D. William Brosnan was a former president of Southern Railway, a railroad that later merged with Norfolk and Western Railroad to form Norfolk Southern Railway. He succeeded Harry A. deButts in 1962. In 1964 Brosnan was selected as the first recipient of the Man of the Year award selected by Modern Railways magazine, an award now presented by Railway Age magazine as the Railroader of the Year.

While Brosnan was a brilliant railroader and innovator, his ham-fisted tactics of management, specifically during the takeover of the Central of Georgia Railroad in 1963, forever marked him as a ruthless tyrant to many. For many years after Brosnan was gone one could not find any former Central of Georgia (and very few Southern) agreement employees who would speak of him in printable language. Nearly 1500 employees of the Central were terminated without cause on Brosnan's orders after the merger. Four years later, a Federal Court ruled that the Southern had to pay retroactive pay to these unfairly terminated workers.

In 1967, Brosnan was informed by the Southern Board of Directors that he would have to step down as Chairman and CEO of the Southern Railway.

He remained on the Board of directors of the Southern until 1983. Brosnan died in 1985.

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