- Aldace F. Walker
Aldace F. Walker (
May 11 1842 –April 12 1901 ) was one of the original members of theInterstate Commerce Commission (ICC) when the organization was founded in 1887. Walker soon became the thirteenth president of theAtchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway (Santa Fe).Youth and military service
Aldace Walker was born on
May 11 1842 inWest Rutland, Vermont , the son of Aldace Walker, D. D. and Mary A. Baker. He attendedKimball Union Academy inMeriden, New Hampshire , and thenMiddlebury College where he graduated in 1862.His professional career started with military service as he enlisted with the
11th Vermont Infantry for service in theAmerican Civil War . Walker was promoted through the ranks to become a lieutenant-colonel before he was mustered out in June 1865. In 1869 he published a book of his experience in the war titled "The Vermont Brigade in the Shenandoah Valley".Transportation leadership
After the war, Walker studied
law and began his practice inNew York City in 1867. In 1870 he became a partner in the firm where he worked on many cases involving rail transport, including the land appropriation for theSpuyten Duyvil and Port Morris Railway which would connect theHudson River Railroad and theHarlem Railroad .When the senior partner in Walker's firm died, the practice was broken up and Walker moved to Rutland, Vermont, where he joined the practice of Prout, Simons & Walker. In this position too, Walker worked on cases that involved local railroads including the
Rutland Railroad ,Delaware and Hudson Canal Company ,Vermont and Canada Railroad ,Vermont Central Railroad and others until he left the firm to become a member of theInterstate Commerce Commission (ICC) inWashington, D.C. In 1889 he resigned his position at the ICC to become the chairman of the
Interstate Commerce Railway Association , and later the same role for theWestern Traffic Association . Walker assumed the Santa Fe's presidency whenJoseph Reinhart resigned onAugust 8 1894 .When the
Atlantic and Pacific Railroad (A&P) filed for bankruptcy, Walker andJohn J. McCook , another executive with the Santa Fe, were appointed as the A&P's receivers in December 1895. At this time, Walker stepped down from the Santa Fe's presidency, but remained on the Board of Directors as Chairman.References
* Retrieved
August 2 2005 .
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