Interview with Luther D. Reed, 1968 June 6 [audio](part 4)

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  • Starting to work for DuPont
    Partial Transcript: "I started to work for the DuPont Company on October 28, 1903..."
    Synopsis: Reed describes his education and coming to work for DuPont. He says that before DuPont he was reading law at a law office in Pottsville, Pennsylvania. On taking the offer he worked at DuPont's Repauno plant. He talks about his manager, T.W. Bacchus and says that the Repauno plant made dynamite. After around ten years he went to work at the City Point plant, then returned to the Repauno plant. He says that on his return he was assistant to the superintendent and describes his job.
    Keywords: Bacchus, T.W.; Business school; City Point plant; Law; Pottsville, Pa.; Reading law; Repauno plant; School; Work
  • World War I payroll and labor dispute at the Hopewell plant; Short jobs within DuPont; Increasing employee morale and experimenting with different management techniques
    Partial Transcript: "Management was recognized by employees since the management recognized the employees..."
    Synopsis: Reed talks about his job during World War I. He was sent to DuPont's Hopewell plant to settle a labor and payroll dispute. He talks about photographing all of DuPont's employees for identification purposes after hearing Ford had done the same. He describes his office at the factory and talks about some of his short term jobs at various DuPont plants. He says that his job was to raise morale and ensure safe operating procedures at failing plants. He discusses a plant in New Jersey where he started to publicly keep track of days without an accident and says that workers became invested in raising their record. Reed talks about trying different types of management techniques and raising employee morale.
    Keywords: Hopewell plant; Labor; Management; Management techniques; Morale; Old Hickory plant; Paint; Payroll; Philadelphia, Pa.; Safety; Wages; World War (1914-1918)
  • Working at DuPont's Parlin Plant; Coming to work at DuPont's offices in Wilmington, Del.; Educating DuPont's cellophane salesmen
    Partial Transcript: "They wanted someone who had Hopewell experience and I was transferred down there..." "...We had a term known as a concealed pensioner..." "...These fellows had the idea the DuPont Company made nothing but cellophane but when they found out other departments also contributed something to the welfare of society they got a broader view of the Company, and thereafter they were able to go to their customers and talk DuPont and answer questions the customer would ask about the Company. It gave them a pride in their employment - they were employed by something big. "
    Synopsis: Reed talks about working at DuPont's Parlin plant and describes plant management. Reed describes coming to Wilmington and working in their pension department. He talks about his own life and his job in Wilmington. Reed educated DuPont's cellophane salesmen and brought them to Wilmington to instill a sense of company pride. He says that this became a standard procedure for salesmen and eventually spread to DuPont's foremen.
    Keywords: Advertising; Belin Plant; Cellophane; Duco; DuPont; Foremen; Parlin Plant; Salesmen; Wilmington, Del.; World War (1939-1945)
  • Managing DuPont's 150th anniversary celebrations; Overseeing the Eleutherian Mills-Hagley Foundation;
    Partial Transcript: "I had developed a rather keen sense of adaptability form my earlier experience and I walked around this property here for about six months trying to build a framework of approach to this thing..."
    Synopsis: Reed talks about DuPonts 150th anniversary the early days of the Eleutherian Mills-Hagley Foundation which started with himself and three other men. He talks about learning how to operate a museum, hiring Walter Heacock, and protecting Walker's Mill.
    Keywords: DuPont's 150th anniversary celebration; Eleutherian Mills- Hagley Foundation; Finance; Heacock, Walter J. (Walter Judson), 1921-1999; Museums; Walker's Mill
  • Organization at DuPont
    Partial Transcript: "When I came in for 1903 it (DuPont) had a pretty good sense of organization..."
    Synopsis: Reed talks about organization at DuPont in 1903 and describes the Repauno plant as a model and supply house for experience at DuPont. He talks about some of the bosses he encountered over the course of his career. [The interviewer is difficult to understand.] He talks more about his job with DuPont.
    Keywords: Brown, H.F.; DuPont; Organization; Patterson, C.W.; Repauno plant
  • Experiences with Duco; Organization of DuPont and the auxiliary department
    Partial Transcript: Duco was about a 1922 product, didn't develop fully until 1924... I went into Duco in latter 1924."
    Synopsis: Reed talks about his experiences working in plants that made Duco and post 1921 organization at DuPont. He answers questions about the auxiliary departments and the sales departments. He talks about DuPont's Arlington plant. [The interview ends abruptly.]
    Keywords: Arlington plant; Auxiliary department; Duco; DuPont; Lacquer; Organization; Paint; Sales; Sales department

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