1928
Arnold
2009
Arnold Borden Mckinnon
January 1, 1928 — May 18, 2009
Arnold B. McKinnon
NORFOLK
Arnold Borden McKinnon, 81, died Monday evening, May 18, 2009, of heart failure in Suburban Hospital, Bethesda, Md.
Mr. McKinnon was the former chairman, president and chief executive officer of Norfolk Southern Corporation and a resident of Norfolk since the founding of that company in 1982.
Mr. McKinnon was born in Goldsboro, N.C., the second son to Margaret Borden and Henry Alexander McKinnon, and spent his early childhood in Maxton, N.C., moving to Lumberton, N.C., at age 7. He was a graduate of Duke University where he received both his B.A. and Law degrees, having served on the Law Review and as a member of the Order of the Coif.
He is survived by his beloved wife of 58 years, Oriana McArthur McKinnon and by his beloved sons, Arnold Borden McKinnon Jr. and his wife Lisa of Chevy Chase, Md., Colin McArthur McKinnon and his wife Patt of Norfolk and Henry Alexander McKinnon III of Washington, D.C. Mr. McKinnon is also survived by his much loved grandchildren, Kris and Sandy McKinnon of Norfolk and Anna and Borden McKinnon of Chevy Chase. Mr. McKinnon is also survived by two brothers, Judge Henry McKinnon and his wife Martha of Lumberton, N.C., and John Borden McKinnon and his wife Grace of Winston Salem, N.C.
Mr. McKinnon had a full and successful life, receiving many honors in business, but he always said that the thing he was most proud of was his family. He was a man of deep and quiet faith, active as a youth Sunday school teacher at St. Andrew's Methodist Church in Bethesda, Md., serving on its board as lay leader for several years.
Since moving to Norfolk, he had been a member of First Presbyterian Church. Mr. McKinnon spent his entire 42-year business career as a railroader, beginning with Southern Railway in Washington, D.C., in 1951. He rose from a law clerkship to the rank of executive vice president of Law, Finance and Public Affairs. At the time of the merger of Southern Railway and Norfolk and Western Railway in 1982, he assumed the job of executive vice president of Marketing. In 1986, he was named vice chairman of Norfolk Southern and in 1987 he became chairman, president and chief executive officer. He retired from the railroad in 1992 at age 65, and remained on the Board of Directors until 2000.
Mr. McKinnon served on many business and civic boards including American Security Bank of Washington, D.C., Sovran Bank of Norfolk, NationsBank of Charlotte, N.C., the Boys and Girls Club of America, the Board of Visitors of the Fuqua School of Business at Duke University, and the Business Advisory Committee of the Transportation Center at Northwestern University. He was also a member of the Business Round Table and the American Society of Corporate Executives, and a director of the Association of American Railroads. In addition, he valued his service on the boards of the Chrysler Museum of Art, Virginia Symphony Orchestra, and Old Dominion University in Norfolk, and as a commissioner of the Virginia Port Authority and the Norfolk Redevelopment and Housing Authority. He was a member of the Norfolk Rotary Club and the Norfolk Yacht and Country Club, as well as the Chevy Chase Club and the Metropolitan Club of Washington.
A graveside service will be 2 p.m. Saturday at Oak Grove Cemetery in Maxton.
The McKinnon family requests that, in lieu of flowers, memorial gifts be made to the Boys and Girls Clubs of South Hampton Roads Virginia or the Chrysler Museum of Art in Norfolk.
Read Arnold McKinnon's Obituary and Guestbook on www.mcdougald.com.
NORFOLK
Arnold Borden McKinnon, 81, died Monday evening, May 18, 2009, of heart failure in Suburban Hospital, Bethesda, Md.
Mr. McKinnon was the former chairman, president and chief executive officer of Norfolk Southern Corporation and a resident of Norfolk since the founding of that company in 1982.
Mr. McKinnon was born in Goldsboro, N.C., the second son to Margaret Borden and Henry Alexander McKinnon, and spent his early childhood in Maxton, N.C., moving to Lumberton, N.C., at age 7. He was a graduate of Duke University where he received both his B.A. and Law degrees, having served on the Law Review and as a member of the Order of the Coif.
He is survived by his beloved wife of 58 years, Oriana McArthur McKinnon and by his beloved sons, Arnold Borden McKinnon Jr. and his wife Lisa of Chevy Chase, Md., Colin McArthur McKinnon and his wife Patt of Norfolk and Henry Alexander McKinnon III of Washington, D.C. Mr. McKinnon is also survived by his much loved grandchildren, Kris and Sandy McKinnon of Norfolk and Anna and Borden McKinnon of Chevy Chase. Mr. McKinnon is also survived by two brothers, Judge Henry McKinnon and his wife Martha of Lumberton, N.C., and John Borden McKinnon and his wife Grace of Winston Salem, N.C.
Mr. McKinnon had a full and successful life, receiving many honors in business, but he always said that the thing he was most proud of was his family. He was a man of deep and quiet faith, active as a youth Sunday school teacher at St. Andrew's Methodist Church in Bethesda, Md., serving on its board as lay leader for several years.
Since moving to Norfolk, he had been a member of First Presbyterian Church. Mr. McKinnon spent his entire 42-year business career as a railroader, beginning with Southern Railway in Washington, D.C., in 1951. He rose from a law clerkship to the rank of executive vice president of Law, Finance and Public Affairs. At the time of the merger of Southern Railway and Norfolk and Western Railway in 1982, he assumed the job of executive vice president of Marketing. In 1986, he was named vice chairman of Norfolk Southern and in 1987 he became chairman, president and chief executive officer. He retired from the railroad in 1992 at age 65, and remained on the Board of Directors until 2000.
Mr. McKinnon served on many business and civic boards including American Security Bank of Washington, D.C., Sovran Bank of Norfolk, NationsBank of Charlotte, N.C., the Boys and Girls Club of America, the Board of Visitors of the Fuqua School of Business at Duke University, and the Business Advisory Committee of the Transportation Center at Northwestern University. He was also a member of the Business Round Table and the American Society of Corporate Executives, and a director of the Association of American Railroads. In addition, he valued his service on the boards of the Chrysler Museum of Art, Virginia Symphony Orchestra, and Old Dominion University in Norfolk, and as a commissioner of the Virginia Port Authority and the Norfolk Redevelopment and Housing Authority. He was a member of the Norfolk Rotary Club and the Norfolk Yacht and Country Club, as well as the Chevy Chase Club and the Metropolitan Club of Washington.
A graveside service will be 2 p.m. Saturday at Oak Grove Cemetery in Maxton.
The McKinnon family requests that, in lieu of flowers, memorial gifts be made to the Boys and Girls Clubs of South Hampton Roads Virginia or the Chrysler Museum of Art in Norfolk.
Read Arnold McKinnon's Obituary and Guestbook on www.mcdougald.com.
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