Man is the only animal that
laughs and weeps, for he is the
only animal that is struck with
the difference between what
things are and what they ought
to be.
—William Hazlitt
Tir«$ton«
S3SW
GASTONIA
The secret of a good life lies not
in the number of joys, nor even in
the number of sorrows that come
into it—but in the way both joys
and sorrows are met.
—Murray Banks
VOLUME VIII
GASTONIA, N. C., MARCH, 1959
NUMBER 4
23rd ANNUAL PROGRAM
Photo; Gastonia Gazette
At the Harold Mercer testimonial dinner in late February, the
Firestone plant manager (second from right), receives citation from
Dr. James Huggin, minister of Gastonia's First Methodist Church.
Maurice Honigman (left), local brotherhood leader; and Dr. Sterling
Brown (right), were on hand for the presentation. Dr. Brown was
principal speaker at the meeting.
1959 NCCJ AWARD
Plant Manager Receives
Brotherhood Citation
. For outstanding leadership in advancing brother
hood and the ideals of human relations among men every
where. . That was the citation which honored Firestone
Textiles general manager Harold Mercer, when he was pre
sented this year’s Brotherhood Award on February 26.
Several hundred persons attended the testimonial din
ner sponsored by the Gaston Chapter, National Conference
of Christians and Jews, and held at the Gaston Country
Club.
The plant’s general manager
—outstanding as a textile, civic,
and religious leader—was pre
sented the award by Dr. James
Huggin, pastor of the First
Methodist Church of Gastonia.
Dr. Sterling W. Brown, execu
tive vice-president of the New
York City NCCJ, was principal
speaker on the program which
Was a part of the local observ
ance of National Brotherhood
Week, in February.
Program committee chairman
for the event was F. B. Galligan,
Cotton Division superintendent
at Firestone.
FROM Seymour, Ind., Mr.
Mercer is a graduate of the Uni
versity of Illinois. Since coming
to the plant here in 1935 from
the company’s home offices in
Akron, Ohio, he has made him
self a strong community in
fluence in civic, religious and
business affairs.
He is active in Boy Scouts, the
Y M C A, United Fund; and
church, school and business
groups. Mr. Mercer is a director
of the National Bank of Com
merce, trustee of Gaston Me
morial Hospital, director of the
Gastonia YMCA, director of the
Gastonia United Fund, and ex
ecutive committeeman of Pied
mont Council, Boy Scouts of
America.
Mr. Mercer is a trustee and a
member of the official board of
First Methodist Church of
Gastonia.
He has served several terms
as Protestant co-chairman of the
Gaston chapter of NCCJ. The
general manager is a director, or
an advisor, of numerous trade
groups and educational institu
tions.
Among 1400 citizen leaders
who recently met in Chicago to
promote public safety, about 130
religious leaders agreed that
accident prevention should be
included in church programs as
an important moral and spirit
ual problem.
Wildlife Emphasis
Set March 15-21
The National Wildlife Federa
tion with its State affiliates is
this year sponsoring National
Wildlife Week, March 15-21.
This is the kickoff of a year-long
campaign to provide “more and
better teaching on natural-re-
sources conservation in Ameri
ca’s public schools, its colleges
and universities.”
Moviemaker Walt Disney, cre
ator of the “True Life Adven
ture” series, is honorary nation
al chairman of the NWF, the na-
hon’s largest conservation body.
Each year, since 1938, the Fed
eration with its state affiliates
has sponsored National Wildlife
Week as the beginning of a year-
round educational effort to in
terest citizens in preservation of
our natural resources.
This year’s program stresses a
“conservation -i In - the - schools”
theme, pointing up the vital
need for teaching conservation
in grade and high schools, col
leges and universities.
“Protection and proper man
agement of our lands and waters
are our national concern,” said
Stewart M. Brandborg of the
NWF staff. “We depend upon
these resources for everything
—Turn to page 2
All-Sports Banquet April 4
When Harry Grayson visits Firestone Textiles on April
4, he will join an illustrious list of personalities who have
helped to make the annual All-Sports Banquet here one of
the outstanding events of its kind in the Southeast.
The internationally-known sports writer and editor
will be featured speaker at the program which honors em
ployees and members of employee families who participate
in sports-recreation activities at the plant.
A traditional feature of the persons read his column, “The
program here wiU be the award
ing of honors to individuals and
teams with noteworthy achieve
ment records in sports during
1958.
The banquet at which Mr.
Grayson is to speak will follow
tradition as top event of the
activities calendar at Firestone
every year since 1936.
AS VISITING speaker, Mr.
Grayson will head the list of a
number of well-known person
alities of the sports-recreation
world, who will be on hand for
the banquet. Also attending as
special guests of the company
wiU be several leading citizens
of the Gastonia-Charlotte area.
For 25 years Harry Grayson
has been sports editor of NEA,
world’s largest newspaper fea
ture service. More than 3,000,000
Scoreboard’', as a regular fea
ture in the Gastonia Gazette.
Preceding his appearance here,
Mr. Grayson will make his cus
tomary trip to Florida to watch
major league baseball spring
training.
The sports figure who will
speak here has been described
as “a man who has the per
sonality of a steam hammer
equipped with a siren.” He was
winner of the 1958 National
Headliner Award for “consistent
ly outstanding sports writing
and columning.” The dean of
syndicated sports writers serv
ing some 800 newspapers, he has
been turning out sports and
news features for more than 40
years.
Grayson was a Marine of
ficer in World War I, a war cor
respondent during World War
II. He has traveled in almost
every country of the world, in
cluding Russia. The author of
several books and a lecturer at
numerous universities, Grayson
is much in demand as a public
speaker.
EDUCATED in Oregon, he has
worked on the Portland (Ore.)
Oregonian, the San Francisco
Bulletin, the old New York Tele
gram and remained there
through that newspaper’s merg
er with the New York World,
and until he was assigned to
Cleveland as NEA sports editor
in 1934.
—Turn to page 2
Freedom And Duty
Most of us in the United
States believe strongly in
free enterprise. But some
times we forget that free
dom and duty always go
hand-in-hand, and that if
the free do not accept social
responsibility, they will not
remain free. — John Foster
Dullss
1959
MARCH
1959
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spring Comes Laughing Down The Valley
February days flew by, fast as a weaver’s
shuttle. Came March—and the time of year
when Spring in her majestic processional re
turns again to the land. Already tiny lances
had thrust through earth’s prison, buds stood
against the sky, and valleys were turning
into green. Blossoms and blooming trees
now spread their garments over the low
land country and the foothills of the Blue
Ridge, and ere long, will drape the shoulders
of the loftiest peaks.
A scene like this becomes a part of the
warp and woof of March—when the last
long streak of Winter has faded from the
landscape and it is planting time again.
Francis R. Welch breaks the season’s first
furrow on his 55 acres of earth in the
Chapel Grove community. A card grinder,
Mr. Welch has been employed here for 23
years. He preferred to have the picture made
with “Dynamite”, but would have you know
that he also owns a tractor. His “steel mule”
takes care of the weightier—and faster—
matters of the farming task.