Anthony Haswell (passenger rail advocate)

Last updated
Anthony Haswell
Born1931
DiedMay 17, 2024
Tucson, Arizona
OccupationPassenger Rail Advocate

Anthony Haswell was an attorney and noted passenger rail advocate in the United States.

Haswell was born 1931 in Dayton, Ohio, son of Anthony and Virginia (Rike) Haswell. He received a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Wisconsin in 1953, and an L.L.B. from the University of Michigan in 1958, and worked in both private practice and as an assistant public defender in Chicago. [1]

In 1967 he founded the National Association of Railroad Passengers, serving as its chairman and executive director through 1974. During that time he was deeply involved in the development, refinement and enactment of the legislation which created Amtrak, testifying before numerous Congressional committees and working closely with committee staff.

From 1975 to 1977, he was managing director of passenger services of the Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad, where he assisted with the transfer of the company's Chicago commuter trains to Metra. [2] In October, 1977, President Jimmy Carter nominated Haswell to serve on the board of directors of Amtrak, [3] but the nomination was subsequently withdrawn at Haswell's request after meeting with resistance in the United States Senate and from some union leaders. [4]

Haswell, a longtime Arizona resident, died after a long illness on May 17, 2024. He was 94. [5]

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References

  1. Who's Who in Railroading and Rail Transit, 18th ed.(1977), p. 169
  2. "Arizona Rail Passenger Association director biographies". 1998. Archived from the original on 2007-11-11. Retrieved 2008-10-18.
  3. Todd Fandell, "Profile: Amtrak pick a rail buff", Chicago Tribune, 24 October 1977, sec. 6, p. 9
  4. "Haswell Nomination Killed", Burlington Free Press, 4 May 1978, p. 10
  5. Keefe, Kevin P. (May 20, 2024). "Remembering passenger train crusader Tony Haswell". Trains .