Garretson, Austin Bruce (1856-1931)

Image

Item Relations

Member of (1)
Mentioned in (2)
Received by (1)
Comments (0)

National Civic Federation

Samuel McCune Lindsay to George Foster Peabody, September 13, 1912

Frances Alice Kellor to Paul Underwood Kellogg, July 17, 1913

John Dewey et al. to Andrew Carnegie et al. January 31, 1917

Comments

Birth Date

1856-09-04

Death Date

1931-02-27

Birthplace

Winterset, Iowa

Biographical Text

Austin Bruce Garretson was a conductor and union organizer. After finishing school, Austin's father apprenticed him as a wheelwright..He then worked for a rail line and worked his way up from brakeman to conductor. In 1884 he became a member of the Lone Star Division 53 of the Order of Railway Conductors. For a time, Garretson lived in Mexico and worked for the National Railroad of Mexico and the Mexican Central Railway, later returning to the United States in 1889. Garretson was one of the people who turned the Order of Railway Conductors into a union. He served as the Grand Senior Conductor of the Order, and later as Assistant Grand Chief Conductor. He was also president of the union's mutual benefit department, a member of the executive committee of the American Railroad Employees and Investors association, and a member of the National Civic Federation. In 1906 Garretson was elected Grand Chief Conductor of the Order of Railway Conductors (the title later changed to President). He was appointed by President Wilson to the Industrial Commission in 1913. Afterwards, Garretson was involved in negotiations for railroad workers, engineers, firemen and brakemen to have an eight-hour workday and time-and-a-half overtime pay. In 1919 he retired, though he was appointed President Emeritus and Advisor to the Order of Railway Conductors until 1931.

Garretson married Marie R Garrettson in 1879. They had three children together. Garretson died in 1931.