Sacramento County
Biographies
HAL E. WILLIS
HAL E. WILLIS.—Sound judgment, combined
with fine business ability, has enabled Hal E. Willis, the well-known general
agent of the San Francisco-Sacramento Electric Railroad, to obtain a
substantial success in life. He is one of California’s
native sons, born in San Francisco,
March 26, 1886, a son of C. H. and Florence M. (Church) Willis. At the
usual school age, he entered the grammar schools of San Francisco;
later, when the family removed to Berkeley, he was
graduated from the Berkeley high
school. Immediately following his graduation he became an employee of the
Southern Pacific Railroad Company and was put to work in the general office of
the company; in 1906 he resigned his position of traveling auditor of the
company and became traveling auditor with the Northern Electric Company; later
he was made chief clerk of the traffic department; in 1908 he was auditor of
freight and passenger accounts of the Central California Traction
Company. In 1911 he removed to Verdi, Nev., where he became traffic and
sales manager with the Verdi Lumber Company, remaining in that postion (sic) until 1916, when he returned to San Francisco
and became traveling freight and passenger agent for the San
Francisco-Sacramento Electric Railroad; later he was promoted to his present
position of general agent of the company with headquarters at Sacramento.
Mr.
Willis was united in marriage with Mrs. Mary C. (Hollihan)
Powers, a native of San Francisco,
and they are the parents of one son, Charles H. Mr. Willis believes in the
principles of the Republican party and thus casts his
vote. He is associated fraternally with the B. P. O. Elks and locally
supports the Chamber of Commerce and the Rotary Club.
Transcribed 8-20-07
Marilyn R. Pankey.
Source: Reed, G.
Walter, History of Sacramento County,
California With Biographical Sketches, Page 996. Historic Record Company, Los Angeles, CA. 1923.
© 2007 Marilyn R. Pankey.