Hunter HARRISON

1944 - 2017

HARRISON, E. Hunter Hunter Harrison was born on November 7, 1944 to Ewing Hunter Harrison, Jr. "Tank" and Dorothy Mildred Harrison in Memphis, Tennessee. He was the oldest sibling to four sisters, Mary Couey, Sydney Harrison, Diane Harrison, and Helen Hamilton. Harrison graduated from Kingsbury High School in 1962 where he excelled at football and baseball and could often be found in dance competitions at the local YMCA. It was at one of these dances where he met his soon-to-be wife, Jeannie Day, with whom he spent almost fifty-four years. Harrison began taking classes at Memphis State, but in December 1963 took his first job as a carman oiler at the Saint Louis-San Francisco Railway (Frisco). While he quickly progressed at the railroad, Jeannie and Hunter welcomed their daughter Elizabeth "Libby" into their lives. As a family, they moved 18 times as Hunter rose through the ranks at Frisco followed by Burlington Northern, where his career took off. In 1983, Hunter and Jeannie welcomed another daughter, Cayce, and in 1989 the family moved to Chicago where he ran operations for Illinois Central. It was at IC where he attained the position of President and CEO, the first of four times he would achieve that standing at four different railroads. On his watch, IC became the most efficient railroad in North America. In 1998, he was named Chief Operating Officer of the much-larger Canadian National Railway, rising to President and CEO of CN in 2003. Before retiring in 2009, he led a major turnaround there as well, turning CN into the most efficient large railroad on the continent. Two years later, he was coaxed out of retirement by activist investor Bill Ackman and became President and CEO of Canadian Pacific Railway (CP) in 2012. His four and a half years there resulted in what CNBC called "the greatest corporate turnaround ever". In 2017, he left CP to take the helm at CSX Corp, where he was in the midst of yet another turnaround. The prospect of Harrison leading CSX led investors to bid up the value of the company by $8 billion in twenty-four hours and several more billion by the time he secured the job a month later. Hunter is widely viewed as the best railroader in history. He was named Railroad Man of the Year by the St. Louis Railroad Club, the first-non CEO to win, and was twice named Railroader of the Year by Railway Age magazine. In Canada, he received an honorary doctorate from the University of Alberta and was named CEO of the Year by the national newspaper, The Globe and Mail. Hunter was known as a tough but fair leader who had a great eye for talent. He loved mentoring people who had potential and frequently led so-called "Hunter Camps," spending days teaching and motivating employees. At CN, he wrote two books about how to run a railroad. Railroads around the world have used his writing to improve employee performance, boost efficiency and develop businesses. A larger-than-life personality who worked his way up from the bottom to the top, Hunter Harrison was one of a kind. He was unforgettable to anyone who met him, an extrovert and true force of life. He was able to charm just about anyone, and his fierce commitment to living with integrity and being true to himself rubbed off on those around him. Aside from work, Harrison was an avid sportsman who excelled at tennis and golf. He also had a passion for equestrian show jumping. He owned two horse farms, one in Ridgefield, Connecticut, the other in Wellington, Florida. He was immensely proud of them and their approximately 50 show jumping horses. Like everything he did, he aimed for the best; once he got involved in the show jumping world, he was all-in. His horses were a global success, winning Olympic gold and silver medals, the World Cup Final and championships all over Europe and North America. Above all, Harrison was fiercely devoted to his family. His greatest and most profound moments were spent with his family at the dinner table where he enthralled everyone, particularly his three granddaughters, Morgan, Mackenzie, and Hunter Julo with his peerless stories of his many life adventures. He possessed the gifts of charm, wit, humor; he knew how to make a good story great. With four sisters, two daughters and three granddaughters, Harrison, often joked about "being surrounded." He happily welcomed sons-in-law, Earl Julo and Quentin Judge and the recent arrival of his grandson, Harrison Rhodes Judge. To the public, he was seen as a corporate giant, but those who knew him best will miss the Southern gentleman with a heart of gold and a generous, unstoppable spirit. In lieu of flowers, please hug a loved one and tell them how much they mean to you. Memorial contributions may also be made to Grace Place (graceplacemethodist.com), run by his sister Diane, or the Morgan Pressel Foundation (morganpresselfoundation.com).