Ralph Budd (1879-1962) was the president of the CB&Q from 1932 to 1949. He had previously been the president of the Great Northern Railway beginning in 1919 at the age of 40, the youngest person to have ever held that position. He left the Great Northern to become CB&Q president in 1932, and in 1934, he made his mark for the CB&Q by inaugurating the electric-diesel streamlined fleet of trains known as the Zephyrs, beginning with what became known as the Pioneer Zephyr. In mid-1940, in order to prepare for the United State's likely entry into World War II, President Roosevelt revived the Council of National Defense and its Advisory Commission to the Council, which was known as the NDAC. Budd was appointed as Commissioner of Transportation, and reported directly to President Roosevelt; his job was to guarantee adequate transportation service. Budd resigned that position in 1942 to resume his job as President of the CB&Q. In his final years as head of the CB&Q, Budd made his mark by training many other railway executives (including his successor, H.C. Murphy), and spearheading promotional events for the Railroad, including the 90th anniversary, the Centennial, and the Railway Fair in Chicago.