Albert Arthur Hurd, special counsel of the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe railroad, with headquarters at Topeka, Kan., was born in Lafayette, Starke county, Illinois, Sept. 27, 1849. He comes of good old Revolutionary stock on both the paternal and maternal sides and is the son of Theodore F. and Catharine Martha (Driscoll) Hurd, both deceased. The former was a merchant during life and was born in Sparta, Sussex county, N. J., and the latter was a native of Litchfield county, Connecticut. A. A. Hurd was reared chiefly in Illinois and was educated in the public schools of that state and at the Northwestern University at Evanston, Ill. At the age of sixteen, he taught a term of school in New Jersey, after which he engaged in various occupations until he took up the study of law in the Iowa State University, Iowa City, Iowa. In May, 1870, he came to Kansas, locating first at Abilene. Almost immediately after coming to Kansas he passed a legal examination at Junction City, was admitted to the bar, and at once began the practice of law at Abilene. A year later he opened a law office in Newton, Kan., which he managed in conjunction with his Abilene office for one year, alternating his time between the two offices as the demands of the growing business required. In March, 1872, he removed to Great Bend, Kan., where he practiced law until January, 1879. However, in 1874 he had become the local attorney of the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe railroad at Great Bend, and having been advanced from the position of local attorney at Great Bend to assistant attorney of the Santa Fe railroad at Topeka, he removed to the latter city in January, 1879. He held the position of assistant attorney until 1881, when he was appointed solicitor for Kansas and was placed in charge of all of the legal business of the Santa Fe railroad in the state. He held that position for twenty-four years. On July 1, 1905, he was appointed special counsel of the Santa Fe railroad, which responsible position he still holds.

On Dec. 21, 1885, Mr. Hurd was married to Miss Theodocia E. Oasley of Erie county, Kansas, and they reside at 1134 Tyler street, Topeka, one of the most desirable residence sections of the city.

Politically, Mr. Hurd supports the principles and policies of the Republican party, and served as Abilene's first city clerk while a resident of that city, and as the first mayor of Great Bend, Kan., during his residence in that city. He is a member of the Commercial Club, the Topeka Club, and the Country Club.