Gastonia’s annual “Clean Up—
Paint Up—Fix Up Week” starts
April 18. Let’s do our share to
make this a “City of Growing
Beauty."
Tireslone
GASTONIA
“I Speak For Democracy,” title
of Miss Elizabeth Ellen Evan’s
winning speech in a national
“Voice of Democracy” speiech con
test, appears on page 2 of this
issue.
VOLUME III
GASTONIA, N. C., MARCH 25, 1954
NO. 5
Industrial Safety, Management Courses Set
At G. T. L; Students Praise Current Series
the fifth and sixth in a series of Industrial Management courses start on March 30, and April 1,
respectively, at the Gaston Technical Institute. The fifth course in the series is entitled Industrial Manage-
■^ent, instructor to be announced. The sixth and last in the present series, Industrial Safety, is to be
taught by T. B. Ipock, Jr., industrial relations director of this plant.
These courses are being offered^;
to any and all interested persons
m this area. No formal educational
requirements have been set up to
govern admittance to these classes,
although they are presented under
the sponsorship of N. C. State
College, the level of instruction and
course content comparing favor-
S'bly with those at the college.
When the approximately 30 stu
dents now enrolled at the institute
finish all six courses (some have
already completed four) they will
receive from N. C. State College
a Basic Certificate in Industrial
Management. If sufficient interest
IS shown in the remaining courses
to be offered, another round of In
dustrial Management courses will
be offered to the public in this
^rea, according to James Mason,
director of the institute.
teachers for these courses
^re either State College professors,
or are approved instructors from
industry in this area. In every in
stance the instructor, if from in
dustry, is as well qualified from
the educational point of view as a
professor from State would be.
Students taking the courses
come from textile plants as opera-
tives and supervisors, from the
city’s utility department, and
from business establishments in
general.
From all indications they like
what they’ve been learning at GTI.
hese comments are typical;
Says John S. Jenkins, Jr., gen-
eral foreman, Jenkins Metal Shop
Gastonia, “The Industrial Man-
(Continued On Page 4)
&
blackboard SESSION—Instructor D. B. Mattox, left, has
Student Sam Honeycutt, Quality Control Department, explain a
rather intricate graph in the Quality Control class at Gaston
Technical Institute. Mr. Honeycutt is one of several Firestone
employees enrolled in the Industrial Management series at the
institute. Quality Control is one of the six courses being offered in
the series.
N. C. Safety Award
Firestone Textiles has re
ceived the North Carolina De
partment of Labor Safety A-
ward for the seventh consecu
tive year, according to informa
tion received by Safety Director
L. B. McAbee. Formal presen
tation of this and similar a-
wards to other Gaston County
industrial plants will take place
Friday night, April 9, at the
Chamber of Commerce Safety
Banquet in Gastonia.
Model Safety Glasses
te
LEILA RAPE, inspector, and Edward Watson, twister
among the first purchasers of prescription safety
^nder the revised purchase plan which was adopted at this
;^der,
^sses
Pl&i^t Jo
the ^^ary 1. Under the new plan the Company pays $5.00 on
each pair of prescription safety glasses, and the
IS allowed to select from a wide variety of dress frames
for
loyee
his
prescription lens.
Easter Sermce On
Girls' Club Lawn
Scheduled
AN Easter Sunrise Service will
be held on the lawn of the Girls’
Club at 7 a. m., on Easter Sunday,
Apirl 18. The service is sponsored
by the churches of the Firestone
Community and the Recreation
Council and Department of the
plant.
Rev. R. M. Hardee, pastor of
West End Methodist Church, will
preside, and other ministers from
community churches will take part,
Music will be furnished by the
Community Singers under the di
rection of A. A. Gaddis, Carding
Department second hand.
Doughnuts and coffee will be
served following the service.
Plant Receives New
Booklet - - 'Rubber’
A new booklet entitled “Rubber”
has been received at this plant
for distribution to visitors, school
children, and employees if they re
quest them. The booklet was
especially prepared to furnish au
thentic and up-to-date information
on the subject for school children.
Local schools will receive a
supply of these booklets from this
plant. Visitors to the plant will
receive copies as souvenirs, and
employees who want copies may
get them at the Firestone News
office.
Joseph Thomas To Speak At
Annual All-Sports Banquet
JOSEPH THOMAS, Secretary and General Counsel and a director
of the Firestone Tire & Rubber Company, will be the speaker for the
annual All-Sports Banquet on April 24, according to an announcement
by General Manager Harold Mercer.
The banquet honors those employees—individuals and teams—who
have distinguished themselves in the plant sports and recreational
program for the year 1953. Approximately 300 employees will be so
honored.
The speaker was born in Akron,O'
Ohio, January 29, 1893. He was
educated in Akron public schools
and was graduated from the Uni
versity of Akron in 1914 with a Ph.
B degree. He then entered Ohio
State University Law School and
received his LL.B degree in 1917.
He was admitted to the Ohio
Bar after being graduated from
law school and engaged in general
practice in Akron. His professional
career was interrupted during
World War I when he served dur
ing 1918-19 with American Expedi-
tioning Forces.
Upon being discharged from the
Army, Mr. Thomas returned to his
Akron law practice and continued
in this field until 1943 when he
joined the Firestone Tire & Rubber
Company as General Counsel, serv
ing in that capacity until 1947.
In 1947 Mr. Thomas was named
Secretary and General Counsel of
The Firestone Tire & Rubber Com
pany and its subsidiaries. In 1951
he was named a director of the
Company.
He served as President of the
Akron Bar Association in 1928 and
has been President of the Akron
Law School since 1938.
* * *
ACTIVE in community affairs,
Mr. Thomas is President of Com
munity Service Center, Inc., is
H
JOSEPH THOMAS, Secretary
and General Counsel of The Fire
stone Tire & Rubber Company.
trustee of City Hospital of Akron,
Old Trail School and of the United
Foundation of Akron. He is Presi
dent of the Akron Automobile Club
and a director of the Ohio State
Automobile Association.
A member of Masonic bodies, Mr.
Thomas was Monarch of Yusef
(Continued On Page 2)
Sets Long Service Record
MISS VERNA MAE GREER, Cashier of The Firestone Tire &
Rubber Company, was . honored Monday (March 1) for being the
first person to complete 50 years of service with the Company.
Among the many flowers, gifts and messages received from all over
the world, the highlight of the day was the presentation by Harvey
S. Firestone, Jr., Chairman, of the Company’s gift of a $1,000 check
and a sparkling brooch—a circle of diamonds set in platinum and
closed at the top with a bow knot of diamonds. She is shown here
receiving the pin from Mr. Firestone. To Miss Greer, who retired on
the same day, goes the distinction of being the only woman in
Akron’s rubber industry ever to observe her golden anniversary of
service for her company.