Topic: Former BN exec dies Date: Tuesday, Dec.3, 2002 @13.44PST From: BNSF Today Richard C. Grayson, former BN CEO, dies- Richard C. Grayson Sr., a former Burlington Northern president and CEO who began his railroading career as a brakeman on the St.Louis-San Francisco Railway Co. in 1941, died Nov.27 at the age of 81 in St.Louis, MO., from complications stemming from open-heart surgery. Born Dec.16,1920 in Cuba, MO., Grayson was the 7th of 8 children. In 1941, he joined the Frisco, following in the footsteps of his father and father-in-law. Rising rapidly through the ranks from brakeman to conductor to dispatcher to trainmaster and so on, Grayson held nearly every position possible on the railroad. In 1969, he was named president and CEO; in 1973 he was named chairman. In Dec. of 1980, Burlington Northern aquired the Frisco, and Grayson was named CEO. In April of 1983 his role was again expanded when he was promoted to chairman of the railroad, vice chairman of Burlington Northern, Inc., the parent company, and CEO of BNI's newly formed Transportation Group, which then accounted for more than 80% of the company's revenues and assets. He retired in Dec.1985, but continued on the BNI board for several more years. From the late 1960s into the 1990s, Grayson served as a director on the boards of many organizations and corporations, including General American Life Insurance, Laclede Gas, Civic Progress, United Way, Barnes Hospital, Alton Box and the Centerre Bank Corporation. He was also, from 1971 until his death, a Trustee of Drury University in Springfield, MO. In 1985 the university recieved an endowment from BN to establish the Burlington Northern Chair of Business Administration in Honor of Richard C. Grayson. Richard Grayson leaves behind his wife of 63 years, Evelyn; three children, Susanne Grayson Townsend, Shari Grayson McGinnis, and Richard C. Grayson, Jr.; six grandchildren; and a sister, Emma Lou Gist.
my father worked for Richard Grayson at the Frisco in St. Louis Missouri in the 1960s and 1970s, and the 1980s and 1990s in St. Paul Minnesota and Ft. Worth Texas. His name is Ronald Cook and was director of Market Research for the Frisco Railroad
I met Dick Grayson while employed at Fellini Mayfield Ford, Inc. as Fleet Manager. I met him through J.K. Brashears V.Pres. Frisco Railroad in 1964 or 1965. For many years I maintained contact with him and considered him a good friend.I remember Grayson and Brashears each having 42' Chris Craft Cruisers docked on Table Rock Lake and my wife and I invited for the week end. Great Guy! Great times! Darrell Peebles Reno, Nevada
Folks: Referencing Mr. Grayson's obit from a few years back... I recalled reading that he became CEO of the BN after the BN-SLSF merger. Anyone have any further insight into this? Assuming that the BN was the bigger fish on the food chain, so to speak, it seems a bit of an unusual arrangement. At the very least it seemed to be a strong endorsement of Mr. Grayson's leadership and skill. I'm asking as I'm supplementing info on a previously-written railroad history of Chaffee, MO where Mr. Grayton was Division Superintendent of the River Division in the early 1950s. Thanks,
