ROANOKE, Va. — The National Railroad Hall of Fame inducted former Norfolk Southern CEO David Goode, the late Southern Railway President Bill Brosnan, and the late Jim McClellan, Norfolk Southern’s longtime head of strategic planning, during a Thursday evening ceremony in Roanoke.
“David, having you as counsel has meant a great deal to me,” NS CEO Mark George said, according to his prepared remarks. “You’ve reminded me that great leadership is often rooted in humility and dedication to building something better than what you inherited. You’ve been a trusted voice while we’re currently navigating our industry changing and the stakes are high. On the foundation you laid, we’re going to continue positioning this railroad to better serve the country by pursuing a transcontinental, end-to-end freight rail network with Union Pacific – one that will help sustain the next generation of railroaders.”
Goode was at the helm of NS during its battle with CSX for control of Conrail in 1996 and 1997 and led the railroad through the 1999 split of Conrail. Jim McClellan was an architect of deal that resulted in NS gaining 58% of Conrail and CSX getting 42% of the railroad.
George accepted the recognition on Brosnan’s behalf, while McClellan’s son, Michael, the railroad’s chief strategy officer, accepted the recognition on his father’s behalf.
“As the current custodian of this company, I’m a devoted student of its history. And tonight is a reminder that Norfolk Southern has many giants in our legacy. We’re grateful for the Hall of Famers who came before, leaders who built not only railroads, but expectations: about safety, about customer service, and about the dignity of hard work,” George said. “And tonight, we celebrate three inductees who represent the very best of that legacy: Bill Brosnan, Jim McClellan, and David Goode.”
George said Brosnan’s influence on the Southern in the 1960s is still being felt at Norfolk Southern today in the form of exceptional engineering, market innovations, and industrial development.
George also noted Jim McClellan’s hand in building the NS network.
“Jim McClellan was a lifelong rail enthusiast who understood that railroads don’t just grow, they must be thoughtfully built and continuously refined. We’re grateful his legacy lives on through his son, Mike, who is currently helping us chart a new path for freight rail,” he said.
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Where are guys like that now?? All we et are hedge fund lackeys!
I don’t read Turkish … I assume that the post written in Turkish explains that the late Jim McClellan was an asset to railroading and an asset to America.