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GASTONIA
VOLUME IX
GASTONIA, N. C„ FEBRUARY, 1960
NUMBER 2
11 A.M. TO 5 P.M.
Bloodmobile Visit Scheduled February 22
At year’s end, names of all
workers except the supervisory
staff were placed in a drawing.
The person whose name came
up first received 30 per cent of
the amount in the collection.
The next four persons whose
names were drawn were award
ed, in order, 25, 20, 15 and 10
per cent of the money.
Rules for this year's conlesl
will be worked out later, safety
director Ralph Johnson has an
nounced.
LUCKY-NUMBER WINNERS who shared in $300 giveaway,
study a poster message with Ralph Johnson (front right), newly-
appointed safety director. Clockwise, they are: Sara Smith, Wind
ing, who received $60; Leonard Green, Twisting (synthetics), $45;
Ray Arrowood, Twisting (synthetics), $30; Frank E. Capps, Weav
ing (cotton), $75; and Judson Bert Looper, Weaving (cotton), $90.
Second Year-Long Contest
Offers Prizes For Safety
The second year-long safety campaign which offers
cash prizes for added interest, set March 31 as its first major
goal of 1,000,000 manhours without a lost-time accident.
Safety director Ralph Johnson has noted that the first
plateau of a million manhours of operation at the plant this
year normally would be reached around the end of the
third month.
The first year of continuing
safety emphasis closed with the
awarding of $300 distributed
among five employees whose
names came out in a numbers-
drawing.
The plant closed the year with
only one lost-time injury for a
12-month period, and a safety
frequency rate of 0.28. This is
tha ratio figure representing ac
cidents occurring per million
manhours worked.
In the cash prize contest, all
employees except members of
supervision were eligible for the
year-end drawing for whatever
amount of money had been ac
crued on the basis of the plant’s
safety performance throughout
the year.
LAST - YEAR rules of the
contest provided that when the
first million workhours free of a
lost-time injury was recorded,
the company put $100 in the
“kitty’’. Each month thereafter
throughout the year, $25 was
added for each month the plant
operated free of injury resulting
in lost time to an employee. In
case of an accident leading to
lost-time, no money was added
to the “bank” for the month in
which the mishap occurred.
New ‘Old Glory’
On Mill Tower
This out-of-the-ordinary view
of the 49-star American flag fly
ing atop the mill tower was
photographed through the struc
tural supports of the 160-foot
water storage tank near the
west gate, front.
The 49-star version of Old
Glory was for the first time
flown officially in Washington
on Independence Day last year.
The new design of the flag’s face
—^marking admission of Alaska
as the 49th State—represents the
first change in the banner since
admission of Arizona as the 48th
state in 1912.
Admission of Hawaii as the
latest state of “the Land of the
The first of two 1960 visits of
the American Red Cross blood-
mobile to Firestone is set for the
plant Recreation Center Febru
ary 22. On that day, employees
making their life-saving gift to
the Piedmont Carolinas regional
blood bank will be helping to up
hold the outstanding blood-giv
ing record here.
Hours of the February 22 visit
here are 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Gaston County Chapter of the
Red Cross points out that a de
cided increase in interest has
been shown in the bloodmobile
program during the past two
months.
Generous Response
Reviewing the program here
during the past three years, in
dustrial relations manager T. B.
Ipock Jr. noted that Firestone
employees and community resi
dents have contributed 931
pints, on the schedule of two
visits a year.
Record collection in recent
jColO XOU v_/li lii8 IllUSt
recent stop — last August — the
bloodmobile took back 126 pints.
“It is commendable,” notes
general manager Harold Mercer,
“that our people have always
Free and the Home of the
Brave” will be recognized by
the 50-star ensign to be made
official on July 4 this year, the
date which will commemorate
the 184th year of American in
dependence.
met—or exceeded—the quota of
each blood collection since we
went on the twice-a-year sched
ule.”
In addition to the usual blood
lending, the Red Cross is par
ticularly interested in collect
ing these rare types on the Fire
stone visit:
Famous Sports
Leader Coming
Here In April
N. V. “Swede” Nelson of Bos
ton, world-renowned sports and
recreation figure, has a return
engagement at Firestone in Gas
tonia, April 16.
That is the date of the 24th
annual All-Sports Banquet this
year, according to recreation di
rector Bob Purkey.
This will be the third time the
famed Bostonian wit has been
the featured speaker at the an
nual event which honors note
worthy achievement for em
ployees and their families’ par
ticipation in sports-recreation
activities here.
Mr. Nelson appeared at the
banquet here in 1951 and again
in 1957. He is remembered as a
brilliant field coach at Harvard
University for 15 years, head
coach of the College All-Stars
for three years, one-time presi
dent of the Gridiron Club of
Boston, and as sponsor of the
Nelson Award for Sportsman
ship, presented by the Gridiron
Club of Boston.
Presented each year since
1946, the award goes to a college
athlete who makes the greatest
sportsmanship gesture during a
collegiate football season. To
select recipients of the award,
the Gridiron Club polls more
than 1,000 coaches and sports
writers throughout the United
States.
O negative
B positive
AB positive
AB negative
Those who have never become
donors are especially invited to
participate. According to the
Pints
7
10
2
1
Red Cross, to be successful, a
bloodmobile visit should have
among the donors 40 per cent
who have not given blood be
fore. The figure now stands at
16 per cent for first-time don
ors.
Group Donor Plan
As a part of the Piedmont
Carolinas regional blood bank
arrangement, establishments in
business and industry may par
ticipate in the group credit-card
plan. Through this program, an
entire plant or business having
1,000 or more employees can
—More on page 4
BEST WISHES—Firestone Textiles president W. A. Karl (left)
came from Akron, Ohio, to attend a testimonial dinner honoring
Mr. Kessell. Here, Mr. Karl congratulates Mr. Kessell upon his
retirement, after 35 years with the company. Members of super
vision gave the retiring superintendent a power lawnmower.
Life Took On New Dimension
For Retired Superintendent
A few days of leisure un
der Florida skies was first on
the calendar of events for
Mr. and Mrs. Nelson Kessell,
at the time he retired as gen
eral superintendent here on
February 1. On that date, Mr.
Kessell’s service record
showed 35 years with Fire
stone.
Mr. Kessell came to the Gas
tonia plant as a superintendent
in 1935. When he turned over
the job to F. B. Galligan this
month, he took the job title
into history with his record. As
of February 1, Mr. Galligan’s
title became that of production
manager.
On his retirement, Mr. Kessell
listed, in addition to the Florida
trip, a visit to New England and
the scenes of his boyhood there.
“Other things — like hobbies —
will have to be developed grad
ually,” he confessed.
The retired general superin
tendent became associated with
Firestone on December 13, 1924,
when he was first assigned to
the plant at Fall River, Mass.,
original textile operation of the
company.
WHILE WORKING at Fall
River, he attended Bradford
Durfee Textile School. Later he
worked at the New Bedford and
Newburyport, Mass. plants of
the company before coming to
Gastonia in 1935. He supervised
operation of the company’s syn
thetic plant at Roanoke, Va., un
til that project was consolidat-
—More on page 2