Descriptive Summary
Access
Publication Rights
Preferred Citation
Acquisition Information
Biography/Administrative History
Scope and Content of Collection
Indexing Terms
Additional collection guides
Descriptive Summary
Title: Robert Lee King family papers
Dates: 1937-1983
Collection Number: MS 628
Creator/Collector:
King, Robert Lee (1923-1982)
Extent: 2 boxes
Repository:
California State Railroad Museum Library and Archives
Sacramento, California 95814
Abstract: This collection documents Robert Lee King's distinguished 38-year career with the Southern Pacific Company.
Language of Material: English
Access
This collection is open for research at our off-site storage facility with one week's notice. Contact Library & Archives
staff to arrange for access.
Publication Rights
Copyright has not been assigned to the California State Railroad Museum. All requests for permission to publish or quote from
manuscripts must be submitted in writing to the Director of Collections. Permission for publication is given on behalf of
the CSRM as the owner of the physical items and is not intended to include or imply permission of the copyright holder, which
must also be obtained by the reader.
Preferred Citation
Robert Lee King family papers. California State Railroad Museum Library and Archives
Acquisition Information
Gift of Stephen E. Drew, 2006.
Biography/Administrative History
Robert Lee King was born on December 15, 1923 in Auxvasse, Missouri. He joined SP in 1944 at El Paso, Texas as Secretary
to the Rio Grande Division Superintendent and rose through positions of increasing responsibility. Mr. King’s occupations
during 38 years of service for Southern Pacific Company also include: Trainmaster, Rio Grande Division (1948), Tucson Division
(1949) and Sacramento Division (1954), Assistant Superintendent, Salt Lake Division (1959) and Sacramento Division (1962),
Superintendent, Western Division, Oakland (1965), Assistant General Manager of the Operating Department, San Francisco headquarters
(1967), General Manager, San Francisco headquarters (1969), Vice-President, Traffic, San Francisco headquarters (1978), and
Senior Vice-President, Traffic (1982). While working for Southern Pacific, Mr. King completed Harvard Business School's
program for management development in December, 1961.
In 1945, Mr. King married Irma Ruth Rountree. The Kings had two children, Beverly and Bruce. The Kings were long-time members
of the Park Boulevard Presbyterian church in Oakland, where Mrs. King was President of the Women’s Association.
Mr. King died on November 27, 1982 at the age of 58.
Scope and Content of Collection
Includes correspondence, telegrams and cards congratulating Robert King on his numerous promotions, SP circulars announcing
his promotions, clippings from newspapers and magazines in which Mr. King has appeared, black-and-white and color photographs
of business colleagues, family, friends, and trips, including one to Germany and several to Mexico, a scrapbook of an inspection
trip, mailing lists for the SP traffic and operating departments, a few pay stubs, a certificate from Harvard Business School,
and some material collected by his wife Irma Ruth Rountree (1921-1986) about her interests and accomplishments. Personal
papers include a high-school transcript and correspondence about the possibility of obtaining work as a congressional aide
out of high school. Northwestern Pacific and Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe train orders from 1909 collected by Robert King
predate the collection, which spans the dates 1937-1983.
Arranged alphabetically by type of material. Correspondence, clippings, motivational messages, newsletters and programs collected
by Robert King's wife, Irma, are arranged alphabetically by the type of material.
Additional collection guides
No online items
