John Shedd Reed
American railroad executive
About John Shedd Reed
Lived 1917 – 2008 (aged 90–91).
John Shedd Reed (1917 in Chicago, Illinois – March 16, 2008 in Lake Forest, Illinois) was an American industrialist and railway magnate. He was president of the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway and then of its parent Santa Fe Industries from 1967 until 1986. The rail transport industry journal Modern Railways named Reed its Man of the Year for 1970. Reed was popularly known as "John Santa Fe" by his employees. Prior to his ascendancy as president, Reed oversaw the final transition of the Santa Fe from steam to diesel engines in 1957.
He was educated at Los Alamos Ranch School, The Hotchkiss School, Yale University, and Harvard University. He served as the president of Shedd Aquarium in Chicago, Illinois, from 1984 to 1994. Reed's grandfather was John G. Shedd, founder of the aquarium.
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Important facts
People in John Shedd Reed's life
Named in this biography and alive at the same time
Contemporaries
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Frequently asked questions
Who was John Shedd Reed?
American railroad executive
When was John Shedd Reed born?
John Shedd Reed was born in 1917.
When did John Shedd Reed die?
John Shedd Reed died on 16 March 2008.
Sources & further reading
Cite this page
APA: Biography.guide. (2026). John Shedd Reed. https://biography.guide/john-shedd-reed/
MLA: "John Shedd Reed." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/john-shedd-reed/.
Chicago: "John Shedd Reed." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/john-shedd-reed/.
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