Charles Eugene Denney

He was born in Washington, D.C., on October 18, 1879, the son of William H. Denney and Sarah E. Tabert.

He married Irene Sullivan Sickels (c. 1880 – 1970), and together they had two sons: Clark Denney and Charles Eugene Denney Jr.{{cite news |title=Died |quote=January 9, 1970, beloved wife of the late Charles Eugene Denney, who was former president of the Northern Pacific Railroad and the Erie Railway. Mother of Col. ... |newspaper=The New York Times |date=January 11, 1970}}

Denney was educated in the public schools of Lancaster, Pennsylvania, after which he attended Pennsylvania State College during 1899 to 1905, while working for Union Switch and Signal Company.

In 1905 he began working for the Lake Shore and Michigan Southern Railway (which later became part of New York Central Railroad) as assistant signal engineer. He worked his way up through promotions within the New York Central system until 1916 when he returned to Union Switch and Signal. In 1917 he moved to an executive position with the New York, Chicago and St. Louis Railroad where he was promoted to vice-president and general manager in 1928. In 1929 Denney became president of Erie Railroad.{{cite news |title=Charles E. Denney President of Erie. Vice President of the Railroad Is Elected to Succeed John J. Bernet, Who Resigned. Began as Section Hand. Robert E. Woodruff, Assistant Vice President, Promoted. Is a Purdue Graduate. Worked His Way at College. Woodruff a Purdue Man. |url=https://archive.org/details/sim_new-york-times_1929-05-25_78_26054_0/page/25/mode/1up |quote=Charles E. Denney, vice president of the Erie Railroad in charge of operation and maintenance, was elected president of the railroad yesterday. He succeeds John J. Bernet, who resigned to become president of the Chesapeake Ohio, the Hocking Valley and the Pere Marquette and ranking head of the Van Sweringen system. |newspaper=The New York Times |page=25 |date=May 25, 1929 |access-date=2024-11-12 |via=Internet Archive}} He remained in that position until October, 1939 when he became president of Northern Pacific Railway.{{cite magazine |title=1037 & 1030 |url=http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,762695,00.html?iid=chix-sphere |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121025071819/http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,762695,00.html?iid=chix-sphere |url-status=dead |archive-date=October 25, 2012 |quote=To succeed Northern Pacific's late Charles Donnelly is the job of big (225 lbs.), reserved, ironhanded Charles Eugene Denney, taken from the presidency of the bankrupt Erie. |magazine=Time |date=October 9, 1939 |access-date=2008-07-28 }}{{cite news |title=Northern Pacific Elects New Chief; Elected Railway Head |url=https://archive.org/details/sim_new-york-times_1939-09-29_89_29833/page/31/mode/1up |quote=The election of Charles E. Denney to the presidency of the Northern Pacific Railway was announced yesterday. He succeeds the late Charles Donnelly. |newspaper=The New York Times |page=31 |date=September 29, 1939 |access-date=2024-11-12 |via=Internet Archive}}

He died on January 18, 1965, in Pinehurst, North Carolina.{{cite news |title=Charles E. Denney Dead at 85. Ex-Presldent of Erie Railroad. |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1965/01/19/archives/charles-e-denney-dead-at-85-expresldent-of-erie-railroad.html |quote=Surviving are his widow, Mrs. Irene Sullivan Denney; two sons, Charles Eugene Denney Jr. and Clark Denney, and three grandchildren. |newspaper=The New York Times |date=January 19, 1965 |access-date=2008-07-28 |url-access=subscription}}

• List of railroad executives

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• {{cite book| title=Who's Who In Railroading in North America, 1940 edition| location=New York| publisher=Simmons-Boardman| year=1940| page=161 }}

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{{s-start}}

{{s-bef| before=John Joseph Bernet }}

{{s-ttl| title=President of Erie Railroad| years=1929 – 1939 }}

{{s-aft| after=Robert Eastman Woodruff }}

{{s-bef| before=Charles Donnelly }}

{{s-ttl| title=President of Northern Pacific Railway| years=1939 – 1950 }}

{{s-aft| after=Robert Stetson Macfarlane }}

{{end}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Denney, Charles Eugene}}

Category:1879 births

Category:Erie Railroad

Category:Northern Pacific Railway people

Category:Lake Shore and Michigan Southern Railway

Category:New York, Chicago and St. Louis Railroad

Category:1965 deaths

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