A. E. Lyon Papers

Arlon Everett "Art" Lyon was born in Thedford, Nebraska on October 15, 1899. In 1919, after his discharge from the U.S. Army, Mr. Lyon secured a job with the Southern Pacific Railroad in Stockton, California as a signal helper. After a few years of employment, Mr. Lyon became active in his local union, the Brotherhood of Railroad Signalmen [BRS], first as member of the local grievance committee, then as chairman of that committee. Within a year, Mr. Lyon became general chairman for the local BRS on the Southern Pacific; this was a full time position.



His rise through the BRS ranks continued, becoming a member of the Grand Executive Board of the national union and finally accepting a job at the international headquarters of the BRS in Chicago, Illinois. Mr. Lyon worked as the assistant to both the union president and the union secretary-treasurer; he also served as the editor of The Signalman's Journal, the publication of the BRS.



In 1934, Mr. Lyon became president of the BRS after being recommended by the outgoing union president. Mr. Lyon served as union president from 1934-1945. In 1945, Mr. Lyon became the Executive Secretary of the Railway Labor Executives' Board [RLEA]. He held this position until 1962, serving as the spokesman for all of the member organizations of the RLEA in Washington, D.C.



From 1945 to 1962, while serving as Executive Secretary of the RLEA in Washington, Mr. Lyon was assigned the task of representing American railway labor on the Executive Committee of the International Transport Workers' Federation [ITWF]. This was part of the RLEA's broader responsibilities in the Marshall Plan during the post-war period. During this phase of the Marshall Plan, he was one of three labor members of the Public Advisory Board of the Economic Cooperation Administration. He also served on the Department of Labor's Trade Union Advisory Committee on International Labor Affairs. Mr. Lyon was the only labor member of the U.S. National Commission for the Pan-American Railway Congress. He was delegate to sessions of the Inland Transport Committee of the International Labor Organization.



In 1962, Mr. Lyon left the RLEA and accepted the appointment as the labor member on the Railroad Retirement Board from President John F. Kennedy. He was reappointed to the board by President Lyndon B. Johnson in 1964.



After his retirement, Mr. Lyon spent his time writing about the history of the BRS, American railway labor, and his involvement in both.