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Burlington Commission on Human Rights, 1964-1965

At Work in Industry Today Page 15

     In 1957, he transferred to Pittsfield to tackle the challenges of the Polaris project as a design evaluation engineer. His work was so outstanding that he was given the responsibility for the planning and technical leadership of a group of 19 engineers and technicians.
     Mr. Langford had a great interest in moving from detail technical work into the management end of the business -- and he still wanted more education. However, the location of Pittsfield created a problem. The nearest full-time university was Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI), 36 miles away in New York State on the other side of a mountain.
     For two-and-a-half years, he boarded a bus two nights a week after work and made the trip to RPI. It wasn't easy for a married man with three children.
     In 1961, he received his master's degree from RPI in industrial management. And, he was also promoted by General Electric to his present managerial position.
     What advice does Gil Lanford have for young people who are ambitious and interested in rewarding careers in business? "I advise them to be as well prepared as they can be for what they hope to do," he says.
     "That includes being sure of their interests and understanding their aptitudes," he adds. "I wholeheartedly recommend that aptitude and interest tests be taken during high school to assure the teenager that he or she is on the right track. Then it's up to the individual to take matters in his own hands and prepare himself thoroughly.
     "An interest in your field of work, self-acquired qualifications and a desire to make a contribution -- those are the tickets to success today."

[photo to right]
Richard E. Lindsay

His situation looked hopeless; today he's making progress

Until early in 1964, Richard E. Lindsay had almost abandoned hope of finding a draftsman's job for which he was trained. He was nearly resigned to being an attendant in a Cleveland parking lot.
     Now, Mr. Lindsay has a different outlook.  He has been a draftsman in the engineering section of General Electric's Miniature Lamp Department at Nela Park since January, 1964.
     His fortunes changed when the Skills Bank, a pilot project co-sponsored by the Cleveland Urban League and the Ohio State Employment Service, directed him to General Electric. The bank, set up by a grant from a local foundation, was formed to place under-employed and unemployed Negroes in jobs matching their education and capabilities. Approximately 150 persons have been placed in Cleveland industry so far. The project serves as a guide for Urban Leagues in 65 other cities which have soon or will have their own Skills Banks.
     Dick Lindsay had been seeking a draftsman's job for several years. While attending John Adams High School in Cleveland, he decided to take a drafting course as part of his college preparatory studies. After graduating in 1952, he moved to Los Angeles and enrolled in the Cal-Aero Technical Institute for a course in aircraft engineering design.
     He returned to Cleveland in 1954, entering Kent State University in nearby Kent, Ohio. After three quarters there, he dropped out. The only job he could find was as a garage attendant at headquarters of the Cleveland Red Cross. While working nights there, he studied at the Cleveland Engineering Institute days.
     Within two years he was called for the Army service. After a course in the Army's Guided Missile Repairmen's commissioned School, he eventually became a non-commissioned officer in charge of a group of men assigned to the engineering maintenance section at Fort Barry, Calif.
     Upon his Army discharge in 1958, Mr. Lindsay was still unable to find industrial work, so he returned to garage and parking lot chores.
     But the young draftsman feels that "the years of waiting and a lot of despair are all behind me now. Many who are in the same situation I was in until this year are seeking similar opportunities. I only hope that they will have the good fortune I have had."
     Catesby C. Jones, Mr. Lindsay's manager, has this to say about him:
     "Richard Lindsay has the exact balance of educational training and native aptitudes that we need in a draftsman. I suspect that he is bringing a little more than the average enthusiasm to his work because of his appreciation of a real job opportunity after so many years of frustration. He has fitted in well with our organization and is making fine progress on the job."
     Mr. Lindsay, now 30, hopes to take advantage of training and educational opportunities available in the Company and community.
     He is the father of three children. His family lives in a recently acquired new home.

[photo to left]
Clarence Malone

Prepare for new demands of scientific change, urges design engineer

"Our scientific civilization is the first which has not been built on human slavery--the first which offers the hope of relieving mankind forever from the worst of the physical labor with which all other civilizations have previously enchained us. Therefore, you must be prepared to meet the demands of a highly technological society and a constantly advancing industry."
     That's the belief of Clarence Malone, an electrical design engineer in the Radio Guidance Operation, Utica, N.Y. He has a 9157 engineering degree from Howard University. He came to General Electric in August, 1957, after a brief period as a systems analysis engineer with North American Aviation in Downey, Calif.
     He has this to say to people considering an industrial career, basing his comments on his experience in business, community service and politics (he was an unsuccessful candidate for New

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In 1957, he transferred to Pittsfield to tackle the challenges of the Polaris project as a design evaluation engineer. His work was so outstanding that he was given the responsibility for the planning and technical leadership of a group of 19 engineers and technicians. Mr. Langford had a great interest in moving from detail technical work into the management end of the business -- and he still wanted more education. However, the location of Pittsfield created a problem. The nearest full-time university was Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI), 36 miles away in New York State on the other side of a mountain. For two-and-a-half years, he boarded a bus two nights a week after work and made the trip to RPI. It wasn't easy for a married man with three children. In 1961, he received his master's degree from RPI in industrial management. And, he was also promoted by General Electric to his present managerial position. What advice does Gil Lanford have for young people who are ambitious and interested in rewarding careers in business? "I advise them to be as well prepared as they can be for what they hope to do," he says. "That includes being sure of their interests and understanding their aptitudes," he adds. "I wholeheartedly recommend that aptitude and interest tests be taken during high school to assure the teenager that he or she is on the right track. Then it's up to the individual to take matters in his own hands and prepare himself thoroughly. "An interest in your field of work, self-acquired qualifications and a desire to make a contribution -- those are the tickets to success today." [photo to right] Richard E. Lindsay His situation looked hopeless; today he's making progress Until early in 1964, Richard E. Lindsay had almost abandoned hope of finding a draftsman's job for which he was trained. He was nearly resigned to being an attendant in a Cleveland parking lot. Now, Mr. Lindsay has a different outlook. He has been a draftsman in the engineering section of General Electric's Miniature Lamp Department at Nela Park since January, 1964. His fortunes changed when the Skills Bank, a pilot project co-sponsored by the Cleveland Urban League and the Ohio State Employment Service, directed him to General Electric. The bank, set up by a grant from a local foundation, was formed to place under-employed and unemployed Negroes in jobs matching their education and capabilities. Approximately 150 persons have been placed in Cleveland industry so far. The project serves as a guide for Urban Leagues in 65 other cities which have soon or will have their own Skills Banks. Dick Lindsay had been seeking a draftsman's job for several years. While attending John Adams High School in Cleveland, he decided to take a drafting course as part of his college preparatory studies. After graduating in 1952, he moved to Los Angeles and enrolled in the Cal-Aero Technical Institute for a course in aircraft engineering design. He returned to Cleveland in 1954, entering Kent State University in nearby Kent, Ohio. After three quarters there, he dropped out. The only job he could find was as a garage attendant at headquarters of the Cleveland Red Cross. While working nights there, he studied at the Cleveland Engineering Institute days. Within two years he was called for the Army service. After a course in the Army's Guided Missile Repairmen's commissioned School, he eventually became a non-commissioned officer in charge of a group of men assigned to the engineering maintenance section at Fort Barry, Calif. Upon his Army discharge in 1958, Mr. Lindsay was still unable to find industrial work, so he returned to garage and parking lot chores. But the young draftsman feels that "the years of waiting and a lot of despair are all behind me now. Many who are in the same situation I was in until this year are seeking similar opportunities. I only hope that they will have the good fortune I have had." Catesby C. Jones, Mr. Lindsay's manager, has this to say about him: "Richard Lindsay has the exact balance of educational training and native aptitudes that we need in a draftsman. I suspect that he is bringing a little more than the average enthusiasm to his work because of his appreciation of a real job opportunity after so many years of frustration. He has fitted in well with our organization and is making fine progress on the job." Mr. Lindsay, now 30, hopes to take advantage of training and educational opportunities available in the Company and community. He is the father of three children. His family lives in a recently acquired new home. [photo to left] Clarence Malone Prepare for new demands of scientific change, urges design engineer "Our scientific civilization is the first which has not been built on human slavery--the first which offers the hope of relieving mankind forever from the worst of the physical labor with which all other civilizations have previously enchained us. Therefore, you must be prepared to meet the demands of a highly technological society and a constantly advancing industry." That's the belief of Clarence Malone, an electrical design engineer in the Radio Guidance Operation, Utica, N.Y. He has a 9157 engineering degree from Howard University. He came to General Electric in August, 1957, after a brief period as a systems analysis engineer with North American Aviation in Downey, Calif. He has this to say to people considering an industrial career, basing his comments on his experience in business, community service and politics (he was an unsuccessful candidate for New 15