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11/21/2024
The National Railroad Hall of Fame inducted three rail industry pioneers in a ceremony held Nov. 19 at Union Station Kansas City, Missouri.
The inductees are the late Downing Jenks, former president and CEO of Missouri Pacific Railway; the late Arthur Stilwell, founder of the Kansas City, Pittsburg & Gulf Railroad (KCP&G); and Paul Tellier, past president and CEO of CN.
Located in Galesburg Illinois, the Hall of Fame honors the founders and leaders of American railroading by sharing their stories and educating the public about the role of railroads in the nation’s history and future.
Downing Jenks (1915 – 1996) was a third-generation railroader and started his rail career in 1934. He served as the president of the Rock Island Lines and president and CEO of the Missouri Pacific Railroad. In 1982, Union Pacific Railroad acquired Missouri Pacific; Jenks then joined the UP board, according to a Hall of Fame press release.
Stilwell (1859 – 1928) was the founder and president of KCP&G from 1897 to 1900. In his quest to connect Kansas City to the Gulf of Mexico via rail, Stilwell acquired and built more than 2,300 miles of rail and founded more than 40 cities. He also founded the Kansas City, Mexico & Orient Railway. Due to a number of setbacks, Stilwell lost ownership of both railroads. However, he is credited with launching the vision for a railroad to Mexico, which would ultimately be fulfilled through Kansas City Southern and Canadian Pacific Kansas City, Hall of Fame officials in a press release.
Paul Tellier (1939 – Present) joined the Canadian civil service after graduating law school. By 1985, he was appointed clerk of the privy council and secretary to the cabinet. In 1992, he was tapped to become president and CEO of the Montreal-based Canadian National Railway, now CN, to lead the privatization of the underperforming railroad. Tellier significantly reduced the size of the CN workforce, and productivity per employee rose by a third, and revenue per employee grew 30% by the end of 2000. Tellier oversaw CN's purchase of the Illinois Central and the Wisconsin Central Railway. In 2003, Tellier joined Bombardier Inc., and in 2004, he became chairman of Global Container Terminals before retiring in 2016.
Keith Creel, president and CEO of CPKC, accepted the Hall of Fame medallion for Stilwell; and Downing Jenks Jr. accepted the award on behalf of his father. Tellier attended the award ceremony to accept his award.