DECEMBER, 1956
PAGE 3
'*^!3BSSSBi
awJIMmK
immmmmwmU
THE EAST BUILDING of ihe new GTI properly
used lo be the plant women's dormitory. The Recrea
tion Department office has been located on the low
er level.
THE CENTER STRUCTURE, joined to both the
East and West wings, has served a number of years
as the plant Recreation Center and meeting place for
social events.
THE WEST WING on the Franklin avenue and
Firestone boulevard corner has served as the men's
dormitory. Quarters for the Men's Club were in the
basement.
New Home Of Tech School A Gift Of Company
oas*
BUTADIENE PLANT IN TEXAS
Construction on the Company's large butadiene plant at Orange,
Texas, is progressing on schedule. The plant, scheduled for com
pletion in early 1957, will utilize materials from the Texas oil
fields in the manufacture of butadiene, a component part of syn
thetic rubber. Here, the first of three 87-ton reactors to be installed
being lifted into position. The skeletonized structure in the left
background will house this equipment.
Suggestion Contest Extended
Through Month of December
extra full month has been
sdded to the Suggestion Contest,
Roving the concluding date to
December 31. It was decided
extend the ideas competition
^0 the end of the year, on in
dications that interest in the
Program would increase during
®*^ember.
^i^izes in the contest are;
First: A Firestone clock radio;
®cond; An electric mixer;
An automatic toaster.
more suggestions will be given
a ticket for deposit in a box lo
cated at the main entrance of
the plant, near the contest prize
display case. A drawing at the
end of the contest will select the
barbeque grill winner.
Winners will be revealed as
soon as possible after New
Year’s Day.
^ese will be given to the sug-
Sesters ranking first, second and
in the highest amount of
^^^I’ds for the total number of
‘^opted suggestions submitted
^ring the contest period, Sep-
®rtiber 15 through December 31.
^^AWards will be in addition
the cash premiums which are
^ays paid for approved ideas,
^ the basis of their value to the
^°nipany.
Resides the three top pre-
lUms, a portable barbeque grill
- ^ be awarded as a “consola-
gift. During the contest,
person turning in one or
At Electrical
Conference
Assistant Plant Engineer Irvin
S. Bull was among representa
tives from state industries at
tending the annual Conference
on Electrical Equipment for the
Textile Industry. The two-day
November meeting at State Col
lege, Raleigh, was presented by
the American Institute of Elec
trical Engineers through its tex
tile sub-committee and its North
Carolina section, in co-operation
with the Department of Electri
cal Engineering of the School of
Textiles at State College.
The former Firestone dormitories and Recrea
tion Center, together with land upon which
they are situated, will become the new home of
Gaston Technical Institute in early 1957. Tenta
tive plans are to move into the property by the
beginning of the winter term on January 2.
It will take that much time to remove parti
tions and rearrange the buildings for classroom
purposes, according to James I. Mason, director
of the Institute. Mason said partitions on the
first floor of the east and west dormitories will
be removed for laboratory and classroom facili
ties.
The dormitories will provide space for radio
and television, electrical, and physics laboratories,
two mechanical drawing rooms, and five class
rooms. The laboratories will also be used as class
rooms.
Shop space will be provided in the basement.
The former Recreation Center will be converted
into offices, a library, assembly hall, teachers’
lounge and dining room facilities.
This will be the first time in the Institute’s
history that it has had dining facilities. It will
also allow students to board at the school for the
first time. The second floor of the east and west
dormitory will be used as living quarters, and
altogether will house about 150 students.
At the time the Firestone property was given
to the school, the Institute had around 100 stu
dents eligible to board. Another 100 students
were attending evening classes and living at
home.
In addition to the classroom, shop and other
facilities, Mr. Mason said other provisions of
the property would allow for a more varied pro
gram of recreation.
Gaston Technical Institute was established in
Morehead City, N. C., in 1947. It moved to Gas
tonia in the fall of 1952, offering one-year tech
nical courses to high school graduates. During
the past four years, the school has graduated
several hundred trained technicians in the fields
of radio-television, mechanical, electrical and
automotive technology.
The Institute has been occupying the Todd
house on West Airline avenue, and a leased
building also on West Airline.
Director Mason has stated that the new prop
erty given by the Company “will make a more
attractive school and provide better storage.”
Work will also be more efficient by having equip
ment, classrooms, laboratories and other facilities
all located together.
When the Company officially turned over the
property to the school, General Manager Harold
Mercer pointed out that, in his opinion, the new
physical plant would be adequate for the In
stitute for many years to come.
As a member of the advisory board during the
entire period, since 1952, that the Institute has
been operating in Gastonia, Mr. Mercer was high
in his praise of the outstanding work which has
been accomplished by Director Mason and the
entire faculty of the School.
☆ ☆ ☆
When the Company made its recent grant of
property to Gaston Technical Institute here, it
made possible tripled facilities for the North
Carolina State College extension school, which
has operated in Gastonia since 1952.
Announcement of the gift was made by Ed
ward W. Ruggles, director of the State College
—Turn to page 8
M
THE PRESIDENT of the Consolidated Uni
versity of North Carolina, William C. Friday (ex
treme right), came to Firestone to look over the
new home of Gaston Technical Institute, after
announcement of the gift of Company property to
the school. With him in front of one of the build
ings, first row, from left: B. T. Dickson, execu
tive secretary of the Gastonia Chamber of Com
merce; J. V. Darwin, manager of sales at
Firestone here; C. C. Dawson, chairman of the
advisory board of GTI; and Firestone Textiles
General Manager Harold Mercer. Behind them
are James I. Mason (left), director of GTI; and
Edward W. Ruggles, director of the North Caro
lina State College Extension Division.