September, 1946 - Milwaukee Road Archive

J. P. !(ILEY
PEOPLE in the Seattle 'general offices
were pleasantly surprised on
the first of June to see the new
assistant to the president making a
tour of all the offices for the express,
purpose of meeting everyone personally.
The gesture was typical of J. P.
Kiley, for he is a man who admittedly
likes people and who likes to keep his
office door open so that he won't miss
anything or anybody. His big, friendly
, smile is always ready to help put people
at their ease.
It isn't necessary to be around this
man but a very short while to learn
that his chief interest, after his wife
and four lovely daughters, is 'the railroad.
However, being a railroader first,
last and always, doesn't get in the way
of his lively interest in sports and his
enjoyment of a sociable game of cards.
By way of understatement he also
confesses to a liking for puttering
around the house, and styles himself
a jack-of-all-trades in the puttering department.
The sad fact is, though, that
his activities along that line have been
somewhat curbed since his arrival in
Seattle, as he and his family have not
been too successful in their struggle
with the housing problem. They haven't
found a permanent place to live yet.
Mr. Kiley was born in Chicago on
Aug. 13, 1895. His father was a construction
man on the Rock Island and
Santa. Fe Railroads. "However," he
'hastened to add, with a smile,,"parental
influence wasn't responsible for my becoming
a railroad man, as my father
eventually went into the milk business."
Began as Rodman
He Believes In the Open Door
Shelleah Williams, author of
the accompanying articles concerning
J. P. Kiley and L. K.
Sorensen, has been Seattle general
offices correspondent for the
Milwaukee Magazine since May
of this year, an assignment she
unknowingly trained for by edit.
ing her high school newspaper.
She is employed in the office of
H. E. Arnold, assistant to general
m.anager, Seattle.
Seattle from October,1915, to June,
1916, and never saw the sun." The
weather seems to be better this time,
however.
In June, 1916, he went back to Chicago,
where he stayed as assistant valuation
engineer until 1930, excepting,
His first experience' with, the Milwaukee
Road was in the capacity of
rodman on a track elevation job during
one summer vacation before he was out
of school; the following summer he
worked as an instrument man. After
taking a degree in civil engineering at
Villanova College, Villanova, Pa., he
returned to the railroad on a full time
basis, this time being assigned to a
valuation job.
Contrary to general opinion, Mr. Kiley
is no stranger to Lines West. He
had been on the valuation work in Chicago
only tWo weeks" as a matter of
fact, when he was sent west to work
between HaHowton, Mont., and Mobridge,
S. D. In October, 1913, he came
to Seattle. Of his memories of Seattle;
he has but cine comment: "I stayed in L. K. Sorensen (left) ana J. P; KlI"y
8
of course, the year he spent in the Army
Engineering Corps during the first
World War. In 1930 he advanced to
engineering assistant to the chief. financial
and accounting officer and worked
on special studies for that dep'artment.
On Jan. 15, 1940, he became Mr.
Gillick's special representative, and a
year later was appointed auditor of investment
and joint facility accounts.
Dec. 1, 1942, found him serving as
assistant to the general manager, Lines
East, and on July 1, 1943, he was advanced
to the position of assistant general
manager, the position he" held at
the time of his appointment as assistant
to the president.
Mr. Kiley has taken over his new duties
with the vigor and directness which
are among his principal characteristics,
It is safe to say that in a short time
not only the Lines West employes, but
the Northwest generally will be aware
of ]. P. Kilev.
The Milwaukee Magazine
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