February: Gateway some
TRA VEL
To Spring Season notes
Planning And Persistence
Led To Some Goals
Take some ambition, fire it with determination,
and it will put people more than half-way on the
road toward materializing their goals in life.
Clyde W. Beaver, son of Mr. and Mrs. A. C.
Beaver, is typical of those who set goals and reach
out to attain them through work and planning.
After graduation from high school, Clyde served
four years in the U.S. Air Force. Back home, he
went to enroll in Clemson College, where he earned
a BS degree in education with a minor in industrial
management.
He attended Clemson under the GI Bill, but with
a family of four—and later five—he had to work
part-time. Mrs. Beaver, the former Barbara Putnam,
also worked to help support the family.
The Beavers now live in Spartanburg, where
Clyde is a claims adjuster for Nationwide Insurance.
His mother recently marked her 25th year of em
ployment in Weaving (synthetics). His father re
tired from Twisting (synthetics) in 1954, after more
than 19 years on the job.
Feb., 1961 Page 4
• Mr. and Mrs. Beaver with their chil
dren; Alan Wesley, 8 years; James Dean,
4; and Lizabeth Diane, 2.
INDUSTRIAL ENGINEER
He Helps Industry To Achieve In Space Age
His history goes back to the
Stone Age and the development
of the wheel. His lifework is sur
rounded by centers of gravity,
decimal equivalents, densities,
differentials, integrals and
mathematical formulae.
Among his operating tools are
slide rules, French curves, mi
crometers, triangles, dividers,
ruling pens, compasses and pro
tractors.
His assignment today is to use
his knowledge and skill to help
American industry achieve in
the age of space. His title: Engi
neer.
At Firestone, it is the engi
neer’s job to be alert to the new
and improved methods of manu
facturing outstanding products
in rubber, textiles, plastics, syn
thetics, chemicals, and metals—
the Six Fields of Firestone.
Aside from their challenging
industrial task of “making the
best today, still better tomor
row,” Firestone engineers carry
the responsibility of helping to
maintain American superiority
in technology.
National Engineers' Week
Each year in February, during
the week of George Washing
ton's birthday, this country ob
serves National Engineers’
Week. It is sponsored by the
National Society of Professional
Engineers and by local organi
zations of professional engineers.
There are six basic types of
academic engineering at work
in Firestone’s major fields of
manufacturing. These are agri
cultural, chemical, electrical,
general, industrial and mechani
cal.
But, since many technical jobs
are peculiar only to the rubber
industry. Firestone has created
a number of other engineering
positions for which colleges and
universities do not usually edu
cate students. For these special
ized engineering assignments,
the formal education of em
ployees is supplemented with
special technical training pro
grams and on-the-job supervi
sion.
For example, in the tire engi
neering and development depart
ment, trained engineers become
tire design engineers, tire con
struction engineers, tire test
engineers, textiles and adhesives
experts, process engineers and
technical service engineers.
The same is true with the
manufacture of products other
than tires. Trained engineers are
often assigned such jobs as
methods engineers, production
planners, process control engi
neers and quality control engi
neers. Advancements to posi
tions as general foremen and
department managers are not
unusual for these engineers.
Some Are Researchers
Not all engineering at Fire
stone is connected directly with
the manufacture of saleable
products.
The first stage in development
of most products usually is in
research laboratories, where
chemists, physicists and engi
neers attempt to translate theory
into actuality.
Since Firestone’s basic prod
ucts are of rubber, men in re
search are expected to discover
and develop the many yet-un
known applications of natural
rubber and to study the count
less aspects of synthetic rubber.
When a new application is
discovered by the scientists,
chemical engineers conduct a
series of tests in a “pilot plant,”
Firestone’s name for simulated
full-scale production. If the
testing program is successful,
the new application takes its
place in the long list of Fire
stone products.
Chemical engineers also play
an important part in develop
ing Firestone plastics, textiles,
metals and petrochemicals. Re
search and development, and
production are but segments of
Firestone’s engineering opera
tions.
Some Work Behind-lhe-Scenes
Somewhat behind-the-scenes
are the men assigned to the gen
eral engineering department,
who are responsible for design
ing and planning new plants and
new product machinery and re
modeling and expanding older
plants and equipment.
Mechanical engineers, for ex
ample, are called upon to install
and maintain factory equipment.
Industrial engineers often advise
on the procurement of new
equipment. They design and
equip the company’s plants all
over the world.
Electrical engineers in this
department install and maintain
electronic systems and equip
ment. And maintenance keeps
the production machine running
smoothly and productively.
Other engineering functions
are in the industrial relations
department, where assignments
include methods and standards,
safety, and job evaluation.
FIRESTONE TEXTILES
P. O. BOX 551
GASTONIA, N. C.
Winter in the Carolines is
enough to add tang to the out
doors. But by the time February
arrives, the sun is beginning to
crowd the cold season right out
of the picture in play areas and
along the coast of the two states.
On a brisk February day, the
sun can be warm enough for
“shirtsleeve” golf and other out
door recreation. And camellias
blooming at this time of the year
in eastern sections of the Caro-
linas can make winter seem
yesterday.
In the North State alone, this
is the time for a lively calendar
of attractions for the Firestone
traveler, reminds the plant rec
reation department. It posts this
note:
Golf and horseback riding at
resorts, hunting for many species
of game birds and animals and
exploration of the seashore and
mountain playgrounds are sea
sonal specialties in North Caro-
lina.
Fishing is year-round, with no
closed season on any species of
salt or fresh-water fish except
mountain trout—and that season
opens in April. Oceans, sounds,
ponds, rivers, inlets, lakes and
streams yield a variety of game
fish. Some 30 different species
of salt-water fish are caught
from piers, beaches and boats
along the seashore.
Side Trips Into History
Bentonville Battleground, Fort
Fisher and Fort Macon are
among the historic sites which,
with events from coast to moun
tains, are re-telling North Caro
lina's story of the War Between
the States, during the nation
wide Civil War Centennial
(1961-1965). It is the story of
a state which contributed 125,-
000 men to the Confederate
cause, was scene of 11 battles
and 73 skirmishes, and led the
South in blockade running. The
Battle of Fort Fisher was larg
est land-sea action of any war
up to 1865, and cut off the block
ade runners which were the
“lifeline of the Confederacy.”
The Battle of Bentonville
was the last major Confederate
engagement of the conflict.
These and dozens of other NC
historical sites and restorations
are described in “Historic North
Carolina,” illustrated booklet
which is yours free from State
Advertising Division, Depart
ment of Conservation and De
velopment, Raleigh.
For You: These And Many More
An abbreviated rundown of
outstanding events in February;
Annual Dog Show, Fayetteville,
Feb. 15-17; Fine Arts Festival,
Raleigh, Feb. 16-March 1; Holly
Inn Lawn Bowling Tournament,
Pinehurst, 20-22; Sportsmen’s
Motor Boat and Vacation Show,
Charlotte, 20-26; American Ca
mellia Show, Whiteville, 25-26.
They’re in March, but belong
in the seasonal list: Ringling
Brothers Barnum and Bailey
Circus, Charlotte, March 1-5;
Hampton Fisheries Museum
opening, March 1 (through Oct.
31); Atlantic Coast Basketball
Tournament, Raleigh, 2-4; Gar
den Club Camellia Show, Fay
etteville, 4-5.
Methods Manager
On Committee
James Cooper, methods-stand-
ards manager at Firestone, is a
member of a five-man commit
tee chosen to make nominations
for new officers of the Gaston
County Industrial Management
Club. Officers will be elected in
March.
Sponsored by the YMCA, the
IMC is made up of management
people from textile mills, ma
chine shops, transportation firms
and other businesses.
Engineering Thru The Ages
Military engineers were long the only ones to whom the
title “engineer” was applied. In 1802 the U. S. Military Engi
neer Corps was established with one engineer and two assist
ants.
In 1823 the first professional engineering society was
formed in London, and was known as “The Institute of Civil
Engineers”. Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute at Troy, New
York, was the first American engineering college, founded
in 1824.
The word itself is a 16th century development from the
term “engine”. An “engin-er,” according to the Oxford Eng
lish Dictionary, is one who contrives, designs or invents.
In 1605 Ben Johnson, the English playwright, used the
word “inginers.” By 1635 the term had acquired its current
spelling, though used until recent years in a military sense
only.
Into An Eternal Tomorrow
To Martha Roberson Hill, Death was only an
old door opening upon the dawn of an eternal
Tomorrow. When shackles of time and space
were lifted last December 22, she was released
for richer, fuller service Over There. Had she so-
journed here eight more days, she would have spent 81 years on
This Side of the River.
She and her husband, A. E. Hill, had marked their 60th wed
ding anniversary last October. Then, the two of them were the
last remaining charter members of Firestone Wesleyan Methodist
Church.
Besides Mr. HiU, she left a daughter, Mrs. W. A. Johnson of
Twisting (Mr. Johnson, also employed here, works in Spinning);
a son, the Rev. J. Paul Hill of Salem, Va.; a sister, Mrs. C. E.
Hallman of Kannapolis; and several grandchildren and great
grandchildren.
POSTAL MANUAL
SECTION 134.1
U. S. POSTAGE PAID
GASTONIA, N. C.
PERMIT NO. 29
THE LIBRARY OP UHC
CHAPSL HILL, N. C.
Form 3547 Requested