Arthur Winston, Metro’s Most Senior Employee Celebrates 100th Birthday and Retires, Capping a 72-year Long Career
Having worked on the job for more that seven decades, Metro’s most senior employee, Arthur Winston, celebrates his 100th birthday today and has retired from the agency, capping a 72-year span of continuous employment with Metro and its predecessor agencies.
“Arthur Winston is a true inspiration. We thank him for his years of service and congratulate him on reaching the century mark. We all wish Mr. Winston continued health and prosperity as he enjoys a long and well-deserved retirement,” said City of Los Angeles Mayor and Metro Board Chairman Antonio Villaraigosa.
The centenarian has actually worked for Los Angeles public transit agencies for a total of 76 years, having briefly left in 1928, returning a few years later. Winston was first employed by the Pacific Electric Railway Company in December 1924 and worked until mid-1928. He resumed his employment with the agency in January 1934. He has missed only one day of work since then which occurred when his wife died in 1988.
Up until his retirement, he served as a service attendant leader at the Arthur Winston Division in South Los Angeles, under the umbrella of the Metro South Bay Service Sector. The Metro bus operating division was named after him back in 1997 by Metro’s Board of Directors in honor of his longevity at the agency. Winston’s job included directing a crew of 11 employees who clean, maintain and refuel Metro Buses.
“Words cannot express how Arthur’s dedication to his work and his loyalty to Metro has inspired all of us here at Metro and will continue to inspire us for years to come,” said Metro Chief Executive Officer Roger Snoble.
Arthur Winston was born in Oklahoma on March 22, 1906 before Oklahoma was officially recognized as a state. He came west and attended Jefferson High School here in the Southland, graduating in 1922.
“Arthur is a legend, an icon, and a role model for the entire agency,” said Metro South Bay Service Sector General Manager Dana Coffey. “Today, we say Happy Birthday and wish Arthur the best of times as he enters his retirement. The place just won’t be the same without him.”
In 1996, Arthur Winston received a Congressional Citation from then President Bill Clinton as “Employee of the Century.” In his more than seven decades of service, he has received many honors for his work ethic and longevity on the job.
Retirement for a man spry enough to lead his team of service attendants through a hard day’s work doesn’t mean he’ll sit on the porch and watch the world go by.
According to Winston, “I haven’t planned too much yet, but I want to keep busy, keep active. I don’t want to go home and sit down.”
Instead, he’ll keep his lawn looking neat and tend to his flower garden. And Winston says he will still get around quite a bit, visiting relatives here in Los Angeles and a few in his native Oklahoma.
