Frank W. Arnold (1851–1917) was an American trade union functionary, lawyer, businessman, and government employee. He is best remembered as a Grand Master and Secretary-Treasurer of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Firemen (B of LF). Arnold headed the B of LF from 1879 to 1885, leaving to enter a career in business and law. He would return as Secretary-Treasurer of the B of LF in 1892, holding the post until the end of 1903. At the time of his death, Arnold worked as an Examiner for the United States

Interstate Commerce Commission The Interstate Commerce Commission (ICC) was a regulatory agency in the United States created by the Interstate Commerce Act of 1887. The agency's original purpose was to regulate railroads (and later trucking) to ensure fair rates, to eliminat ...

Biography

Early years

Frank W. Arnold was born in

Columbus, Ohio Columbus () is the state capital and the most populous city in the U.S. state of Ohio. With a 2020 census population of 905,748, it is the 14th-most populous city in the U.S., the second-most populous city in the Midwest, after Chicago, and t ...

, on October 5, 1851. He was educated in the

public schools Public school may refer to: *State school (known as a public school in many countries), a no-fee school, publicly funded and operated by the government *Public school (United Kingdom), certain elite fee-charging independent schools in England and ...

of that community. Arnold graduated from Columbus High School in 1866, when he was 15 years old.

Railway career

Following Frank's graduation in Columbus, the Arnold family moved to

Louisville, Kentucky Louisville ( , , ) is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Kentucky and the 28th most-populous city in the United States. Louisville is the historical seat and, since 2003, the nominal seat of Jefferson County, on the Indiana border ...

, where Arnold gained an entry-level position with the Louisville City Railway Company as an engine starter. He would work for that company for two and a half years, advancing over time from starter to the superintendent of lines. At the age of 18 Arnold left home, returning to Columbus to take a position as a locomotive brakeman for the Piqua Railroad, a railway subsequently absorbed into the Chicago, St. Louis & Pittsburg Railroad. He found the job boring, however, and in 1871 quit to open a cigar and tobacco shop in Columbus. He abandoned this to accept an offer to join a business in

St. Louis, Missouri St. Louis () is the second-largest city in Missouri, United States. It sits near the confluence of the Mississippi River, Mississippi and the Missouri Rivers. In 2020, the city proper had a population of 301,578, while the Greater St. Louis, ...

, in 1872, but the business was wiped out by the Panic of 1873, sending Arnold home to Columbus again. In 1873 Arnold returned to firing a locomotive on the Chicago, St. Louis & Pittsburg, remaining in that position until the end of 1876. He joined Franklin Lodge No. 9 of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Firemen (B of LF) in February 1877 and remained an active member of the organization for the rest of his life. While working on the railroad, he studied law in his spare time, passing the Illinois State Bar in February 1879. Copy also on The Papers of Eugene V. Debs, 1834-1945, microfilm reel 9, notebook 1, pg. 46. Arnold attended the 1879 national convention of the organization in Chicago and was here elected Grand Master (President) of the organization, a position which he held until 1885. When Arnold was first elected as Grand Master the position was unpaid and purely honorary, becoming a paid position in later years as the financial position of the B of LF improved. After passing the Ohio Bar, Arnold began the practice of law in Columbus. He ran for Columbus City Prosecutor and won election in 1880. He was also involved in business pursuits in Columbus during the decade of the 1880s. Arnold married the former Henrietta Cox, of Columbus, in 1888. In September 1892,

Eugene V. Debs Eugene Victor "Gene" Debs (November 5, 1855 – October 20, 1926) was an American socialism, socialist, political activist, trade unionist, one of the founding members of the Industrial Workers of the World (IWW), and five times the candidate ...

resigned his position as Grand Secretary and Treasurer of the B of LF and Arnold was selected by the delegates to the 16th National Convention, held in

Cincinnati Cincinnati ( ) is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Hamilton County. Settled in 1788, the city is located at the northern side of the confluence of the Licking and Ohio rivers, the latter of which marks the state line wit ...

, as Debs' successor. During his tenure as secretary-treasurer, Arnold helped the union move its headquarters in 1894 to

Peoria, Illinois Peoria ( ) is the county seat of Peoria County, Illinois, United States, and the largest city on the Illinois River. As of the United States Census, 2020, 2020 census, the city had a population of 113,150. It is the principal city of the Peoria ...

, where he oversaw an increase in the union's membership from less than 21,000 members in 1894 to nearly 41,000 members in 1902. Arnold would remain at this post until his resignation in November 1903, which took effect January 1, 1904.

Later years

After leaving his well-paid position as a functionary of the B of LF, Arnold took a job as a representative of a large jewelry firm, eventually leaving Chicago to return to Peoria, Illinois, where he took a position as Secretary of the town's Commercial Club. Arnold left the Commercial Club to take a position as examiner for the United States

, a job which he would hold until the time of his death.

Death and legacy

Frank Arnold died of

cancer Cancer is a group of diseases involving abnormal cell growth with the potential to invade or spread to other parts of the body. These contrast with benign tumors, which do not spread. Possible signs and symptoms include a lump, abnormal b ...

at St. Luke's Hospital in Chicago on January 9, 1917. He was 65 years old at the time of his death. Arnold's body was transported back to his native Columbus and he was buried at Green Lawn Cemetery, located just west of the city.

Footnotes

{{DEFAULTSORT:Arnold, Frank W. 1851 births 1917 deaths People from Columbus, Ohio Brotherhood of Locomotive Firemen and Enginemen people Trade unionists from Ohio Deaths from cancer in Illinois Burials at Green Lawn Cemetery (Columbus, Ohio)