Background
Thomas MacDonald was born on July 23, 1881, in Leadville, Colorado, United States. He was the son of John and Elizabeth (Harris) MacDonald. His family moved to Poweshiek County, Iowa, in 1884.
Thomas Harris MacDonald
Thomas Harris MacDonald received the National Medal of Merit from President Truman in 1946.
Sabin Hall at the University of Northern Iowa
Iowa State Highway Commission building
Thomas Harris MacDonald received the National Medal of Merit from President Truman in 1946.
Thomas MacDonald was born on July 23, 1881, in Leadville, Colorado, United States. He was the son of John and Elizabeth (Harris) MacDonald. His family moved to Poweshiek County, Iowa, in 1884.
Thomas MacDonald went to elementary and high school in Montezuma. He first attended Iowa State Normal School but transferred to Iowa State Teachers College (now the University of Northern Iowa (UNI)) after one year. A student of Iowa State College of Agricultural and Mechanical Arts at Ames, Thomas MacDonald received his civil engineering degree in 1904.
His senior thesis, written with L.T. Gaylord, was titled "Iowa Good Roads Investigations." Studying roads in Story and Linn counties, Thomas and Gaylord sought to replicate the conditions encountered by Iowa farmers. Based on the collected data, they asserted, not surprisingly, that hard-surfaced roads required the least draft. The power required to pull a load on dirt roads could be seven times greater than the draft necessary on hard-surfaced roads.
After graduation, Thomas MacDonald joined the fledgling Iowa State Highway Commission (ISHC) as the Assistant in Charge of Good Roads Investigation. In 1905 he became the ISHC’s chief engineer, with oversight of the state road program. That same year, he traveled on two "Good Road" trains promoting the ISHC and better roads across the state. That model, used successfully by Iowa State College to promote better farming of corn in 1904, also proved effective for introducing road improvement to Iowans across the state. As chief engineer, Thomas MacDonald disseminated information from commission meetings to the engineering staff and county officials. In addition, he served on the Engineering Experiment Station (EES) staff while at the ISHC. The commission required a diligent and effective chief to provide a focus for the agency and to serve as a credible representative to the public and legislators. Thomas MacDonald proved to be such a leader.
By 1909 Thomas MacDonald realized the necessity to establish the commission as an entity independent from the college. He objected to the college’s practice of referring to the Highway Commission as the "Good Roads Department," as if it were but another academic unit at the college. He also wanted an environment with less interruption. However, when the time for separating the commission from the college arrived, he expressed concern that "there will be a determined effort to remove the work from the college to Des Moines." When the separation occurred in 1913, Thomas MacDonald’s opinion prevailed, and the commission’s successor, the Iowa Department of Transportation, remained in Ames. He served the department until 1919 when he was appointed commissioner of the U.S. Bureau of Public Roads (BPR).
As commissioner of the BPR, he furthered his reputation as a champion of systematic and scientific analysis of the national road network. He quickly established a precedent for effective management and credibility with state and federal officials. Thomas MacDonald knew many of the other state engineers and used his reputation to build trust and establish the federal state planning system that became the basis for the national program. He backed a federal aid program, and when he first took the position it was unknown if the U.S. Congress would support such a system. He worked with the American Association of State Highway Officials (AASHO) to standardize signage and design standards.
In 1924 Thomas MacDonald worked with the National Research Council to create a Highway Research Board, an agency that has continued into the 21st century as the Transportation Research Board, serving on its executive committee until his retirement.
During the Great Depression and World War II, Thomas MacDonald promoted road building for economic stability and national security. After World War II, he proposed a program of interstate highways that would be the model for the federal interstate highway system. He received the National Medal of Merit from President Truman in 1946 but was forced to retire in 1953 when the Eisenhower administration decided to restructure highway authority, creating a deputy undersecretary for transportation to oversee public road expenditures.
Upon his retirement, the Des Moines Register remarked that Thomas MacDonald deserved the title the "father of the nation’s highway system." When he became the director of the BPR, the country had about 250,000 miles of public roads, many in poor condition with no prospect of improvement. By the time he retired, American drivers had access to 3.5 million miles of public roads, and most, if not all, were in better condition. He owned a national reputation for his 34 years of federal service. After his departure from the BPR, Texas A&M University hired him to work at its Texas Transportation Institute. He assisted the Texas Highway Commission in addition to his work with the university.
After his death in 1957, a Washington Post obituary referred to MacDonald as "the father of all good roads in the United States." He deserved the title, as he shaped the American road system more than any single person and established a professional highway commission for the state of Iowa prior to his federal position.
Thomas MacDonald directed national road policy for 34 years, serving under seven different U.S. Presidents. During his time, he supervised the creation of 3.5 million miles of highways. Later, he personally directed the creation of the Alaskan Highway and helped the countries of Central America in building the Inter-American Highway.
Quotes from others about the person
In 1949, Robert Moses insisted: "There is no better example of nonpolitical, effective, and prudent Federal, State and local cooperation than that afforded by the Public Roads Administration for almost 30 years under the respected leadership of Commissioner Thomas H. MacDonald."
Thomas MacDonald was married for the first time on 7 March 1907. But his wife is deceased. He was married the second time on 24 November 1953. He had two children.
