Sleuthing Series — BNSF Partners

JCCC Archives presents the Sleuthing Series, where every Tuesday, we bring you an image from our past and ask you to help us find out more!

Burlington Northern executives meeting with Dr. Carlsen and Don Goldenbaum in February 1987. A model of the Industrial Technical Center, dedicated in 1988 is on the table in front of them. Dr Carlsen is standing second from the left. Don Goldenbaum,, executive director of the Business and Industry Institute, is on the far right. Mike Voelker, dir. of training for Burlington Northern is between them.

What We Know

  • A conversation in 1985 between Mike Voelker, director of training for Burlington Northern, and Dr. Don Goldenbaum, director of JCCC’s Business and Industry Institute, grew far beyond what they imagined.
  • Thousands of Burlington Northern employees are trained annually through the National Academy of Railroad Sciences.
  • The Burlington Northern Foundation established faculty awards for research and teaching excellence at JCCC in 1986
  • In 1987, the partnership was awarded a presidential citation by Vice President George Bush, calling it a model of “cooperation between industry and education.”
  • The ITC building was completed in 1988 as the primary home of this program.
  • The National Academy of Railroad Sciences was established at JCCC in 1993-94.  The nation’s first associate degree program in railroad operations was born thru NARS.

What We Don’t Know

  • We were unable to identify one person in the picture above, but assume he is a Burlington Northern executive.  Do you know?
  • Who can you identify below?

If You Know More…

Contact  librarians: Anita Gordon Gilmore (agordong@jccc.edu, ext. 4369) or John Russell (jrussell@jccc.edu, ext. 3284).  You may also comment below!

For More Information…

Information above was taken almost entirely from:
Bishop, Charles C. The Community’s College: A History of Johnson County Commuity College, 1969-1999 (Overland Park, 2002).

Bob Burdick. “Training for the Long Haul: BN’s Mike Voelker Brings State-of-art Program to JCCC.” Transcript, April 1988, 2-3.

Burlington Northern awards presentation, May 1987. Dr. Dan Radakovich is at the podium.
Welding class, June 1987.
Charles Forbes, Instructor in the Metal Fabrication Lab, May 1990.
William Hickerson, Kevin Gratton and Sandy Calvin-Law are the 1993 Burlington Northern award winners. Oct. 1993 Transcript cover.
March 1994, Conductors class.
May 1994, Railroad Operations program.
May 1994, Railroad Operations program.
May 1994, Railroad Operations program.
August 1994, NARS is official. Left to right, Dr. Hugh Speer, Dr. Dan Radakovich, and (probably) Charles Forbes.
March 1995 ad photo.
January 1996 ad photo.
August 1998 Linesman training.
August 1998 Linesman training.
Women encouraged to apply, February 2000.
Women encouraged to apply, February 2000.