MAY, 1959
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ANNUAL ALL - SPOR TS E VENT
THE SUPREMACY TROPHY recognizes the highest number
of departmental achievements in sports during the year. When the
trophy weni to Spinning-Twisting this year it was the second time
these two departments had shared jointly in the honor. (They tied
for it in 1945). Here, admiring the coveted emblem are Twisting
overseer Hobert Aldridge (left), and Spinning overseer Sam Guffey.
The original Supremacy Trophy covering the period from 1936 to
1949 was won so many times by Spinning that it was made the
permanent possession of that department. It is kept by Mr. Guffey.
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"IDEAL ATHLETES" are each year selected by secret vote by
those who take active part in the sports-recreation program. Among
factors considered are sports participation, sportsmanship, and
achievement. "Ideal Athletes of 1958" are, from left: James Mauney,
Spinning; Jerry Barton, Main Office; Alfred Caskey, Carding;
Shirley Ammons, whose father, A. O. Ammons, is second shift
superintendent; and Leffel Campbell, Spooling. The sixth member
of the group, John Owens of Supply, was not present for the picture.
‘Good Service’ Cards Get Attention
“Acknowledgement of Good
Service” cards which Firestone
people have been sending to
companies with which they do
business, continue to receive
favorable attention.
Harris F. Brown of the indus
trial relations department at the
home offices in Akron received
this comment in a letter from
Harold Freedlander, a furniture
dealer in Wooster, Ohio.
“Many thanks for your courte
ous acknowledgement card. . .
I think it is most commendable
of the Firestone company to pro
vide its associates with such a
THE HILLS BEYOND
Funeral for Mrs. Minnie Estell
Sparrow of Gastonia R-1 was
held at Pisgah Associate Re
formed Presbyterian Church
April 24. Burial was in Crowders
Creek Cemetery. The widow of
the late J. R. Sparrow, she was
a life-long member of the
Crowders Creek ARP Church.
A son, Henry F. Sparrow, is
With the grounds maintenance
team at Firestone. Others sur
viving Mrs. Sparrow are daugh-
Another Banquet — Many Champions
At the 23rd annual All-Sports Banquet in
April, upwards of 200 employees and mem
bers of their families went down in history
as champions, whey they were cited for
noteworthy achievement for their partici
pation in sports-recreation here during 1958.
Honors handed out ranged from the one
which went to the person who landed the
biggest fish last summer, to the Supremacy
Trophy, coveted departmental symbol of ex
cellence in the greatest number of recrea
tion activities during the past year.
Among the many awards was a sweater
to each of two women and four men, who
were designated by their fellow sports as
“Ideal Athletes of 1958.” One man and a
young woman were honored as “Most Com
petitive Athletes of 1958.” For their all
round excellence in the greatest variety of
sports-recreation activities, they received
the Johnson Cup, sponsored by plant re
creation director Ralph Johnson.
Besides the top departmental and individ
ual awards, trophies and Firestone jackets
were presented to teams, leagues and in
dividuals for outstanding achievement in
billiards, bowling, basketball, softball,
bocce, shuffleboard, baseball, table tennis,
WELCOME SOUTH—
Earlene Creasman (left) and
Doris McCready of Main Of
fice presented a sports jac
ket with the Firestone "F"
to banquet speaker Harry
Grayson upon his arrival at
the Charlotte airport. After
the banquet program the
NEA sports editor was pre
sented a special plaque
honoring him for his out
standing contribution to the
world of sports.
golf, putter golf, checkers, pinochle, fishing,
horseshoes, and college football score-guess-
ing.
The 23-member Recreation Council was
honored at a special table at the banquet.
S. L. Owens, retired Carding overseer, was
present as honorary life member of the
Council which guides the recreation pro
gram at Firestone.
A number of civic, industrial and sports-
recreation leaders were special guests of the
company at the banquet . . .
Featured speaker was Harry Grayson, in
ternationally-known sports writer and edi
tor for NEA services. He was introduced by
Ed V. Mitchell of the Gastonia Gazette,
now on the news staff of the High Point
Enterprise.
Recreation directors Ralph Johnson and
Bob Purkey presided at the meeting. Others
participating in the program were: Safety
director Alvin Riley—invocation; general
manager Harold Mercer—welcome; Flora
Pence—response; Bob Purkey—introduc
tion of guests; general superintendent Nel
son Kessell—awarding of Supremacy
Trophy; Cotton Division superintendent F.
B. Galligan, Harold Mercer and Ralph John
son—other special awards.
☆
☆
printed card which builds good
will and neighborliness between
people of different businesses
who patronize each other.
“We are often prone to for
get the inter-dependence which
we have, one on the other, and
this is certainly a healthy re
minder. . . Entirely aside from
the card, however, we do ap
preciate receiving it and your
expression of satisfaction with
our service. We try, and we
know we sometimes fail, but it
is one of the great intangible
satisfactions of business to find
that we have succeeded.”
ters, Mrs. George Wright and
Mrs. R. G. Little of Charlotte;
Mrs. W. R. Turner Jr., Gastonia;
and a son, Fred B. Sparrow of
Gastonia; a brother, M. L. Boyd
of Gastonia; 15 grandchildren
and one great-grandchild.
Mrs. Nancy Bolin Barnes, 64,
died at her home on R-1 Kings
Mountain, April 2, after a sud
den illness. Funeral was held
at the Crowders Mountain
Church.
A daughter, Della Short, is a
spooler tender at Firestone.
‘Swede’ Coming
Back In 1960
For the third time, N. V.
“Swede” Nelson is coming back
to speak at Firestone in Gas
tonia. The Bostonian with the
famous wit, and one of Ameri
ca’s sports greats, is signed up
as featured speaker at the 24th
All-Sports Banquet in the
spring of 1960. He appeared at
the banquet here in 1951 and
again in 1957,
He is a graduate of Philips
Exeter Academy and Harvard
University. Mr. Nelson was a
fullback on the championship
Harvard team in 1919. As back-
field coach at Harvard for 15
years and head coach of the
College All-Stars for three
years, he distinguished himself
as one of the outstanding men
tors in American football his
tory.
Mr. Nelson is a former presi
dent of the Gridiron Club of
Boston, and Massachusetts state
chairman of the National Foot
ball Hall of Fame Association.
He is honored by the Nelson
Award for Sportsmanship, pre
sented each year by the Grid
iron Club of Boston. First pre
sented in 1946, the award goes
to a college athlete who makes
the greatest sportsmanship ges
ture during a college football
season.
To select this outstanding
football player each year, the
Gridiron Club of Boston polls
more than 1,000 coaches and
sports writers throughout the
country.
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MOST COMPETITIVE—Vickie Bolick, daughter of Mrs. Helen
Bolick of Twisting (rayon), and Julius C. Westbrook of Spooling
won the title "Most Competitive Athletes of 1958." The honor is
commemorated by two trophies sponsored by plant recreation di
rector Ralph Johnson. Miss Bolick is the first non-employee to win
the distinction in the history of the All-Sports Banquet at Firestone
in Gastonia.
Play Ball—Heartily
Down in Venezuela, people
take seriously the All-American
sport of baseball. Plant Recrea
tion thought you’d be interested
in this sidelight glance at the
game as it is played in Caracas.
It is not uncommon there for
irate “beisboleras” (baseball
fans) to leap from the grand
stand and fist-fight a pitcher.
Sometimes a home-team sup
porter drives his auto around the
infield, pursuing a shortstop who
has made an error. Some visit
ing American players in Caracas
have gone to jail on the charge
of “failure to play with the
heart”.