The Monitor-register., 1897-02-19
Frank Thomson, President, PennsyI-
vania Railroad.

General Office in Philadelphia on Febru-
ary Sd, Frank Thomson, First Vice
President, was unanimously eleoted
President.
In every field of American development
Scotch ancestry is conspicuous. Many
great men of the learned professions, the
factors of the business world, and the
high officials of our commercial and rail-
road interests look backward with pride
to lineage of the land of the thistle and
heather. A family of this description is
| that of Thomson. 10 It'll Alexander
Thomson sailed from Scotland and settled
as pioneer in the Cumberland Valley.
Among his children was a son, Alexan-
der, who, after winning distinction at the
bar of his State, represented his district
in Congress from 1924 to 1926 Return
ing to the practice of his profession, he
became judge of the Sixteenth Judicial
District, and subsequently professor of
law in Marshall College.
His son, Frank Thomson, was born in
Chambersburg, Pa, July 5, 1S41. His
rudimentary and classical education was
received at the Cham bersburg Academy,
but he did not inherit the paternal taste
| for the law. With the foresight which
has been one of the distinguishing char.
| acteristics of his life, he saw in the prac
tical work of the railroad an attractive
and nromisin0 fiaId of aotiOn ord ~
seventeen years of age he entered the
Altoona Shops of the Pennsylvania Rail-
road for instruction. A four years
course of training in this great school of
applied science graduated him mechan-
ical engineer, who could build locomo.
tive throBgh every stage of the progress,
from the crude iron to the finished
engine on the rails, while it also fitted
him to operate as engineman the product
of his own skill.
1t reqnired little time for Col. Thos. A.
Scott, General Superintendent of the
road, to detect in the young engineer
evidences of unusual ability, and the
outbreak of the civil war furnished the
opportunity of testing his Judgment.
Colonel Scott had been appointed by
President Lincoln Assistant Secretary of
War, and placed in charge Of all matters
relating to the transportation of troops
and sup lies, and he called Frank Thorn
son to his aid as Chief Assistant.
Mr.. Thomson took the field Immediate
ly, the scene of his operations being the
South and the upper South west, where
he constructed railroads and bridges.
repaired those " bich had been injured by
tie exigencies of war, directed the trans
portatlon of troops and the forwarding of
supplies to the front. The signal success
of his efforts in this dangerous uudertak-
ing not only received fitting recognition
from the War Department, but marked
him as a railroad man of rare promise
this territory e was relieved from mill
rary duty, and in June, 1864 was
appointed Superintendent of the Eastern
Division of the Philadelphia aud Erie
Railroad, which occupied his time until
March, 1878. After this exI erience pro
motion came rapidly. In March, 1873 he
was made Superintendent of Motive
Power of the Pennsylvania Railroad at
Altoona.
10 this position the vast information
and wide experience gained from his
course in the shops was applied to the
work of practical locomotive construo-
tion, and go was laid the foundation of
the the system which has since produced
those celebrated locomoSiv known
as "PennsyIvana Railroad Standal
Engine" On July 1. 1874, he relin
quisbed this post TO become General
Manager of the Pennsylvania Railroad
system east of Pittsburg and Erie.
AS General Manager he introduced a
number of reforms in the management,
administration, and maintenance of the
road The standard track an solid road
bed owes its existence to his fforts, and
award of prizes for the best sections of
track were instituted by him. The adop
tion of superior standard of equipment,
the building of picturesque stations and
the ornamentation of their grounds, the
use of the block signal system and other
safety appliances, were all distinctive
features of his management. He was
also instrumental in developing that high
grade of discipline for which the Penn
sylvania Railroad is noted.
On October 1, 1882, sir. Thomson be
came Second Vice President, and Oh
October 27, 1888, was advanced to the
post of First Vice President, which be
has held up to the present date. During
his incumbency of the Vice Presidential
offices Mr.. Thomson was charg d with
the traffic arrangements ts of the System,
both in the freight and passenger branch,
and as administrative officer of the road
and direct representative of the President
was in position to carry out to their
fullest fruition the progressive reforms
which he instituted as General Manager.
h'o dhoot eupoiFislOD OF the JraInC
arrangements existing between the Penn.
sylvania Railroad and it's connections
kept him in close touch with all the rail
way interests Of the country, and SO
makes him to-day one of the best in.
formed most exI erienced, and ablest of
American railroad managers. These
qualifications are uni iversally acknowl-
edged by all his contemporaries of the
railroad world.
Mr.. Thomson's duties as the manager
of great railway require SO much of bis
time that he has never been identified
with many other public institutions. A
notable exception, however, is the Eouit-
able Life Insurance Company, of which
he is director.
The social side of Mr. Thomson's life is |
quite as comprehensive as its business |
counterpart. He is patron of art, !