Pennsylvania Railroad Company. Personnel Dept.

The Pennsylvania Railroad Company's Personnel Department was created upon the return of the railroad to private control on March 1, 1920. Prior to that time, hiring and discipline had been handled by the division superintendents and the heads of non-operating departments. During the period of federal control (1918-1920), the U.S. Railroad Administration had made many concessions to organized labor and recognized the non-operating unions which the PRR had successfully resisted for many years. The creation of the Personnel Department was part of the company's strategy to reassert control over its labor force and to cope with increasing government regulation of labor relations.

The Personnel Department was a staff department reporting to the Vice President-Operations and headed by a Vice President-Personnel. At the regional level there were Labor and Wage Bureaus reporting to the Regional General Managers. The Personnel Department also subsumed two prior departments concerned with personnel issues, the Pension Department (formed 1900) and the Voluntary Relief Department (formed 1886). A Safety Department was added in 1927. The post of Chief of Personnel was created in 1931 as the principal subordinate to the Vice President-Personnel, and when Vice President R. V. Massey died in 1932, the Chief of Personnel became the department head.

After World War II, the company began to introduce more modern employee relations practices influenced by the social sciences. The subordinate office of Manager of Employee Relations was created in 1951. During the same departmental reorganization, the regional personnel officers were designated Superintendents of Personnel. The Chief of Personnel was replaced by an Assistant V.P.-Operations-Personnel in 1953.

The Personnel Department was completely reorganized on November 1, 1955, as part of a larger corporate reorganization. It was detached from the Operating Department and placed under a Vice President-Personnel reporting directly to the President. The old Pension and Relief Departments were completely abolished and replaced by a Manager of Employee Benefits, and the Medical Department was brought directly under the V.P.-Personnel. A new series of subordinate officers was created reflecting the further bureaucratization of labor relations: the Director-Labor Relations, Director-Personnel Administration, Manager-Wage & Salary Administration, Manager-Employment Practices & Training, and Manager-Salary Administration.

From April 1, 1960 to July 1, 1964, the Personnel Department was combined with the Public Relations Department under a single Vice President-Public & Employee Relations. On January 15, 1962, a separate Vice President-Labor Relations was created to handle labor policy and national collective bargaining. When Vice President-Public & Employee Relations James W. Oram retired on July 1, 1964, to serve on the Labor Relations Committee of the Eastern Railroad Presidents Conference, the two positions were recombined as Vice President-Labor Relations & Personnel, and public relations was separated from the Personnel Department.

The heads of the Personnel Department have been: George L. Peck (1920-1928); Robert V. Massey (1928-1932); Herbert A. Enochs (1932-1943); Charles E. Musser (1943-1947); James W. Oram (1947-1964) and Guy W. Knight (1964-1968).

From the description of Records, 1887-1968 (bulk 1920-1955). (Hagley Museum & Library). WorldCat record id: 122503443