Fred Gurley


Fred G. Gurley was president and executive committee chairman of Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway.
Gurley began his railroad career in 1906 on the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad, where he worked his way up to become an assistant vice president. In 1939 he transferred to the Santa Fe as a vice president; he was elected president and executive committee chairman of the Santa Fe in 1944. On July 17, 1955, Gurley appeared on Dateline: Disneyland; the special broadcast of the opening of Disneyland. Gurley, along with Walt Disney and California Governor Goodwin Knight operated the inaugural running of the Disneyland Railroad; advertised at the time as the Sante Fe & Disneyland Railroad. Gurley retired in 1959, but stayed on as a director until 1964. At that time, he was named an honorary director for life by the railroad.

Legacy