Obituary for Perry T. Egbert
The Ithaca Journal, Jul 13 1970, P.9, with photo
"Perry T. Egbert, 77, of 4 Sunset Drive, died Saturday, in his home.
He was formerly chairman of the board and president of Alco Products Inc., having retired in 1962 after 42 years' association with railroading.
A native of Ithaca, he served on the Ithaca Board of Education from 1967 to 1969.
He graduated from Cornell's School of Mechanical Engineering in 1915 and was a member of the original Student Aviation Training Corps class. During World War I he served overseas as a pursuit pilot with 185th Aero Squadron in France and then returned to Cornell to teach for a year before joining teach for a year before joining Alco in 1920.
He was the company's technical representative in China from 1921-1924, when he returned to domestic locomotive manufacturing and sales. He became pioneer in the development of the diesel engine for use as a locomotive power plant in the late 1920s and was appointed manager of the firm's railway diesel sales division in 1934. He was elected vice president in charge of diesel locomotive sales in 1944.
He directed the over-all conversion of Alco's manufacturing facilities at Auburn and Schenectady from steam to diesel locomotive production.
During World War II he directed the building of a railroad in Iran to simplify aid to the Soviet Union.
He became a director of Alco in 1947 and was elected president in December 1952. He served as chairman of the board from April 1958 until December 1962.
He was a member of the Masons and the the American Legion.
He is survived by his wife. Elizabeth Buckner Egbert: a son, Leigh B. Egbert of Dansville: and eight grand-children."