GASTONIA • NORTH CAROLINA
VOLUME X-NUMBER 8
JULY, 1961
Tir«$ton«
I envy not him that eats bet
ter than I do, nor him that is
richer, nor him that wears bet
ter clothes than I do. I envy
him—and him only—that catch
es more fish than I do.
Izaak Walton
MOUNTAIN MAJESTY
Acres of sky . . . limitless
expanses of blue ranges . . .
the majesty of green forest
. . . beauty you’ll never for
get. All this—and much more
—awaits you in a five-state
mountain empire of the Ap
palachian South. Making
Camp Firestone on Lake
James near Marion your
place of departure, you can
treat yourself to recreation
fun and sightseeing like this
at Linville Bluffs on Grand
father Mountain.
Company Included In Booklet
A promotional booklet pub
lished recently bv Duke Power
Company numbers the Firestone
company among leading manu
facturers contributing to prog
ress and prosperity in the Pied
mont Carolinas.
The 32-page, color piece,
“Piedmont Carolinas; Where
Wealth Awaits You,” describes
the progress, resources, the peo
ple and their way of life, and
new opportunities in the Duke
Power service area.
“Where Wealth Awaits You”
was the promise to industry
which Duke Power made more
than 30 years ago, according to
the introduction.
“Diversified natural resources,
—More on page 4
Photo: John Hancock Mutual Life Insurance Company
They Signed—
In An Act
Of Heroism
July 4 this year marks the
185 th anniversary of the
adoption of the Declaration
of Independence at Philadel
phia. America’s independence
was actually decided on July
2, 1776 by a vote from the
Colonies. The Declaration
was adopted two days later,
but no one signed it until the
first signatures were affixed
on August 2. Names were
still being added as late as
1781.
When John Hancock put
his bold and famous signa
ture to the document, there
was a 500-pound reward on
his head! His fellow patriots
performed equal acts of hero
ism by adding their names to
America’s treasured “Birth
Certificate of Freedom.”
Relax—But With Safety In Your Plans
With the summer weather here, I know
you are looking forward to some well-earn
ed leisure off the job—at home and along
our roads and highways. It’s a good guess
you’re thinking pleasantly of favorite places
to relax and enjoy recreation; that you’re
making plans to explore exciting new areas
across town or across the country.
Whatever your plans, make safety a part
of them. Each year more people are killed
and injured on the highways and at home
than in all of industry. If you are traveling,
plan ahead to allow yourself sufficient time
so you will not have to speed or overtire
yourself in reaching your destination.
If you are spending time catching up on
jobs around the house, be sure your equip
ment is in safe-working condition and that
dangerous tools are kept out of children’s
hands.
Relax, but don’t let a careless moment
turn your leisure time into tragedy. I sin
cerely hope your summer will be happy and
safe, for you and your family.
yUUXuy^
Executive Vice President
Certificates
To Supervisors
General manager Harold Mer
cer in June presented certifi
cates to three plant supervisors
upon their completion of cours
es in the spring term of night
school sponsored by the Gaston
County Industrial Management
Club.
The Firestone men were
among the group of 50 from
local industries and business
firms completing courses in six
fields of study.
Those from here and the
courses for which they received
certificates were: Homer Hall,
cost control; Ray Thomas, cre
ative thinking; and J. M. Cooper,
labor law.
264 Vehicles Needed Fixing
Of the 801 vehicles processed in the Firestone auto-safe
ty-check program this year at Gastonia, 264 were rejected
on at least one of the standard 10 points of inspection. It was
the fourth year the plant here and the Firestone company
at large had operated the safety program for employees and
other citizens of plant communities in the United States, in
areas that do not have laws providing for motor-vehicle in
spection.
From among the 264 vehicles (both cars and trucks)
turned down for unsafe mechanical condition, 194 of them
were corrected, then returned to the lanes for final approval.
Leading the list of defects were rear lights, with 147
marked up as out-of-order. Next came tires, with 79; Other
defective parts in the 10-point check included: Front lights,
51; brakes and exhaust, 11 each; horn and windshield wiper,
2 each; glass 1.
Of the remaining 2 of 10 separate check-points, there
were no defects for rear-view mirror and steering mechan
ism.
He Won A Medal The Hard Way
When Clarence W. Donaldson Jr. received the
Textile Veterans Association Award at the North
Carolina Vocational Textile School, he became
the second Firestone employee to earn the dis
tinguished prize. Fred W. Davis of the Cotton
Division won it in 1960.
Symbol of recognition for the outstanding
graduate at the Belmont school is a three-inch
bronze medallion. Donaldson was named this
year’s winner at commencement exercises June
14, when 107 received diplomas.
The Firestone section manager in Twisting
(synthetics) attended the school 10 months out of
each of the past five years, and four additional
months. Beginning as a doffer here five years
ago, he was promoted to his present job in 1958.
Donaldson, who left high school after the 10th
grade, served four years in the Air Force before
coming to work at Firestone. He enrolled at the
textile school in 1955 and completed his work
last February. Commuting from home in Gas
tonia to school on weekdays, he spent some 4^2
hours in class and laboratory in afternoon and
evening sessions. During that time he was keep
ing up with his regular shift at the mill.
He finished four courses with a grade average
of better than B-plus (high 80s).
His diploma in mill maintenance received at
commencement in June was the fourth one he
had earned. He had already received two in
yarn manufacturing, and one in weaving and de
signing.
Besides his busy schedule as a student and
an employee here, Donaldson and his wife have
made room for some volunteer service to their
church, South Marietta Street Baptist.
NC Vocational Textile School is among 14
schools and colleges throughout the country that
present the awards from the Textile Veterans
Association of New York City. In addition to his
record of academic excellence, Donaldson was
AT BELMONT
TEXTILE SCHOOL
chosen the outstanding graduate on the number
of subjects completed (total of four), and the
time spent in attendance at the school.
The Textile Veterans Association is a trade
organization of Americans who are veterans of
service to our country and are engaged in the
textile and affiliated industries. Its goal is to
promote the interests and welfare of the indus
try, the community, its membership and brothers-
in-arms in veterans hospitals.
Among its many activities, the TVA sponsors
an annual achievement-awards dinner at which
are presented “Oscars” of the textile industry.
AT HOME on East Eighth avenue, Clarence
Donaldson Jr., his wife, and their daughter, Judy
Kay show the Textile Veterans Association me
dallion presented him for his outstanding student
record. Both Mr. and Mrs. Donaldson work in
Twisting (synthetics).