Sohio News April 1947 Page 1

The Sohio News

A Spotlight on Employee Activities

Sohio Wife Leads Toledo Grandmas In Seeking Fame

By Fred Gipson

TOLEDO, Ohio—Led by Mrs. Harry E. Pratt, wife of a Toledo Bulk Station Sohioan, silvery-haired grandmothers here are the talk of the town as a result of their ultra-modern organization designed to promote a better life for Grandma.

Mrs. Pratt decided to initiate plans for the establishment of a Toledo Club for Grandmothers as the result of an article she had read about a similar club located in Chicago.

Her original efforts were publicized in a story by Marge Main, Toledo Blade Staff Writer. Following this first announcement of those who were "Seeking Glory for Grandma," Mr. Pratt reported that his wife and three friends enrolled 36 charter members.

Photo by Tom O'Reilly

TWO OF MRS. PRATT'S 13 GRANDCHILDREN, Gil (left) and Gary Gillespie, help their grandma check the list of charter members of the Toledo Club for Grandmothers which Mrs. Pratt and three of her friends organized.

Seek Better Movies

Like grandmothers everywhere their primary interest is their grandchildren. Mrs. Pratt's group's aims include better radio programs, better movies, and better recreation facilities for grandchildren.

Harry Pratt, a Sohioan since 1929, now in charge of the TEA Department, favors his wife's idea for they themselves have thirteen grandchildren. But Harry stands by his main interest of golf, which he shoots in the 80's. Fearful of being elected to office in a women's club, he stayed out the night Mrs. Pratt held her initial meeting for those interested.

Gets Great Response

"We were getting so many phone calls," Harry added, "I could hardly find time to read the paper."

Also on the list of club desires is a plan to inaugurate a national Grandmother's Day".

Non-sectarian and non-partisan, the only requirement for membership is to have one or more grandchildren.

Company President Re-Elected to NICB

President W. T. Holliday was recently re-elected board member of The National Industrial Conference Board for the forthcoming year.

Mr. Holliday has been active in the work of The Conference Board for many years. He was first elected a member in 1940.

The Conference Board, founded in 1916, is an independent and non-profit institution for research and education in the fields of economics and business. The work of The Board is supported by nearly 3,000 business concerns trade associations, labor unions government bureaus, libraries, colleges, and universities.

Wright Elected For Second Time

Now serving his sixth year on the Board of Directors for Ashtabula Chamber of Commerce, A. D. Wright, general salesman in the Ashtabula district of the Youngstown Division, was recently elected to a second term as National Councilor.

Besides Mr. Wright, present at the Chamber's annual meeting at the Ashtabula Hotel were Youngstown Division office members F. H. Kennedy, division ^A.D. Wright manager; C. B. Sears, assistant manager; W. K. Mortensen, merchandising manager; K. M. Howell, manager of Industrial Sales; R. S. Scheidemantel, Industrial salesman; and C. C. Smith, Warren salesman and member of the Board of Directors of the Warren Chamber of Commerce; and John Ekensten, foreman of the Furnace Oil crew at Ashtabula.

Smaller Service Pins Adopted by Directors

The Company Board of Directors has adopted a new Sohio Service Pin emblem.

Recently distributed to unit managers for issue in 1947, the new service pins are an improvement over the old in that they are smaller in size. With this exception and the elimination of the word "of" in the Company name, the design is identical.

Due to the supply limitations imposed by the manufacturer of the emblems, it is necessary to adhere to a policy of distributing the new pins over a five year period, according to each employee's date of eligibility.

Therefore the transition from the old type of emblem to the new one will not be completed until January 1, 1953.

New Cat-Cracker To Be Built at Lima

Plans for the modernization of Lima Refinery, involving expenditure of $10,000,000, were announced at press time by President Holliday. Included in the program is the contstruction of a huge new catalytic cracking unit for the production of gasoline, which will use a more modern process than the one built at Number One Refinery during the war to make aviation gasoline.

It will require the major part of a year to complete building plans, and actual building will require 8 to 12 months.

Embodying the most modern design, the new unit is expected to produce 30 per cent more gasoline per barrel of crude oil than present-day facilities, and the working force will be increased by 75 or more men when the new unit is completed.

Annuitants Tell What Life Is Like Minus Alarm Clocks

By Virginia Kelley

DAYTON, Ohio—Many people have wondered what life would be like if they didn't have to work. Here Virginia Kelley, Sohio News Reporter, looks into the private lives of Dayton's annuitants — Sohioans whose past thrift and the aid of Sohio Retirement plans have earned them the lifetime ambition of many men. Following is her roundup of how they spend their days without benefit of an alarm clock.—Editor.

Frank P. Lively ^: Frank started his career with Standard Oil on March 28, 1898, and retired March 31, 1930. Since then he has enjoyed his favorite sports of baseball, football, bowling, and he has done some hunting. During the winter months he and Mrs. Lively enjoy the radio programs at their home.

William Marshman: Bill retired in 1930 at the age of 63. A highlight among his experiences since then was a delightful trip to Pennsylvania where he was born. An annuitant friend, "Ike" Hartley, drove him East. Bill's pet hobby is fishing, but it was curtailed for a while last summer after he fell and broke his arm. Another of his favorite pastimes is gathering mushrooms.

John McQuown: John retired in May of 1940. He and his wife now reside in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, in the small community of Davie. During the war he and Mrs. McQuown served as Observers for the Army Air Force. He was also Air Raid Warden, and he is still committee chairman for the Red Cross disaster committee. At the present time he is raising chickens. He has 1,000 chickens, of which 400 are laying hens and the remainder are fryers.

Martin Ramsey: Martin is a recent annuitant who left active service March 31, 1946. He says he is doing some fancy loafing. He also does a lot of reading and makes frequent contacts with his former co-workers at the Bulk Plant and Service stations. (Continued on Page 3, Col. 4)

Husband Is Promoter And Look at Her Now!

Edna Harrold

By Vanessa Griffin

CLEVELAND, OHIO -For the third year Edna Harrold, ledger clerk of Sales Accounting, Accounts Receivable, has helped her bowling team capture the Ladies Bowling Championship title here.

Team score for the 3 winning games was 2677 pins, an average of 178 pins per girl. Backed by Basch Jewelers, the girls were also state champions for 2 out of 3 years.

You may wonder how one becomes such a queen in sports. Edna gives a lot of credit to her husband "Christy" who started her on the way about seven seasons ago when he bought her a bowling ball and taught her the fundamentals of bowling. Christy shares her enthusiasm for sports. At the present time he is a referee in professional basketball in the B.B.A.A. League.

Christy is now on a meritorious leave from the Cleveland Fire Dept. where he is a lieutenant, and when the basketball season (Continued on Page 3, Col. 1)

Press and Radio Overrate No. 1 Refinery Fire

Damage Held To a Minimum

CLEVELAND, Ohio—Sohio received spectacular national publicity as a result of a fire here last month at No. 1 Refinery, but E. B. McConnell, vice-president in charge of manufacturing, states that "It was not as great or serious a fire as the press and radio make it appear. As in many fires, the potential danger was high, but Sohio's careful preparation against fire emergencies and past training of personnel in safety methods aided in holding the No. 1 fire down to a minimum damage."

Production Not Hindered

"The fire which occurred at a stabilizer feed tank in the thermal gas plant has not interferred with production", Mr. McConnell added.

As quickly as the fire burned out, arrangements were made in the pipe lines of the unit to bypass this 10,000 gallon tank.

The small tank about which the fire burned has been thoroughly inspected, but the cause of the fire, possibly the result of a leak in the pump or adjacent piping outside the tank, is still being determined. Repair of the damage will not exceed $20,000. Directing the control of the fire and its isolation to the one tank were J. R. Cuthbert, manager of No. 1 Refinery; E. S. Bale, general superintendent of the refinery; Oscar Walter, superintendent of the cracking department; and H. G. Briggs, foreman of the gas plant of which the stabilization unit affected by the fire is a part. Operators on the unit at the time of the fire were Earl Taylor, Joseph Swansiger and George Daehler.

Fire Fighters Commended

Mr. McConnell paid high tribute to these supervisors and operators who remained cool and worked fast when the butane fumes became ignited at the tank, and to the Cleveland fire department whose efficient and quick work controlled the flames until the fire burned out.

He also expressed appreciation for the many men from other units of the refinery who aided in the control of the fire at the tank, and to the men who, on their day off, demonstrated great loyalty by driving to the plant to give valued assistance.