[Walker Downer]. American railway official, born at Russelville, KY, on the 2nd of February 1870. He was educated at Ogden College (B.S. 1888) and the university of Virginia (B.L. 1893). From 1803 to 1904 he was with the Louisville & Nashville railway as assistant attorney, assistant chief attorney and, after 1901, as first vice-president. He practised law in Louisville, KY, 1904–06 and in New York City 1906–16. In 1906 he became general counsel for the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fé railway, serving in this capacity for twelve years. He was also chairman of the executive committee after 1908 and chairman of the board of directors from 1916. In February 1918, when the U.S. Government assumed control of the railways as a war measure, he was appointed assistant director-general, and in January of the following year succeeded William G. McAdoo as director-general. He resigned the directorship in May 1920, intending to resume the practice of law in New York City, but was appointed by President Wilson to act as arbitrator in the distribution of German inland shipping under the Peace Treaty. He was specially versed in questions of interstate commerce and wrote many articles on federal regulation of railways.
