The son of Martin Luther May and Susan Adaline Clore May. He was also the grandson of James William Clore and Ellen Louise Clore. He worked for the US Secret Service and was on the White House detail during the adminstration of Woodrow Wilso.
He and his wife were the founders of the A.B and W Bus Company, which remained under family control until the early 1970s when the enterprise was sold to Metro.
His farm, Rose Hill Farm in Fairfax County, Virgina, is now a developed residential area by the same name.
He married Lula Barr May
in 1904 and they had two children, Beverly C May and Alice May.
The Washington Post December 19, 1962
Robert Lee May, 80, the founder and Chairman of the board of the AB&W Transit Company, died yesterday at Alexandria Hospital. He had been ill since last October when he was stricken with a heart attack at his Inverness, Florida home.
Mr. May started the Columbia Pike Line in 1921, when the Columbia Pike was still a dirt road. He bought a used Reo speed wagon, added a step to the back and he was in business.
He was chief driver, president, vice-president and general manager of the original company. His wife, Lulu, was secretary, treasurer and assistant driver. During their first three trips they had only one passenger, a man who payed 15 cents to be take from the Columbia Pike to Washington.
Looking back on that period May once recalled that people called him a "cracy man" for starting the line. Today he operates a fleet of 250 buses. Its 495 employees have serviced more than 17 million passengers during the past year.
The original business grew rapidly. In 1924 service between Alexandria and Washington was begun. In 1929 Mr. May organized the Richmond-Washington Motor Coach Line, which was later sold to the Greyline Bus Lines.
He also bought and operated the old Mount Vernon, Alexanria and Washington Railroad Company in the early 1930s until the Federal Government took part of its right-of-way to consturct the Federal Triangle.
In 1934 the bus line was incorporated as the AB & W Transit Company. Mr. May was president, his wife was vice-president and their son was secretary-treasurer and general manager.
Mr. May continued to serve as president of the line until 1950, when he became chairman of the board, a position he
held until his death. Mr. and Mrs. May worked closely with the line and know to its employees as "Captain" and 'Mom". Their son, Beverly, is now president of the firm.
Prior to entering the tranist industry Mr May worked as a streetcar motorman in the District ans as a memmber of the Metropolitan Police Department. During the admistration of Woodrow Wilson he ws assigned to the White House as a guard to the President.
He was active in many civic and charitable organizations.He was a director of the Alexanria National Bank and a charter member of the Alexandria Rotary Club. In additon to his wife and son he is survived by daughter, Alice May Haddock. All live in Alexandria.
He and his wife were the founders of the A.B and W Bus Company, which remained under family control until the early 1970s when the enterprise was sold to Metro.
His farm, Rose Hill Farm in Fairfax County, Virgina, is now a developed residential area by the same name.
He married Lula Barr May
in 1904 and they had two children, Beverly C May and Alice May.
The Washington Post December 19, 1962
Robert Lee May, 80, the founder and Chairman of the board of the AB&W Transit Company, died yesterday at Alexandria Hospital. He had been ill since last October when he was stricken with a heart attack at his Inverness, Florida home.
Mr. May started the Columbia Pike Line in 1921, when the Columbia Pike was still a dirt road. He bought a used Reo speed wagon, added a step to the back and he was in business.
He was chief driver, president, vice-president and general manager of the original company. His wife, Lulu, was secretary, treasurer and assistant driver. During their first three trips they had only one passenger, a man who payed 15 cents to be take from the Columbia Pike to Washington.
Looking back on that period May once recalled that people called him a "cracy man" for starting the line. Today he operates a fleet of 250 buses. Its 495 employees have serviced more than 17 million passengers during the past year.
The original business grew rapidly. In 1924 service between Alexandria and Washington was begun. In 1929 Mr. May organized the Richmond-Washington Motor Coach Line, which was later sold to the Greyline Bus Lines.
He also bought and operated the old Mount Vernon, Alexanria and Washington Railroad Company in the early 1930s until the Federal Government took part of its right-of-way to consturct the Federal Triangle.
In 1934 the bus line was incorporated as the AB & W Transit Company. Mr. May was president, his wife was vice-president and their son was secretary-treasurer and general manager.
Mr. May continued to serve as president of the line until 1950, when he became chairman of the board, a position he
held until his death. Mr. and Mrs. May worked closely with the line and know to its employees as "Captain" and 'Mom". Their son, Beverly, is now president of the firm.
Prior to entering the tranist industry Mr May worked as a streetcar motorman in the District ans as a memmber of the Metropolitan Police Department. During the admistration of Woodrow Wilson he ws assigned to the White House as a guard to the President.
He was active in many civic and charitable organizations.He was a director of the Alexanria National Bank and a charter member of the Alexandria Rotary Club. In additon to his wife and son he is survived by daughter, Alice May Haddock. All live in Alexandria.
The son of Martin Luther May and Susan Adaline Clore May. He was also the grandson of James William Clore and Ellen Louise Clore. He worked for the US Secret Service and was on the White House detail during the adminstration of Woodrow Wilso.
He and his wife were the founders of the A.B and W Bus Company, which remained under family control until the early 1970s when the enterprise was sold to Metro.
His farm, Rose Hill Farm in Fairfax County, Virgina, is now a developed residential area by the same name.
He married Lula Barr May
in 1904 and they had two children, Beverly C May and Alice May.
The Washington Post December 19, 1962
Robert Lee May, 80, the founder and Chairman of the board of the AB&W Transit Company, died yesterday at Alexandria Hospital. He had been ill since last October when he was stricken with a heart attack at his Inverness, Florida home.
Mr. May started the Columbia Pike Line in 1921, when the Columbia Pike was still a dirt road. He bought a used Reo speed wagon, added a step to the back and he was in business.
He was chief driver, president, vice-president and general manager of the original company. His wife, Lulu, was secretary, treasurer and assistant driver. During their first three trips they had only one passenger, a man who payed 15 cents to be take from the Columbia Pike to Washington.
Looking back on that period May once recalled that people called him a "cracy man" for starting the line. Today he operates a fleet of 250 buses. Its 495 employees have serviced more than 17 million passengers during the past year.
The original business grew rapidly. In 1924 service between Alexandria and Washington was begun. In 1929 Mr. May organized the Richmond-Washington Motor Coach Line, which was later sold to the Greyline Bus Lines.
He also bought and operated the old Mount Vernon, Alexanria and Washington Railroad Company in the early 1930s until the Federal Government took part of its right-of-way to consturct the Federal Triangle.
In 1934 the bus line was incorporated as the AB & W Transit Company. Mr. May was president, his wife was vice-president and their son was secretary-treasurer and general manager.
Mr. May continued to serve as president of the line until 1950, when he became chairman of the board, a position he
held until his death. Mr. and Mrs. May worked closely with the line and know to its employees as "Captain" and 'Mom". Their son, Beverly, is now president of the firm.
Prior to entering the tranist industry Mr May worked as a streetcar motorman in the District ans as a memmber of the Metropolitan Police Department. During the admistration of Woodrow Wilson he ws assigned to the White House as a guard to the President.
He was active in many civic and charitable organizations.He was a director of the Alexanria National Bank and a charter member of the Alexandria Rotary Club. In additon to his wife and son he is survived by daughter, Alice May Haddock. All live in Alexandria.
He and his wife were the founders of the A.B and W Bus Company, which remained under family control until the early 1970s when the enterprise was sold to Metro.
His farm, Rose Hill Farm in Fairfax County, Virgina, is now a developed residential area by the same name.
He married Lula Barr May
in 1904 and they had two children, Beverly C May and Alice May.
The Washington Post December 19, 1962
Robert Lee May, 80, the founder and Chairman of the board of the AB&W Transit Company, died yesterday at Alexandria Hospital. He had been ill since last October when he was stricken with a heart attack at his Inverness, Florida home.
Mr. May started the Columbia Pike Line in 1921, when the Columbia Pike was still a dirt road. He bought a used Reo speed wagon, added a step to the back and he was in business.
He was chief driver, president, vice-president and general manager of the original company. His wife, Lulu, was secretary, treasurer and assistant driver. During their first three trips they had only one passenger, a man who payed 15 cents to be take from the Columbia Pike to Washington.
Looking back on that period May once recalled that people called him a "cracy man" for starting the line. Today he operates a fleet of 250 buses. Its 495 employees have serviced more than 17 million passengers during the past year.
The original business grew rapidly. In 1924 service between Alexandria and Washington was begun. In 1929 Mr. May organized the Richmond-Washington Motor Coach Line, which was later sold to the Greyline Bus Lines.
He also bought and operated the old Mount Vernon, Alexanria and Washington Railroad Company in the early 1930s until the Federal Government took part of its right-of-way to consturct the Federal Triangle.
In 1934 the bus line was incorporated as the AB & W Transit Company. Mr. May was president, his wife was vice-president and their son was secretary-treasurer and general manager.
Mr. May continued to serve as president of the line until 1950, when he became chairman of the board, a position he
held until his death. Mr. and Mrs. May worked closely with the line and know to its employees as "Captain" and 'Mom". Their son, Beverly, is now president of the firm.
Prior to entering the tranist industry Mr May worked as a streetcar motorman in the District ans as a memmber of the Metropolitan Police Department. During the admistration of Woodrow Wilson he ws assigned to the White House as a guard to the President.
He was active in many civic and charitable organizations.He was a director of the Alexanria National Bank and a charter member of the Alexandria Rotary Club. In additon to his wife and son he is survived by daughter, Alice May Haddock. All live in Alexandria.
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