PAGE 4
OCTOBER, 1955
New Classes and Added Equipment At GTI
r
BEST WISHES AND A GIFT—Friends in Plastic Dip slopped
by to express a word of farewell and to present D. J. Haefka
with a cigarette lighter. From left: Buster Stiles, Evangelo
Androlake, Pearl B. Peele, Mr. Haefka, Edith S. Whidden,
Wayne E. Johnson and Grady H. Taylor.
Haefka Returns To Akron;
Tino Head of Nylon Unit
D. J. Haefka, chief chemist
and overseer of the Multi-Stage
Nylon Unit, here since coming
to Gastonia in January of 1954,
has been transferred to the Ak
ron headquarters of the Com
pany. On his new assignment in
Akron, he began work in Sep
tember as a chemist in the Tex
tiles and Adhesives Division of
the Development Department.
He came to Gastonia from an
assignment in chemistry at the
Akron plant.
His transfer was effective on
September 1, but several days
was spent in vacation before
moving to Akron.
Haefka, from Lorain, Ohio, is
a graduate of Wittenberg Col
lege, Springfield, Ohio. He has
made a special study of rubber
chemistry at the University of
Akron.
Replacing Haefka in the Mul
ti-Stage Nylon Unit is J. G. Tino,
Jr., who was transferred from
the Mechanical Division to the
Synthetic Division. Tino is work
ing in the capacity of a super
visor in the Nylon Unit.
The Gaston Technical Insti
tute began its fourth year of
operation in Gastonia September
19 with a record enrollment.
Final plans for the 1955-56
term have been worked out,
with the winter session begin
ning January 2. The spring term
will get underway March 26.
Commencement exercises are to
be held June 8, with the sum
mer term to start June 18, 1956.
THREE NEW staff members
joined the school at the opening
of the present term. David C.
Bumgardner, a University of
North Carolina graduate and a
Gastonian, is instructing in
mathematics and physics. John
M. Jenkins, N. C. State College
graduate, is teaching mechanical
drawing. *
Named as publicity chief of'
the Institute was Miss Peggy
Cheers of Raleigh. Of Danville,
Va., Miss Cheers had been with
N. C. State College Extension
Division since August, 1954, and
was in charge of publicity for
the Division during that time.
James I. Mason, director of the
Institute said that a new one-
year terminal course in mechani
cal technology is being offered
for the first time this year.
Three other new courses of the
current term include radio
television, automotive, and elec
trical technology. Some new
evening courses are planned.
New equipment has been add
ed to the school, and other
equipment has been recondi
tioned to meet the needs of the
present high enrollment.
THE INSTITUTE was estab
lished in 1947 in Morehead City
and was known as the Morehead
Technical Institute. It was
moved to Gastonia in 1952 and
became the Gaston Technical
Institute.
The Institute is a branch of
the School of Engineering and
the Extension Division of North
Carolina State College. It was
A full calendar of activities in
bowling, shuffle board, horse
shoes, volleyball, billiards and
basketball will take care of the
expected record participation
by employees and members of
their families here, Johnson said.
He added that the season’s pro
gram will be arranged so as to
be able to accommodate all per
sons who report for participa
tion.
THE RECREATION Depart
ment anticipates adding a bas
ketball team for young girls, a
Little League “Biddy”, and an
Intermediate age boys’ team in
the first such school established
in North Carolina and remains
today as one of the few techni
cal schools in the Southeastern
United States.
Qualified technicians are
trained for the growing indus
tries of Piedmont North Carolina
and other parts of the state.
Firestone General Manager
Harold Mercer is a member of
the board of directors of Gaston
Technical Institute.
basketball, and teams to com
prise a departmental league for
men.
Bowling alleys have been re
conditioned and the length of
the runways have been extend
ed. Further improvements
planned will be the installation
of foul lights. A program has
been started to add some new
billiard tables to the Recreation
Center.
Basketball games during the
season are scheduled to be
played at various places over
Gaston County.
Full Program of Activities
on Recreation Program
Addition of new equipment and other facilities improve
ments and an increased schedule of activities, promise one
of the best fall and winter seasons in the history of the
Recreation Department, according to the Director, Ralph
Johnson.
Bobby Sellers Studying
At N. C. State College
15-Millionth Tire Produced
The 15-millionth tubeless tire came off the
assembly line at Firestone recently. The
Company now manufactures tubeless tires
for automobiles, trucks, buses, farm imple
ments and other vehicles.
H. M. Taylor, Vice-President in Charge of
Manufacturers Sales, is shown in Akron with
the 15-millionth tubeless tire, a truck tire
that will be used as original equipment on
a new 1956 model heavy truck.
Tubeless truck tires and one-piece rims—
both developed by Firestone—are simpler and
lighter than the tubed tires and multi-piece
truck rims which they outdate.
Safe Bike Habits May Save Child’s Life
Bobby E. Sellers, the 1955
Firestone College Scholar
ship Award Program winner
from Gastonia, has entered
North Carolina State College,
Raleigh, to study engineer
ing. In addition to his aca
demic work, he will play
football for the college.
The Bessemer City youth is
the son of Mr. and Mrs. Clyde
Sellers. His father is in the
SYC Weaving Department here.
The student was graduated
last spring from the high school
in Bessemer City with numerous
honors and was one of the 21
high school seniors in 10 states
awarded a scholarship under the
Company program.
With this year’s awards, the
number of winners from the dif
ferent states was brought to 63,
representing the total over the
period since the program was
adopted by the Company three
years ago.
THE SCHOLARSHIPS, which
make possible higher education
for qualified sons and daughters
of Company employees, are
granted on the basis of a written
application, an examination and
the careful and impartial judg
ing of the Scholarship Board of
the Company,
Scholarships are allocated to
various sections of the country
on the basis of proportionate
Firestone employment, assuring
that children of all employees
have equal opportunity to win,
without respect to where they
may live.
Grants provide for full tuition
at the school of the winner’s
choice, textbooks and payment
for a portion of living expenses
while the student is in school.
Scholarships provide for aid over
the four-year period normally
required for work leading to a
standard college degree. They
are renewed annually, providing
satisfactory scholastic standings
are maintained and all other re
quirements are met.
Answers to Quiz
on Page 3
1. Seeing is believing.
2. Brevity is the soul of wit.
3. He laughs best who laughs
last.
4. Let sleeping dogs lie.
5. Live and learn.
Traffic laws and regulations
and commonsense practices
when learned in childhood, can
well mean the saving of life
later on. This applies especially
to youngsters who ride bicycles.
When ridden carelessly, bi
cycles can get children into the
same kind of trouble that adults
often experience with a car. So
thinks the Institute For Safer
Living of the American Mutual
Liability Insurance Company.
Figures show that at least 25,000
injuries and 800 deaths on the
highway happened to cyclists
during the past year, mostly re
sulting from actions which were
traffic regulation violations. De
fective bicycles accounted for
one out of every three of these
accidents.
WITH SCHOOL now in ses
sion and hundreds of additional
youngsters now riding bicycles,
the Institute warns that parents
should make sure that children
know and obey traffic regula
tions and commonsense prac
tices; such as:
When turning left or right, use
the same arm signals that are
followed by motorists.
Traffic lights, signs and regula
tions are meant to be obeyed.
At busy intersections, dismount
and walk across street.
In many places riding on side
walks is unwise or forbidden by
law. Where this is the law, obey
it!
For night riding, keep your
headlamp and tail reflector in
good working order.
For all riding, equip your bi
cycle with horn or bell.
Give passing cars plenty of
room, hug right side of road.
Never ride in center or two-
abreast.
Take the necessary time and
pains to learn to ride well. Get
an experienced cyclist to help.
Practice in a safe area, away
from traffic.
Make sure handlebars and sad
dle are properly adjusted. Set
saddle so that when pedal is at
lowest point rider’s leg is coiti'
fortably straight.
Stunts like riding no-handS>
standing on seat, coasting with
feet on handlebars belong in the
circus. Leave them for prO'
fessionals.
Two-on-a-bike is dangerous be
cause it interferes with rider s
vision, steering and balance.
Use special care on rainy days
to prevent skidding. Take
streetcar tracks at right angles
(90 degrees) or as nearly so aS
possible.
Watch out for the standing
which has someone in the driv
er’s seat; for parked cars pullii^^
suddenly into traffic. Keep ^
sharp lookout for unexpecte
opening of auto doors on the
street side. Never hitch on other
vehicles, or race on a street use
by automobiles.