I
and appeared on the cover of Time magazine in 1932 due to his part in negotiating wage cuts in the Great Depression
.
Popularly known as "Uncle Dan", he established the B&O's reputation as a public-minded and innovative railroad. He is also remembered in Baltimore as a trustee (and from 1926 to 1941, chairman of its board) of the Johns Hopkins University
.
Willard, Ohio
(originally Chicago Junction) was renamed in his honor in 1917.
, a small farm village. His mother died when he was five. On his father's side, he was descended from Thomas Hastings (colonist)
who came from the East Anglia region of England to the Massachusetts Bay Colony
in 1634. Willard attended the local high school and teaching at the district school for two years starting at the age of sixteen. He boarded out with Sophie Taylor, one of his teachers, who instilled in him an appreciation of learning. Family finances were slight and he could not attend Dartmouth College
as he desired; instead he attended the Massachusetts Agricultural College at Amherst, Massachusetts
in 1878. Poor eyesight, however, forced his departure after six months. This was the end of his formal education.
His railroad career began at this time, as a track laborer on the Vermont Central Railroad. In four years he worked his way up the ladder to become a locomotive engineer on the Lake Shore and Michigan Southern Railway
. After being laid off from this job in 1884, he moved to the Soo Line
, where he eventually became superintendent in 1899 (though he held acting positions for several years prior. During this period he married Bertha Elkins of Vermont.
where he held several executive positions. In 1904 James J. Hill
convinced him to take a position as Vice President in charge of operations on the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad
. In 1909 he assumed an additional similar position on the Colorado and Southern Railway
, and in 1910 assumed the presidency of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad
, a position that he held for thirty-two years, one of the longest such tenancies in the United States.
.
Baltimore and Ohio Railroad
The Baltimore and Ohio Railroad was one of the oldest railroads in the United States and the first common carrier railroad. It came into being mostly because the city of Baltimore wanted to compete with the newly constructed Erie Canal and another canal being proposed by Pennsylvania, which...
from 1910 to 1941. He served on or headed several government railroad commissions in World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
and appeared on the cover of Time magazine in 1932 due to his part in negotiating wage cuts in 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...
.
Popularly known as "Uncle Dan", he established the B&O's reputation as a public-minded and innovative railroad. He is also remembered in Baltimore as a trustee (and from 1926 to 1941, chairman of its board) of the Johns Hopkins University
Johns Hopkins University
The Johns Hopkins University, commonly referred to as Johns Hopkins, JHU, or simply Hopkins, is a private research university based in Baltimore, Maryland, United States...
.
Willard, Ohio
Willard, Ohio
Willard is a city in Huron County, Ohio, United States. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 6,806. Willard is served by the Willard Memorial Library.-Geography:Willard is located at ....
(originally Chicago Junction) was renamed in his honor in 1917.
Early life
Daniel Willard was born on January 28, 1861 to Mr. & Mrs. Daniel S. Willard in Hartland, VermontHartland, Vermont
Hartland is a town in Windsor County, Vermont, United States. The population was 3,223 at the 2000 census.-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 45.2 square miles , of which 45.0 square miles is land and 0.2 square mile is water...
, a small farm village. His mother died when he was five. On his father's side, he was descended from Thomas Hastings (colonist)
Thomas Hastings (colonist)
Thomas Hastings was a prominent English immigrant to New England, one of the approximately 20,000 immigrants who came as part of the Great Migration. A Deacon of the church, among his many public offices he served on the Committee of Colony Assessments in 1640 and as Deputy for Watertown to the...
who came from the East Anglia region of England to the Massachusetts Bay Colony
Massachusetts Bay Colony
The Massachusetts Bay Colony was an English settlement on the east coast of North America in the 17th century, in New England, situated around the present-day cities of Salem and Boston. The territory administered by the colony included much of present-day central New England, including portions...
in 1634. Willard attended the local high school and teaching at the district school for two years starting at the age of sixteen. He boarded out with Sophie Taylor, one of his teachers, who instilled in him an appreciation of learning. Family finances were slight and he could not attend Dartmouth College
Dartmouth College
Dartmouth College is a private, Ivy League university in Hanover, New Hampshire, United States. The institution comprises a liberal arts college, Dartmouth Medical School, Thayer School of Engineering, and the Tuck School of Business, as well as 19 graduate programs in the arts and sciences...
as he desired; instead he attended the Massachusetts Agricultural College at Amherst, Massachusetts
Amherst, Massachusetts
Amherst is a town in Hampshire County, Massachusetts, United States in the Connecticut River valley. As of the 2010 census, the population was 37,819, making it the largest community in Hampshire County . The town is home to Amherst College, Hampshire College, and the University of Massachusetts...
in 1878. Poor eyesight, however, forced his departure after six months. This was the end of his formal education.
His railroad career began at this time, as a track laborer on the Vermont Central Railroad. In four years he worked his way up the ladder to become a locomotive engineer on the Lake Shore and Michigan Southern Railway
Lake Shore and Michigan Southern Railway
The Lake Shore and Michigan Southern Railway, sometimes referred to as the Lake Shore, was a major part of the New York Central Railroad's Water Level Route from Buffalo, NY to Chicago, primarily along the south shore of Lake Erie and across northern Indiana...
. After being laid off from this job in 1884, he moved to the Soo Line
Minneapolis, St. Paul and Sault Ste. Marie Railroad
The Minneapolis, St. Paul and Sault Ste. Marie Railroad was a Class I railroad subsidiary of the Canadian Pacific Railway in the Midwest U.S. Commonly known as the Soo Line after the phonetic spelling of Sault, it was merged with several other major CP subsidiaries on January 1, 1961 to form the...
, where he eventually became superintendent in 1899 (though he held acting positions for several years prior. During this period he married Bertha Elkins of Vermont.
Railroad management: Pre-B&O
In 1899 he followed his mentor, Frederick D. Underwood, to the Baltimore and Ohio for the first time, taking a position as Assistant General Manager. Two years later he followed Underwood to the Erie RailroadErie Railroad
The Erie Railroad was a railroad that operated in New York State, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana, and Illinois, originally connecting New York City with Lake Erie...
where he held several executive positions. In 1904 James J. Hill
James J. Hill
James Jerome Hill , was a Canadian-American railroad executive. He was the chief executive officer of a family of lines headed by the Great Northern Railway, which served a substantial area of the Upper Midwest, the northern Great Plains, and Pacific Northwest...
convinced him to take a position as Vice President in charge of operations on 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,...
. In 1909 he assumed an additional similar position on the Colorado and Southern Railway
Colorado and Southern Railway
The Colorado and Southern Railway was a railroad company in the western United States that operated independently from 1898 to 1908, then as part of the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad until it was absorbed into the Burlington Northern Railroad in 1981.The railway began as the...
, and in 1910 assumed the presidency of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad
Baltimore and Ohio Railroad
The Baltimore and Ohio Railroad was one of the oldest railroads in the United States and the first common carrier railroad. It came into being mostly because the city of Baltimore wanted to compete with the newly constructed Erie Canal and another canal being proposed by Pennsylvania, which...
, a position that he held for thirty-two years, one of the longest such tenancies in the United States.
Government service
Between November 1917 and January 1918 he served as chairman of the War Industries BoardWar Industries Board
The War Industries Board was a United States government agency established on July 28, 1917, during World War I, to coordinate the purchase of war supplies. The organization encouraged companies to use mass-production techniques to increase efficiency and urged them to eliminate waste by...
.