Washington
Sightseeing
☆ ☆ ☆
Mr. and Mrs. Thomas E. Gib
son went to Washington for
some sightseeing in August. For
some of their touring, they had
as guide Congressman Basil L.
Whitener of Gastonia. Here Mr.
and Mrs. Gibson pose with the
Hon. Whitener (right) outside
the White House. Mr. Gibson
works in Nylon Treating at Fire
stone. He and Mrs. Gibson came
back with this report from Con
gressman Whitener;
"To Homefolks in North Caro
lina: When in Washington dur
ing a Congressional season, look
me up. I'll do my best to help
make yours a memorable visit to
the places of interest associated
with our Federal Government."
I
GASTONIA GOAL. $179,815
UF Appeal Begins In October
Company’s 60th Year -
),000,000. The company has
paid dividends regularly every
year since 1924.
During the first six months of
this fiscal year, net sales and
net income v^rere the highest
ever attained by the company
and its subsidiaries. Sales
amounted to $581,129,397 as
compared to $568,158,972 for the
same period last year.
Facilities expansion beyond
Akron began as early as 1919,
with incorporation of the Fire
stone Tire & Rubber Company
of Canada, Ltd., Hamilton, On
tario.
During the past decade 13
facilities have been added to
the Firestone organization.
Within the past five years, $274
million have been spent, with
this year’s appropriation of an
additional $120 million for con
struction of new plants and mod-
from page 1
ernization of existing ones.
Although tires have constitut
ed Firestone’s principal product
for 60 years, the firm manufac
tures and markets approximate
ly 12,000 other products in six
major industrial fields: Rubber,
metals, plastics, synthetics, tex
tiles and chemicals.
From Firestone—Many "Firsts"
From the company have come
many developments and “Fire
stone Firsts” which have high
lighted the vehicular age. These
included the first angular non-
skid tread; the first commercial
demountable rim; and the first
practical pneumatic tractor tire;
in 1955 the development of a
man - made rubber — Coral — a
complete replacement for na
tural rubber; and in 1958—Diene
—a partial replacement for na
tural rubber.
Another Honor
For Scout Quinn
Eagle Scout Ralph Edwin
Quinn Jr. has been awarded the
Bronze Palm for having earned
five merit badges beyond the
requirement for attainment of
Eagle rank. His two latest merit
qualifications were in bird study
and electricity.
Young Quinn, a member of
Troop 35 of Gastonia, is the 15th
boy from the Gastonia area of
the Piedmont Council to have
received the Harvey S. Firestone
Jr. Award for Scouting excel
lence. At the time this honor
came to him in May of this year,
he ranked a Life Scout and an
Eagle, and owned 20 merit
badges in 20 areas of Scoutcraft.
The Harvey S. Firestone Jr.
Award, presented each spring at
a banquet, is the highest com
pany-sponsored recognition for
excellence of achievement in the
senior Scouting program.
Little Tar Heels
Season’s Winner
The Firestone team in the
Harold Mercer Little Tar Heel
League (baseball) ended the sea
son in first place, with only
three games lost during the sum
mer schedule.
Victors in the inter-industry
tournament which ended in late
July, the Firestone team had
five members chosen for the all-
star playoff.
Besides the plant team here,
members of the Harold Mercer
Little Tar Heel League were a
team from Sunrise Dairy, Opti
mist Boys Club, and Crowders
Creek Presbyterian Church.
Championship To Girls Team
Firestone Girls Softball Team added another inter-in
dustry league championship to its list of victories in the
season just ended. The team, coached by Bob Purkey, wrap
ped up the season’s play in the Gaston County Girls League
with, only one game lost out of a heavy schedule of summer
play.
To wrap up the accomplishment for the year, the Fire
stone girls took the honors for the league playoff champion
ship.
This year’s accomplishments were but another chapter
in the girls team performance in recent years. They won
the county league championship in 1958 and again in 1959.
During his career, Harvey S.
Firestone pioneered in many im
portant transportation and in
dustrial movements. In 1918 he
organized the "Ship By Truck"
movement which gave impetus
to the nation's vast trucking in
dustry. He was a leader in the
"Good Roads" movement; and
his campaign "Americans Should
Produce Their Own Rubber" led
to Firestone's extensive planta
tions operations in Liberia, West
Africa.
By 1936, two years before
Harvey Firestone’s death, the
five sons of the founder had
joined him in the management
of the business. Harvey S. Fire
stone Jr., now chairman, joined
the company in 1920. Two years
later the late Russell A. Fire
stone followed his brother and
became head of the mechanical
rubber goods division.
In 1931 Leonard K. Firestone
became associated with the firm
and is now president of the Fire
stone Tire & Rubber Company of
California. Raymond C. Fire
stone joined his brothers in 1933
and is now president of the par
ent company. Roger S. Firestone,
starting in 1936, is now president
of the Firestone Plastics Com
pany and the Firestone Syn
thetic Fibers Company.
Coming; Opportunity to
cheer a life ... to lift a
burden ... to give wings
to hope . . .
The ninth annual Employ
ees United Fund campaign
here is set for early October,
when Firestone Textiles
joins in the Greater Gastonia
United Fund and Council’s
appeal for operating funds
for the 1961 year.
Dates for this year's campaign
are October 4-November 2. A
minimum need of $179,815 has
been announced. For this goal,
your one gift, one time, will help
next year's operation of all these
services:
American Red Cross of Gaston
County, Boy Scouts of America
—Piedmont Council, Children’s
Home Society of N. C., Florence
Crittenton Home, Gaston Big
Brothers, Gaston Life Saving
Crew, Girl Scouts of America—
Pioneer Council, Junior Opti
mist Boys Club.
N. C. Mental Health Associa
tion, Red Shield Boys Club,
Regional Mental Health Center,
Salvation Army, United Cerebral
Palsy Association, United Medi
cal Research Foundation of N.C.,
United Service Organizations,
Young Men’s Christian Associa
tion.
Seven national agencies:
American Hearing Society,
American Social Hygiene Asso
ciation, International Social
Service, National Probation and
Parole Association, National
Recreation Association, National
Social Welfare Assembly, Na
tional Travelers Aid Association.
Since its beginning here in
1951, the Employees United
Fund has realized a steady
growth, each year keeping pace
with increasing needs of the
community. Last year, Fire
stone’s record gift of $17,867.85
was appropriated toward the
1960 operation of the 20 partici
pating community - welfare
Fund agencies.
In the 1959 campaign the
Greater Gastonia United Fund
reached more than $160,000—
largest goal ever set for this
community,
Oliver G. Willitts, chairman
of the board of Campbell Soup
Company, is 1960 chairman of
the United Community Cam
paigns of America. This is the
overall organization which leads
thousands of United Funds and
Community Chests in gathering
volunteer contributions for op
eration of neighborhood, health,
welfare, recreation and char
acter-building services on the
local, state and national level.
A Giant Barracuda
Was On The Hook
An unusual catch brought a
round of excitement to a group
of Firestone fishermen off the
South Carolina coast one day in
August. A 37-pound barracuda
58 inches long was hooked in
Little River, from the deck of a
rented boat.
Those in the “barracuda hunt”
party were S. P. Bolding of In
dustrial Relations, his son-in-law
Bennie Robinson; Horace Robin
son, Gene Carson, Brady Robin
son, all Shop; Brady’s son Butch,
£nd Leroy Posey, Weaving.
The “whopper” catch first
tangled with the fish hook, while
Gene Carson was holding the
pole. The struggle brought fa
tigue, so he turned over the
fight to Leroy Posey. In the tus
sle, the fish wore out the reel.
His captors let him* expire and
entered him in the fishing rodeo
contest at Little River. They’ll
know how he made out some
time in September.
The barracuda, inhabiting
tropical and sub-tropical seas,
has a long snout, large sharp-
edged teeth and projecting low
er jaw. Swift and voracious, it
kills other fish and is often a
hazard to human bathers.
SEPTEMBER, 1960 S!JI1W§ PAGE 2
V
☆ ☆ ☆
Ten Were In Class
For Loom Course
Cotton Division manager P. R.
Williams congratulates Worth
Honeycutt, along with nine
others of the two weaving de
partments, who recently com
pleted a 40-hour course in loom-
fixing at Gaston County Indus
trial Education Center.
At left is G. A. Perry, over
seer in Weaving (synthetics),
who was instructor in the night
classes over a period of ten
weeks. Receiving certificates,
front row (from left): Harold
Braswell, Carl Taylor, Wayne
Odell, Worth Honeycutt. Back
row (from left): Lacy Nall, Ern
est Jolly, Clyde Phillips, Paul
Neal, Clee McCaslin and Carl
Smith.