Miss Claudette Taylor was the
first, but certainly not the last
Firestone Scholarship winner from
this area. Inquire now at the In
dustrial Relations Office for in
formation and applications cover
ing the 1954 contest.
Tilr«$tone
GASTONIA
A potential fire hazard in your
home can easily become a destruc
tive force that can snuff out lives
and cause extreme economic hard
ship. With Fire Prevention Week
approaching (October 4-10) let’s
do our part to “Stop fires and
save lives.”
VOLUME II
GASTONIA, N. C., SEPTEMBER 25, 1953
NO. 17
j ”jtR r .1
ikilijfe
m
I>ORDEN HALLOWES, son of General Manager and Mrs. Harold Mercer, received the first “God
Country” scout award ever presented in Main Street Methodist Church, Gastonia, on Sunday, Sep-
®mber 20. The highly significant award has been giyen to only two scouts in the Gastonia District of
® Piedmont Boy Scout Council in the history of the council. With 14-year old Borden for this re-inact-
l^^ent of the award ceremony which took place during morning worship are, left to right, C. K. Bryant,
^hairman Piedmont Council; George Anderson, Jr., Scoutmaster Gastonia Troop 2 (Borden’s troop);
Wilson 0. Weldon, pastor of the church; Borden Hallowes; Harold Sumner, Chairman of Youth
ctivities for the church; Mrs. Mercer; R. M. Schiele, Boy Scout Executive; and Mr. Mercer. Young
ailowes, who spent 200 hours over a year’s period in preparation for the award, was no more pleased
the award than Mr. Mercer, who is Chairman of the Official Board of the church and Chairman
Gastonia Boy Scout District.
*'• Utaii
1954 Scholarship Information
Available; 15 Awards Offered
BOOKLETS DESCRIBING the Firestone College Scholarship
Award Program for sons and daughters of employees of The Firestone
Tire & Rubber Company have been published for the year 1954 and
are now available in Fa'estone- plants and division and district
sales offices.
Kessells’ 4-Month
European Tour Ends
h’s Salt Flats ....
^(ind Speed Records Broken On Firestone Tires
4- New Firestone high-speed9
helped to rewrite the racing
Record, book at the National Speed
’^ials over the sun-baked salt
at Bonneville, Utah, August
September G, 1953, as IG speed
were shattered in prac-
every class of American-
t cars.
Pi'evious years, the searing
of the Utah salt desert, com-
with the centrifugal force of
wViPoic literally threw
i'ubb7
^he cars which are built in
3er
^ii’es
on
Li!^ entire raceway,
back.
gto garages from American
i^otor parts, most of the
'^sed Were recapped, shaved
wheels and worked over
thev ^ owners in the hope that
hold together at record-
speeds.
the speed runs safer,
combined its know-how
craft • ^^velopment of jet air-
and Indianapolis rac-
cau to produce a tire that
Safely under extreme heat
^ ions at speeds over 300 mph.
his 600-horsepower,
streamliner over the
on September 4 at
§ ^ph., and returning over
Course at 254.777, Willie
shattered his old record.
VICTORY SMILES are flashed by Willie Young, driver (left)
and Bill Kenz, owner (right), after they established a new American
land speed record of 255.411 miles per hour at the National Speed
Trials September 4, 1953, over the sun-baked salt beds at Bonneville,
Utah. The old record of 244.660, established in 1952, was shattered
by more than 10 mph. with the sleek streamlined, twin-engine, 600-
horsepowered racer. Giving a lion’s share of credit for his sensational
record to tires, Young said, “My Firestone tires performed beauti
fully on my record run today. I had no worry whatsoever about the
rubber on my wheels.”
established in 1952, by more than
10 mph., with his average speed
of 255.411 mph. to become the
fastest American driver in history
and sensation of the 1953 Na
tional Speed Trials.
Immediately after his record-
breaking performance. Young said,
“My Firestone tires performed
beautifully on my record run to
day. I had no worry whatsoever
(Continued on Page 4)
GENERAL Superintendent and
Mrs. Nelson Kesstli have returned
to Gastonia after a 4-month visit to
Spain with stops in England and
France. While in Spain Mr. Kessell
was assigned to the Textile Di
vision of Firestone-Histapana, S.
A., located in Bilboa.
As is expected of all tourists of
Spain, the Kessells saw the coun
try’s national pastime, ths bull
fights. More impressive, however,
for Mr. and Mrs. Kessell were the
frequent festivals complete with
street dancing and colorful cos
tumes in the traditionally gay
Spanish manner.
The trip to Europe gave Fire
stone Textiles’ veteran general su
perintendent an opportunity to
compare American and continental
textile machinery and methods. As
a consultant for the Company his
extensive experience in Firestone’s
domestic textile operations was of
significant value to the supervision
of the Textile Division of Fire-
stone-Histpana.
The trip to and from Europe was
made aboard the SS United States,
largest ocean liner afloat flying the
American flag.
'0 At the Plant the booklets may be
obtained in the Industrial Relations
Office by parents or by high school
seniors who may be interested in
applying for scholarships. Appli
cation forms also are available.
Each scholarship award will pay
the cost of full tuition, fees and
books and a substantial part of
living expenses. Started last year,
the award program provides that
Scholarships will be awarded each
year to high school seniors so that,
after the first four years, the
college education of GO students
annually will be financed.
To be eligible for the 1953 Col
lege Scholarship Awards, the appli
cant must be a senior in the upper
half of his or her high school class
scholastically. The parent of an
applicant must have five or more
years of service as a Firestone
employee. Only children of those
employees whose average base
pay does not exceed $625 per month
will be eligible.
Applications must be mailed be
fore March 1, 1954, and winners
will be announced early in May.
* *
WINNERS of Firestone Scholar
ships may attend any accredited
college or university and will be
given financial aid until they re
ceive a college degree, providing
they maintain a satisfactory
record. In the booklet, published at
(Continued on Page 2)
For Night Students ....
Technical Institute To Start
Industrial Management Courses
A NEW SERIES of courses in Industrial Management will be
offered by the Gaston Technical Institute on Tuesday and Thursday
nights beginning October 6. The classes, whi-h will rim from 7 to
10 p. m., are being offered to anyone with an interest in learning the
latest developments in management and engineering practices.
To complete requirements forO-
the Basic Certificate in Industrial
Manageniient, the student must
take six courses, which are; Motion
and Time Study, Industrial Rela
tions, Industrial Management, In
dustrial Safety, Job Evaluation,
and Introduction to Quality Con
trol. Of these courses. Motion and
Time Study and Industrial Rela
tions will be offered during the
first quarter on Tuesday and
Thursday nights respectively. If
sufficient interest is shown in
these first two courses the Insti
tute plans to offer the other cours
es during the remaining quarters
of the school year. Applicants may
register for either or both courses.
The entire series of studies are
being supervised (and in some in
stances taught) by faculty and
staff members of N. C. State Col
lege of Raleigh. Upon completion
of the work each student will re
ceive the basic certificate in in-
dusti'ial management from State
College, Extension Division, The
instructors for these classes will
in each case be outstanding experts
in their fields, whether they are
teachers at State College or not,
it is understood from J. I. Mason,
director of the Gaston Technical
Institute.
Mr. Mason has announced that
Dr. Herbert A. Lynch, of the Her-
(Continued on Page 4)