Alfred Edward Perlman (1902–83) was an American railroad executive known for modernizing and restructuring major railway systems. As president of the New York Central Railroad (1954–68) and later the Penn Central Transportation Company, he shaped U.S. railroads in the mid-20th century.
Born in Saint Paul, Minnesota, Perlman earned a B.S. in civil engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (1923) and a master’s in railway transportation from Harvard Business School (1931.) His early career at the Northern Pacific Railway included roles as track laborer, inspector, and roadmaster, giving him hands-on operational experience.
Perlman gained recognition for cost-cutting and efficiency strategies, particularly at the Denver and Rio Grande Western Railroad and the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad. As president of the Western Pacific Railroad (1970s,) he revived the struggling company before its merger into Union Pacific.
His publication Western Pacific Railroad: The Feather River Route (1975) offers insights into railroad management and infrastructure. He was also featured in The Wreck of the Penn Central (1999,) which analyzed the challenges of the Penn Central merger.
More: Wikipedia • READ: Works by Alfred E. Perlman
After you’ve done a thing the same way for two years, look it over carefully. After five years, look at it with suspicion. And after ten years, throw it away and start all over.
—Alfred E. Perlman
Topics: Change
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