Hale Holden facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Hale Holden
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Holden circa 1915
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| Born | August 11, 1869 |
| Died | September 23, 1940 (aged 71) |
| Occupation | railroad executive |
Hale Holden (born August 11, 1869 – died September 23, 1940) was a very important leader in the railroad industry. He was the president of the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad (CB&Q) for many years. He also became the chairman of the board for the Southern Pacific Railroad. Before leading these big companies, he was a lawyer who worked for famous railroad builder James J. Hill. Later in his life, he was a director for other large companies like American Telephone & Telegraph.
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Early Life and Education
Hale Holden was born on August 11, 1869, in Kansas City, Missouri. His parents were Howard Malcomb and Mary Finley Holden.
He went to Williams College and graduated in 1890. After that, he started studying law at Harvard Law School in 1890. However, he had to leave Harvard in 1892 because his family had money problems.
A Career on the Right Track
Holden started his career as a lawyer in Kansas City. He worked for a company called Dean, McLeod & Holden. One of his important jobs was being a local lawyer for the Great Northern Railway. He worked on a big legal case called the Minnesota Rate Cases. His work in this case really impressed James J. Hill, who was a very powerful person in the railroad world.
Leading Big Railroads
In 1907, Holden stopped working as a private lawyer. He joined the CB&Q railroad as their main attorney. His first tasks were to handle legal issues about how the railroad did business between different states.
The CB&Q leadership changed a lot around 1910. Holden moved up quickly. He became an assistant to the president, and then a vice president in November 1910.
When the president of CB&Q, Darius Miller, suddenly died in 1914, Holden was chosen to take his place. He became the president of the CB&Q on August 27, 1914. At 45 years old, he was the youngest person to lead a major American railroad at that time!
Helping During World War I
When World War I started, the United States government took control of all American railroads. This was done to help with the war effort. This new government group was called the United States Railroad Administration (USRA).
Holden was asked to lead the USRA, but he decided to help the main director, William Gibbs McAdoo, instead. In 1918, he stepped down as CB&Q president to work as a director for the USRA in the central western region.
After the war, in 1920, Holden returned to his job as president of the CB&Q. He stayed in this role for another nine years. During this time, he also helped lead other important railroad groups, like the American Railway Association.
Ideas for Stronger Railroads
In the 1920s, Holden believed that railroads in the western United States should combine into a few very large systems. He thought this would make them stronger and more efficient. He even spoke to the government about his ideas. He suggested that railroads like the Great Northern, Northern Pacific, CB&Q, Union Pacific Railroad, Santa Fe Railroad, and Southern Pacific Railroad should work together in bigger groups.
In 1929, Holden left the CB&Q again. He became the chairman of the executive committee for the Southern Pacific Railroad. By 1932, he was promoted to chairman of the entire Southern Pacific company. He finally retired in 1939.
Family Life
Hale Holden married Ellen Mitchell Weston on September 18, 1895. They had two sons and one daughter. One of their sons, Hale Holden, Jr., also became a railroad executive.
Ellen, his wife, passed away in 1936. After her death, Hale Holden moved to New York City. He died in New York on September 23, 1940. He was survived by his three children, a sister, and a brother.
