New Mexico State University

Tomlinson Fort

Tomlinson Fort was a highly successful and respected figure at Westinghouse Electric Corp., where he played a pivotal role in driving the company's growth and success over the greater half of the 20th century. Fort pursued his early education in Roswell, New Mexico, and later attended New Mexico State University.

After completing his studies, Fort joined Westinghouse, where he began an illustrious career that spanned several decades. His work was recognized with numerous accolades, including the prestigious Order of Merit from Westinghouse Electric in 1946, and later the Lamme Medal from the American Society of Mechanical Engineers for his contributions to mechanical engineering.

Fort's early years at Westinghouse saw him working in the Pittsburgh sales headquarters. By 1927, he was assigned as a central station salesman in the eastern district and later moved to New York City, where he handled major negotiations in the electric utility industry until 1940.

In 1940, Fort returned to Pittsburgh, where he became manager of Westinghouse's central sales department, eventually rising to assistant manager and later vice president of Westinghouse's marketing division in 1951. He continued to advance, becoming vice president of field sales in 1962, a position he held until his retirement a decade later at the age of 65.