Bill Schmidt, a former Railway Age editor, dies at 90

Railway Age, Nov, 2004

William H. Schmidt, Jr., whose career in the railroad industry spanned half a century, died at his home in Washington, D.C., on Oct. 2. He was 90. Schmidt's first railroad job was as a maintenance worker on the Milwaukee Road in 1936. He joined Railway Age in 1942 and served successively as transportation editor, western editor, and executive editor.

He left the magazine in 1956 to join the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad; he was assistant to the president, Jervis Langdon, when he resigned to take a research position at the Federal Railroad Administration, from which he retired at the age of 75. Early in his career, he taught English and public speaking at his alma mater, Rutgers University, and later became well known for after-dinner speeches that combined a ready wit with a profound understanding of the railroads' potential for delivering first-class transportation. He is survived by his wife, Alice; their daughter, Carolyn; and their son, Peter.