JANUARY. 1959
PAGE 5
GOING PLACES. .. SEEING THINGS
In January See Fort Raleigh Historic Site
It was a time for reminiscing
when General Manager Harold
Mercer presented a gold watch
and 20-year service pin to
Pearlie S. Cantrell, and James
C. Barker. Looking on at right
is F. B. Galligan, superintendent
of the Cotton Division.
Two Set 20-Year Records;
Others Have Long Service
The employment office
signed up several people for
jobs here in late 1938. Of that
number, two employees are
still on the job, having com
pleted 20 years of service
with the company last
month. They are Pearlie S.
Cantrell of Spinning; and
James C. Barker of the Shop.
While these two joined the
growing ranks of two-decade
employees, a number of others
passed service milestones of 15,
10 and 5 years. Service pins have
been presented to these on the
December, 1958 list;
Fifteen Years
Tom McClure, Twisting (ray
on); Jasper McCollum, Ware
house; Edna M. Smith, Quality
Control.
Ten Years
Blonzeen P. Mauney, Violet P.
Painter, Hilliard E. Terry, all
Twisting (rayon).
Five Years
Dewey L. Smith, Twisting
(rayon); Virginia M. Thomas,
Twisting (cotton).
Outdoor activities of appeal to travelers are
not curtailed in the Mid-South during January.
Especially is this so of “Down Home in North
Carolina,’’ for here, during the first month, there
is a variety of things to do and places to go. The
calendar has room for sports events and historical
tours, for examples.
In the “Land of the Long Leaf Pine”, spring
is never far removed from outdoor playgrounds.
There is only a brief period between the Christ
mas season and the appearance of signs of spring
on the Southeastern Coast, the Sandhills and
Thermal Belt sections to the West.
In the Carolinas—the area most-visited by
Firestone travelers—every month brings a series
of lively festivals, celebrations and other special
events.
Plant Recreation, year-round sponsor of the
employee travel information service, has some
suggestions for your enjoyment during the first
month of the New Year.
FOR EXAMPLE, there is a trip to Chapel Hill
and the Morehead Planetarium at the University
of North Carolina. Throughout the year the
planetarium presents a daily schedule of pro
grams which bring into focus man’s picture of
God’s universe. “Scouting the Skies” runs from
January 6 through February 23. Its title is sug
gested by the Boy Scouts of America national
theme. This presentation is especially suited to
students. Special programs Wednesdays through
Sundays at 4 p.m. are for Cub, Boy and Girl
Scout groups, and school groups visiting the State
Legislature. For these, advance registration is
necessary.
Traveling toward the Coast and the Outer
Banks in January? One of the most interesting
tours you can take is a trip to Fort Raleigh Na
tional Historic Site, three miles north of Manteo,
N. C. The Site is on the north end of Roanoke
Island, scene of Sir Walter Raleigh’s ill-fated
attempts to establish an English colony in Ameri
ca. Here, the agents of Sir Walter Raleigh and
the subjects of Queen Elizabeth suffered or died
in efforts to begin the conquest of the greater
part of the North American Continent. Hardship
came to the first colony of 1585-86. Here was the
birth of Virginia Dare, first child to be born of
English parents in the New World.
THE FIRST colony was abandoned. Raleigh’s
attempt at founding a second colony, in 1587,
ended in tragedy. Disappearance of what has
been called “The Lost Colony” has never been
explained.
To commemorate these chapters in America’s
past, Fort Raleigh was designated a national his
toric site in 1941. Its area of more than 18 acres
embraces part of the settlement sites of 1585
and 1587. Objects uncovered there in excavations
of 1947-48 are on display in the Site museum, in
the area of the restored fort.
You may visit Fort Raleigh daily from 8:30
a.m. to 5 p.m. If you plan to visit in a group,
you may have special service if advance arrange
ments are made with the superintendent.
The Site, administered by the National Park
Service, may be reached on State Route 345. It is
92 miles southeast of Elizabeth City. Travelers
from the south and west can reach the Site by
US 158 from Elizabeth City; or from Washington,
N. C., over US 264; or from Williamston, N. C.,
over US 64.
Some employees have planned trips to Florida
for January. Plant Recreation has this reminder:
Holiday rates in the “Land of Sunshine” began
in December. Travel seasons in Florida do not
follow the calendar. For example, October marks
the end of the summer rates, the lowest of the
year. November 1 through December 15 is
autumn, pricewise. The winter season begins in
mid-January, and runs into March. In Florida,
the winter season is the most expensive of the
travel year.
Factory Manager, Production Head
Appointed At Des Moines Plant
Appointments of E. H. Strobel
as manager of the Des Moines
(Iowa) plant, and of James E.
Trainer, Jr., to succeed him as
production manager have been
announced by J. A. Meek, vice
president, production.
Mr. Strobel, with Firestone 17
years and in Des Moines since
1954, moves into the top Iowa
post, succeeding J. C. Blue who
retires January 31.
Mr. Trainer has been with the
Des Moines plant since 1955. He
joined Firestone ten years ago
and worked in Firestone plants
in Akron and Memphis before
assignment to Des Moines.
An engineering chemist, Mr.
Strobel was with the company’s
tire plant in Buenos Aires,
Argentina, as plant manager
when he was assigned to Des
Moines.
Mr. Strobel, 40, is a native of
Boston, Mass. He is a graduate
of Ohio State University and
holds the master of science de
gree in rubber chemistry from
the University of Akron (Ohio)
where he attended on a Fire
stone Fellowship.
Mr. Trainer, 31, was born in
Akron. He is a graduate of Cul
ver Military Academy (Indiana)
and attended Cornell University.
He has held production man
agement positions in both the
Memphis and Des Moines plants
of the company, and leaves the
post of assistant production man
ager in Des Moines to take his
new post.
Sports Writer Lauds Firestone Racing Tires
It takes rare know-how to make racing tires
of high quality. Of the hundreds of firms in the
World that manufacture tires, there is only a
handful that chooses to build or is capable of
building, reliable high-speed tires.
This was what Griff Borgensen had to say in
article published in the December issue of
Sports Car Illustrated.
“As for the Firestone Tire & Rubber Com
pany, it is safe to say that for sheer vastness of
ti'ack racing know-how, it is second to none. . .”
The Borgensen article backgrounds the com
pany’s racing tire development. About the Indian
apolis race in 1913, he wrote: “Jules Goux, run
ning on French tires, time after time burst them
the turns. Mid-race, he switched to Firestones.
He had no more tire trouble and won the race.
"AFTER THIS, drivers and owners descended
on the company in droves, all wanting Firestones
^nd wanting them free. Harvey S. Firestone
stated, ‘If we can’t make tires good enough for
you to buy, we aren’t interested in making them.’
That policy has been adhered to ever since.”
About the company’s use of the Indianapolis
Speedway as a proving ground the article says,
‘Many Firestone firsts, later copied by the world
industry, were proved there.
“Firestone became the U. S. specialist in the
building of high speed tires.
“One of the greatest and most dramatic
achievements in racing tire history was Fire
stone’s seemingly effortless conquest of the
exotic problems presented by the first Monza
(Italy) 500-mile race.
“When the race was first announced it was
clear that this would be the fastest race in the
world. One of the most crucial questions was
‘where do we get tires?’ The problem was drop
ped in the lap of the late W. E. Lyon, who was
director of tire engineering and development.”
THE ARTICLE tells results of the testing pro
gram at Monza. It quotes the late Pat O’Connor,
the company’s test driver, whose death occurred
in 1957, at Indianapolis.
“Said O’Connor, ‘They sent me over there with
a tire that hit the requirements right on the
button’.
“The race itself was one of the great experi
ences of O’Connor’^ career. Pat said, ‘On race
day the air temperature was 108 degrees and the
surface of the trac|c was 128; terrible for tires.
Bryan, who won at a race average of 160 mph,
often topped 190 in the straights. We just ran as
fast as we wanted and the tires took it’.
“This is the status, to date, of the evolution of
safe and dependable extreme high-speed tires
in America. Firestone's habitual pursuit of im
provement is not likely to let the evolution stand
still. Neither will the competition they are get
ting. . .”
Brubaker Heads
PR Program
A. E. “Scotty” Brubaker is the
new director of public relations
for the Firestone company. He
was transferred from the post of
retail advertising manager, after
17 years’ service with the com
pany.
Mr. Brubaker, from Litchfield,
111., was graduated from the Uni
versity of Illinois in 1937 with
the degree of bachelor of arts.
Before joining Firestone, he
was four years in sales and ad
vertising work with Montgom
ery Ward in Chicago,
In World War II, Mr. Bru
baker served two years as a
Navy communications officer,
attaining the rank of Lieutenant
j-g-
He came to the advertising de
partment at Firestone in 1942,
after having worked as a budget
supervisor in company stores in
Rock Island and Galesburg, 111.
After holding various positions
in the advertising department,
he was made sales promotions
manager in 1947. Six years later
he was named retail advertising
manager.
He is chairman of the Inter
industry Highway Safety Adver
tising and Promotion Commit
tee. He is a trustee of the Com
munity Church, Congregational,
of Akron, Ohio. Mr. and Mrs.
Brubaker and their three chil
dren live in Akron.
To improve the golden mo
ment of opportunity is the great
art of life.—Samuel Johnson
The Whiddens
Live In Paris
Mrs. Edgar A. Whidden arriv
ed in Paris, France, December
15, where she joined her hus
band who is serving with the
US Air Force there. She is the
former Betty Dixon, a daughter
of Mrs. James G. Dixon and the
late Mr. Dixon of Gastonia. Mrs.
Whidden’s mother is a respooler
tender in Twisting here. A
brother, James G. Dixon, Jr., al
so works in Twisting.
Mr. and Mrs. Whidden are liv
ing in the Fontainebleau, Seine-
et-Marne department Southeast
of Paris. They plan to be living
in France for three years. Their
address; A/2C Edgar A. Whid
den, Box 606, Det. No. 2; 1141st
USAF, Spactyran APO 11, New
York, N. Y.
News Of Warehouse Employees
Warehouse employees who took two-week vacations in late
December were Erwin Worthy, Ernest Harris, Robert Lee Setzer
and Ellie Hue Easter.
Tom Meeks of New York City spent a vacation in late Decem
ber with his brother, Albert Meeks, a conveyor tender here.
Mr. and Mrs. John Moore, son-in-law and daughter of Jack
Wellman, spent ten days visiting with Mr. Moore’s family in
New York City in December. Mrs. Moore is a registered nurse
on the staff of Gaston Negro Hospital. Her husband is a teacher
of French at Lincoln High School near Gastonia. Mr. Wellman is
a utility man here.