Celebrating a Changemaker: Spotlight on Lincoln University Alumnus Gordon J. Linton and His Lasting Impact on Public Policy and Transportation
Seeking to improve the quality of life for all by empowering individuals, institutions, and communities has been the guiding force behind Gordon J. Linton's career, Lincoln University Class of 1970. A dedicated public servant and champion for equity, Linton has spent decades advancing systems and policies to better support underserved communities and expand access to opportunity.
Early in his career, Linton worked directly with children and families in Philadelphia through roles as a Community Consultant with the School District of Philadelphia, an Education Director for the Baptist Children’s House, and a psycho-educational specialist at the Philadelphia Child Guidance Center. These experiences gave him a firsthand understanding of how deeply social and economic conditions impact individual lives and inspired his approach to problem-solving.
He later served as the Eastern Regional Administrator for the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania’s Office of the Auditor General, where he conducted operational and compliance audits of public welfare agencies. There, Linton balanced the fiscal oversight of public welfare programs and ensured that services met the needs of vulnerable communities.
Determined to create change on a broader scale, Linton entered into the political arena. In 1982, he was elected to the Pennsylvania House of Representatives, representing the 200th Legislative District in Northwest Philadelphia. Over six terms, he earned a reputation as a hardworking, results-driven legislator who authored 12 legislative proposals that became law. His accomplishments included Pennsylvania’s first dedicated funding for public transportation, the state’s first mandatory seatbelt law, and groundbreaking policies supporting minority and women-owned businesses. He then became the Chief Public Transportation Advocate in the Pennsylvania Legislature, having sponsored and successfully engineered the first dedicated funding source for mass transit into law.
In 1993, President Bill Clinton nominated Linton to serve as a Federal Transit Administrator, a role he held for nearly seven years, making him the longest-serving administrator in the agency’s history. He managed a $5 billion annual budget, led staff at the Federal Transit Administration’s Washington, D.C. headquarters and 10 regional offices, and oversaw more than $37 billion in federal transit investments. His signature Livable Communities Initiative aimed to align public transportation with the daily needs of Americans, while his leadership helped launch the Bus Rapid Transit program, now one of the fastest-growing transit solutions in the country.
Linton also expanded the U.S. transportation policy on the international stage. During Nelson Mandela’s presidency, he co-signed a historic memorandum with South Africa’s Department of Transport and represented the U.S. at international conferences across Africa, Europe, and Asia.
His contributions have been widely recognized. A MARTA railcar in Atlanta and a pedestrian bridge in Corpus Christi bear his name. He is honored annually through a scholarship awarded by the Philadelphia Chapter of the Conference of Minority Transportation Officials. At Lincoln University, he remains a generous and active supporter, helping establish the Langston Hughes Undergraduate Research Fund and endowing a scholarship in public policy.
In 1997, Linton honored Rosa Parks during a national ceremony in Washington, D.C., declaring, “Because she chose to sit where she sat, I can stand where I stand.” The quote resonated across the country and was later published in Newsweek’s “Quotes of the Year,” symbolizing the power of legacy and his reverence for those who paved the way.
Today, Gordon J. Linton continues to inspire new generations as a consultant, advisor, and advocate. His life’s work, grounded in service, strategy, and vision, reflects the very best of Lincoln University’s legacy.
Thank you, Gordon J. Linton, for a lifetime of principled leadership and transformative change. We are proud to celebrate your legacy as a Lion who continues to uplift and inspire.
