Richard K. "Dick" Davidson, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of both the Union Pacific Railroad and its parent Union Pacific Corporation, died on May 31, 2026 at the age of 84.
The Allen, KS native grew up in a rural home that lacked running water, before eventually hiring out on the railroad and rising to serve as Vice President of Operations on the Missouri Pacific Railroad under longtime Chairman Downing B. Jenks. Following the MoP-UP merger, Davidson became Vice President of Operations for the combined carrier (that also included the Western Pacific), before being named President and CEO of the Union Pacific Railroad in 1991, and later Chairman and CEO of parent Union Pacific Corporation in 1997.
Davidson's tenure saw Union Pacific merge with the Chicago & North Western Railway, giving the carrier its first direct entry into Chicago, which was followed by the acquisition of the allied Southern Pacific and Denver, Rio Grande & Western, giving the carrier its current form.
Davidson retired to Naples, FL and served on a number of boards, including that of grocer Kroger, the Boy Scouts of America, and Creighton University. He was also a member of the Horatio Alger Association of Distinguished Americans and a member of the Nebraska Business Hall of Fame.
Union Pacific Press Release: Union Pacific Mourns the Passing of Dick Davidson | Union Pacific
Horatio Alger Award Page (including video): Richard K. Davidson - Horatio Alger
Photo Credit: Union Pacific Railroad