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Burlington Commission on Human Rights, 1964-1965

At Work in Industry Today Page 21

folk. "This experience," Sarah Smith says, "was the turning point in my life. I found out that I wanted to work with people and above all, loved being among people."
     She returned to Philadelphia in 1959, and through an employment agency found a job as a stenographer at General Electric's Missile and Space Division.
     Sarah Smith became in less than two years the first Negro executive secretary in General Electric's new and growing space business, working for one of the firm's top managers. Two years ago, she took her present job.
     Besides directing the Speakers Bureau, she participates as one of the speakers, having made numerous talks on the problems of school dropouts, given to junior and senior high school students.
     "My three children," Sarah says, "have been a motivating factor throughout the years, trying to see them educated and respected citizens of this country." Her oldest daughter lives in Chester with her husband and five children. A son is married to a former schoolteacher and stationed at the Air Force Base in Plattsburth, N.Y. Her youngest daughter, Kathryn, is following in her mother's footsteps as a secretary at General Electric's Advanced Space Projects Department in King of Prussia, Pa. Mrs. Smith lives in West Philadelphia with her husband, a manager in the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board system.

[photo to right]
Tommy W. Smith

Night-shift leader directs production at Illinois tube plant

Within a few days after Tommy Smith was graduated in 1955 from Joliet (Ill.) Township High School, he applied for a job at the General Electric's local television picture tube plant. He was selected for one of the job openings as a bulb processor. From that day until the present, Mr. Smith's experience with the Company has been one of continual job progress. He is now a working leader at the Joliet plant, directing the work of the 14-man, third shift production crew from 11 o'clock at night to 7 in the morning.
     Tommy Smith's first promotion came after a year as a bulb processor, when he was selected to fill an opening in the tester's job. He mastered that job quickly and demonstrated a capacity for more responsibility. So, when an opening occurred in the utility operator classification in May, 1958, he was selected for the upgrading. While serving as a utility operator, Mr. Smith's leadership ability became obvious. He knew the manufacturing operations, and got along well with his co-workers, taking an active role in Local 110 of the International Union of Electrical Workers, and serving for a time as shop steward. In 1962 he was chosen to substitute in the absence of a foreman for three months. His performance during this temporary assignment again demonstrated his capacity for leadership and reliability.
     Mr. Smith's most recent success came when Joliet management decided to rearrange the supervisory responsibilities, create a working leaders classification, and place the working leader in charge of the third-shift operations. The man selected for this position had to be one who had demonstrated a knowledge of the product, the equipment, the manufacturing methods, and the men. Based on his past performance, Tommy Smith was the man.
     He is now 28 years old, married and the father of two young boys--Terry, eight years old, and Jerry, seven.
     Mr. Smith continues to prepare for the future. He now plans to enroll in a two-year management training institute sponsored by the Will County Manufacturer's Association. and he is preparing for his boys' futures also. He is a full participant in the General Electric Savings and Stock Bonus Program, so that his boys will have the finances necessary for a college education.
     Tommy Smith says, "The future belongs to those who set high goals and apply themselves daily to the accomplishment of those goals."

[photo to left]
James Stamper

Was he wasting time with school? 'No!' says aircraft specialist

"My friends thought I was spending too much time going to night school," James Stamper, an aircraft electrical specialist at Schenectady General Electric, said recently about his career with GE. "It turned out that the people who told me I was wasting my time were actually the ones who were wasting theirs."
     Mr. Stamper had three years of high school and a dozen years as a waiter behind him w hen he got an unskilled job at Schenectady General Electric in 1942. Soon, he was a machine operator and the following year he joined the Air Corps, where he stayed until 1946.
     On returning to civilian life, Mr. Stamper re-joined General Electric, this time wiring control panels. By now, he had already picked up his high school equivalency diploma and really went to work on the night courses in adult education. He studied math, electronics and radio and TV servicing.
     Another department temporarily needed a man with his skills and his boss "loaned" him out. They were so impressed, that he was asked to stay. In 1951, the GE Schenectady Flight Test center "borrowed" him for a special job. Again, he was asked to stay and, for the second time, got a better

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folk. "This experience," Sarah Smith says, "was the turning point in my life. I found out that I wanted to work with people and above all, loved being among people." She returned to Philadelphia in 1959, and through an employment agency found a job as a stenographer at General Electric's Missile and Space Division. Sarah Smith became in less than two years the first Negro executive secretary in General Electric's new and growing space business, working for one of the firm's top managers. Two years ago, she took her present job. Besides directing the Speakers Bureau, she participates as one of the speakers, having made numerous talks on the problems of school dropouts, given to junior and senior high school students. "My three children," Sarah says, "have been a motivating factor throughout the years, trying to see them educated and respected citizens of this country." Her oldest daughter lives in Chester with her husband and five children. A son is married to a former schoolteacher and stationed at the Air Force Base in Plattsburth, N.Y. Her youngest daughter, Kathryn, is following in her mother's footsteps as a secretary at General Electric's Advanced Space Projects Department in King of Prussia, Pa. Mrs. Smith lives in West Philadelphia with her husband, a manager in the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board system. [photo to right] Tommy W. Smith Night-shift leader directs production at Illinois tube plant Within a few days after Tommy Smith was graduated in 1955 from Joliet (Ill.) Township High School, he applied for a job at the General Electric's local television picture tube plant. He was selected for one of the job openings as a bulb processor. From that day until the present, Mr. Smith's experience with the Company has been one of continual job progress. He is now a working leader at the Joliet plant, directing the work of the 14-man, third shift production crew from 11 o'clock at night to 7 in the morning. Tommy Smith's first promotion came after a year as a bulb processor, when he was selected to fill an opening in the tester's job. He mastered that job quickly and demonstrated a capacity for more responsibility. So, when an opening occurred in the utility operator classification in May, 1958, he was selected for the upgrading. While serving as a utility operator, Mr. Smith's leadership ability became obvious. He knew the manufacturing operations, and got along well with his co-workers, taking an active role in Local 110 of the International Union of Electrical Workers, and serving for a time as shop steward. In 1962 he was chosen to substitute in the absence of a foreman for three months. His performance during this temporary assignment again demonstrated his capacity for leadership and reliability. Mr. Smith's most recent success came when Joliet management decided to rearrange the supervisory responsibilities, create a working leaders classification, and place the working leader in charge of the third-shift operations. The man selected for this position had to be one who had demonstrated a knowledge of the product, the equipment, the manufacturing methods, and the men. Based on his past performance, Tommy Smith was the man. He is now 28 years old, married and the father of two young boys--Terry, eight years old, and Jerry, seven. Mr. Smith continues to prepare for the future. He now plans to enroll in a two-year management training institute sponsored by the Will County Manufacturer's Association. and he is preparing for his boys' futures also. He is a full participant in the General Electric Savings and Stock Bonus Program, so that his boys will have the finances necessary for a college education. Tommy Smith says, "The future belongs to those who set high goals and apply themselves daily to the accomplishment of those goals." [photo to left] James Stamper Was he wasting time with school? 'No!' says aircraft specialist "My friends thought I was spending too much time going to night school," James Stamper, an aircraft electrical specialist at Schenectady General Electric, said recently about his career with GE. "It turned out that the people who told me I was wasting my time were actually the ones who were wasting theirs." Mr. Stamper had three years of high school and a dozen years as a waiter behind him w hen he got an unskilled job at Schenectady General Electric in 1942. Soon, he was a machine operator and the following year he joined the Air Corps, where he stayed until 1946. On returning to civilian life, Mr. Stamper re-joined General Electric, this time wiring control panels. By now, he had already picked up his high school equivalency diploma and really went to work on the night courses in adult education. He studied math, electronics and radio and TV servicing. Another department temporarily needed a man with his skills and his boss "loaned" him out. They were so impressed, that he was asked to stay. In 1951, the GE Schenectady Flight Test center "borrowed" him for a special job. Again, he was asked to stay and, for the second time, got a better 21