Founder Profile
Earl Congdon
Last reviewed: October 2026 · By Swet Parvadiya
Who is Earl Congdon?
Earl Congdon is a founder of Old Dominion Freight Line, Inc., which was founded in 1934 with Lillian Congdon.
- Company founded
- Old Dominion Freight Line, Inc.
- Founded
- 1934
- Co-founders
- Lillian Congdon
Background
Earl Congdon co-founded Old Dominion Freight Line in 1934 in Richmond, Virginia, starting with a single truck on the Richmond-Norfolk route.
Founding Story
Earl Congdon and his wife Lillian founded Old Dominion in 1934 during the Great Depression, operating one truck between Richmond and Norfolk, Virginia. The business expanded through the Southeast in the following decades, and the Congdon family remained central to its leadership: his son Earl E. Congdon later led the company, and his grandson David S. Congdon served as CEO from 2008 to 2018 and is Executive Chairman today.