The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1928-07-13
HEART ATTACK
IS FATAL TO
ROBERT TODD
President of indianapolis
Street Railway Company
Dies in New York.
FAMED OVER NATION
Traction Executive Came
Here in 1906 to Take
important Post.

of the Indianapolis Street Railway
Company and the Terre Haute, In
dianapolis g. Eastern Traction Com
pany, died at the home of his sister,
Mrs. William H. Hulick, at New
York City Thursday night.
Cause of death was given as heart
disease in a United Press dispatch
from New York today.
Mr.. Todd, one of the foremost
street railway executives of the
country, left here Wednesday eve
ming to attend sessions Of the Amer
ican Electric Railway Association at
New York today.
Dies in Sleep
He arrived Thursday afternoon.
Shortly after his arrival he went to
sleep on sofa, according to the dis
patch. He never awakened.
Mr.. Todd was to have gone Sun
day to his summer home on the
Potomac in Maryland, where his wife
and only child, Robert William
Todd, II, were staying.
No word has been received here
as to funeral arrangements.
Mr.. Todd was born at Lakewood,
N. j., Nov. 20, 1869.
His father was the Rev. Francis
Todd, a Presbyterian minister,
whose ancestors we're of Scotch
Irish descent and settled in New
jersey before 1862.
Johns Hopkins Graduate
Mr.. Todd was graduated from
Johns Hopkins University, Balti-
more, with the degree Of electrical
engineer in 1893 During his college
years ne gained practical expert
ence working in the shops Of a
motor company at Baltimore and for
the Raleigh IN. CO. Traction Com
pany, one of the first electric street
car lines in the country.
Upon graduation he became
superintendent of the lexington
and Soldiers Home Railway, Wash
ington, which later was consolidated
into the Washington Railway and
Electric Company.
In 1899 he left that company to
become chief engineer of the Amer
lean Air Power Company, New
York City, and a few years later
took a position as assistant chief
engineer of the Metropolitan Street
Railway Of New York
Goes to Pittsburgh in 1900
In 1900 he became master me-
chanic of the Consolidated Street
Railways of Pittsburgh.
In 1901 Mr.. Todd became vice
president and general manager o.
the Cincinnati Traction Company
, but he left that position in 1902 tt
become general supervisor of en-
gineering work of the United Ga.
Improvement Company, Philadel.
= phia.
In 1908 he again changed posi-
tions, taking the post Of manager
of the Rhode Island Company
which controlled traction lines al
Providence and Pawtucket, anc
several Rhode Island interurbar
lines.
I He came to Indianapolis on Jan
1, 1906, as vice president and gen.
eral manager Of the Indianapoli,
) Traction and Terminal Company
: which now is the Indianapoli!
! Street Railway Company.
Official of Terre Haute Line
In 1907 when the Terre Haute
Indianapolis g. Eastern Traction
Company was formed by consollda.
ton of several interurban proper.
; ties, Mr.. Todd became vice presi.
dent and general manager of thai
organization.
: Upon the death of Hugh J. Nc
Gowan in 1911, Mr.. Todd succeeded
: Mr.. MCGOWAN as president of both
companies.
: The w. Tenth st. power station
/ of the T. H., I. & E., one Of the mos
/ modern in the Middle West, wa
. designed and constructed under hi;
personal supervision.
Mr.. Todd was president Of the
American Electric Railway Trans.
J portation and Traffic Association II
. 1912, president of the Central Elec.
/ trio Railway Association in 1920, anC
president of the American Electric
: Railway Association in 1922
He also was member of thi
American Society of Mechanical En-
gineers and the American Institute
of Electrical Engineers.
Member of Several Clubs
He also was a member of Colum
: bia Club, University Club, Rotar.
! ! Club, indianapolis Athletic Club
Hoosier Athletic Club, Chamber O
Commerce, Board of Trade. Indian
apolis N1aennerchor, Dramatic CluI
and was a thirty degree Ma
son.
In 1901 Mr.. Todd married Char
lotte L. Vinal of New York.
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Hourly Temperatures
a. m..., 81 10 a. m.... 81
q M 63 II a m 65