Nelson Kessell (left) accepts from General Manager Harold
Mercer a $100 check as expression of Company appreciation for Mr.
Kessell’s 30 years service to the Firestone organization. He also re
ceived a 30-year gold pin.
Motion Picture Films Available
From Firestone Company
Six 16-millimeter motion picture °
films with sound are available
from the Industrial Relations De
partment of Firestone Textiles,
Gastonia, for showing at schools,
churches, clubs and neighborhood
groups. This service is provided
through the visual aids program of
The Firestone Tire & Rubber
Company. The films may be ob
tained for showing at no cost,
other than return postage.
A DESCRIPTIVE LIST OF FILMS
Liberia, Africa’s Only Republic.
A pictorical color feature illustrat
ing the growth and development of
one of the world’s largest rubber
plantations, and demonstrating the
economic and social progress of
the Liberian people.
America’s Future Progress De
pends On Better and Safer High
ways. In this film, Harvey S.
Firestone, Jr., Chairman of The
Firestone Tire & Rubber Company,
tells about “Propect: Adequate
Roads,” a program for moderniz
ing our “horse and buggy” roads
and streets.
The Fabulous 500. Exciting
scenes, in color, of the 1952 India
napolis 500-mile race, with all the
thrills of this internationally-
known contest of men and metal.
It is at Indianapolis that Firestone
tests its tires in the world’s most
grueling competition.
Firestone’s Hottest 500. The 1953
version of “The Fabulous 500.”
Goggles And Gauntlets. An ac
count of the 1953 National Glidden
Tour revival for antique automo
biles. The film catches the nostal
gia of the early 20th century and
follows a tour of 330 antique cars
from all states as they travel
from Cleveland to Columbus,
Ohio, and then to Detroit, motor
capital of the world.
Bowl Conf-est- Ends
December 30
Thursday, December 30, is the
final day for submitting entries in
the annual Football Contest, spon
sored by the Recreation Depart
ment of Firestone Textiles.
All employees are invited to take
part in the rivalry, which consists
The Miracle of Rubber. In color.
The vital role played by rubber in
the American Way of Life. A
fast-moving, highly entertaining
picture produced in full color by
the “March of Time.” Traces the
discovery of rubber, and high
lights its many uses against the
dramatic struggle to create the
gigantic synthetic rubber industry
that played such a vital part in
winning World War II. A modern
rubber plantation is shown as well
as one of the great Firestone fac
tories.
Requests for films may be sent
to T. B. Ipock, Jr., Industrial
Relations Department, Firestone
Textiles, Gastonia, N. C.
Tir«$lon»
GASTONIA
VOLUME III
GASTONIA, N. C., DECEMBER 24, 1954
NO. 20
Kessell Marks 30th Anniversary
With Company December 13;
Presents 15-Year Pins To 8
Many congratulatory mes-°
sages came to General Super
intendent Nelson Kessell on
December 13, when he com
pleted 30 years service with
The Firestone Tire & Rubber
Company, 19 of which have
been spent at Firestone Tex
tiles at Gastonia,
Among the statements of
good will were those from
Harvey S. Firestone, Jr.,
Chairman of The Firestone
Company; William A. Karl,
President of Firestone Tex
tiles; Harold Mercer, General
Manager here; and represen
tatives of the Firestone plant
in Argentina, Spain, and in
Brazil.
“On the occasion of this im
portant anniversary I want to ex
tend to you my hearty congratu
lations and to tell you how much
we all appreciate your fine record
of loyalty and service,” wrote Mr.
Firestone.
Mr. Karl wrote: “Having just
passed a significant anniversary, I
know the completion on December
13 of 30 years with Firestone
marks a milestone in your life.”
Mr. Mercer presented Kessell
with a check for $100, and a 30-
year gold service pin.
Mr. Kessell became associated
with Firestone December 13, 1924,
when he began work in a plant at
Fall River, Mass., the first textile
mill owned by Firestone. He also
worked in the textile industry in
New Bedford and Newburyport,
Mass., prior to coming to Gastonia.
The General Superintendent at
tended Bradford Durfee Textile
School, Fall River, while employed
at the textile plant there.
He supervised operation of the
Roanoke, Va., unit while it was in
operation there. In 1949-1950 he
led in the establishment of a Fire
stone textile plant in Buenos Aires,
Argentina, and in 1953 spent four
months at the Firestone plant in
Bilbao, Spain, observing methods
of operation there.
In addition to his executive
duties at the plant here, he has
participated in community affairs.
He has been chairman of the Com
munity Fund drive at Firestone
for the past three years.
Mr. and Mrs. Kessell, who live at
210 South Dalton Street, Gastonia,
have a daughter, Mrs. Atkins D.
Michael, 408 West 7th Avenue; two
sons. Nelson, Jr., superintendent of
a textile plant in Winston-Salem,
N. C.; and Alfred C. Kessell, em
ployed in the Quality Control De
partment here.
(See page 4 for picture of 15
year service pin awards.)
Vocational Textile School Will Begin
New Classes On January 3
New classes are scheduled to be-O'
gin Monday, January 3, 1955 at
the North Carolina Vocational Tex
tile School in Belmont, Chris E.
Folk, principal, has announced.
These classes will be started on the
morning shift, 8:20 a. m., to 1 p. m.,
and on the afternoon shift, 3 to
6:30.
The classes, which are designed
for both veterans and non-veterans,
include courses in Yarn Manufac
turing, Weaving and Designing,
Mill Maintenance, and Knitting and
(Continued on Page 3)
The Firestone Textiles plant heralds the mood of Christmas as the lighting system
on the Tower becomes a temporary landmark in West Gastonia. This photograph was
taken on a rainy night, soon after workmen installed the lights atop the lofty pinnacle.
Tailoring.
According to the announcement,
there is no tuition charge for a
non-veteran who is a resident of
North Carolina. The non-veteran
student must purchase his text
books, which amounts to $12 to $16,
depending on the course of study.
The veterans’ classes are operat
ed as an expanded program of the
school. Veterans may draw sub
sistence allowance from the Vet
erans Administration, and are re
quired to pay tuition. The school
principal explained that the Vo
cational School is a non-profit
organization, and that tuition is
figured to cover the actual cost of
operation.
“It has been our experience that
the students who were advised by
their overseer or superintendent to
take training at the school make
the best employees in the mill/’
said Folk.
For those interested in enrolling
for the new-schedule of classes be
ginning January 3, the school of
fice is open from 8:20 a. m., to
5:30 p. m., Monday through Friday.
CHRISTMAS TIME-OUT
DECEMBER 23-27
The entire plant, warehouse,
and general office will close on
Friday, December 24, and Mon
day, December 27, in observance
of Christmas. In making the an
nouncement, General Manager
Harold Mercer said that opera
tions will stop at 11 p. m., Thurs
day, December 23; and will re
sume at 11 p. m., Monday, D®'
cember 27,
Employees with three months
service will receive pay for Fri
day, December 24—since Chnst-
mas falls on Saturday—provided
they work their last full sched
uled shift before and their firs^
full scheduled shift after th®
holiday period designated.