Vision Accomplished: The History of Kansas City Southern

Related Organization: Kansas City Public Library

Established in 1887, Kansas City Southern (KCS) began as an intercity belt railroad and grew to become a vital north-south rail link between the U.S. and Mexico. The company’s unlikely rise was largely due to its visionary leaders and the development of beneficial relationships between customers, suppliers, and rail partners. 

Drawing from his book Vision Accomplished: The History of Kansas City Southern, author William H. Galligan examines how the railway’s corporate culture, born from the leadership of its founder, Arthur Stilwell, became an integral component in its success. He further details how two of Stilwell’s successors, William Deramus and Michael Haverty, through courage, character, and vision, navigated the company through perilous times and made it a major participant in the North American supply chain.    

Galligan was employed by Kansas City Southern from 1992 through 2017, overseeing the company’s investor relations program and taking on special projects. Prior to joining KCS, he was director of corporate communications for a Connecticut electrical utility. Now retired, he splits his time between Kansas City and Guilford, CT.