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Title: Bob Schneider
Date(s): 2020-09-17
Contributor(s): Schneider, Robert A. (interviewee), Spohn, Benjamin (interviewer)
Description: In this interview, Robert Schneider answers follow-up questions from his first interview on August 5, 2020. He goes into the creative process on some of Cinecraft's productions, including a directorial job for the U.S. Navy after the original producer, Bob Haviland suffered a heart attack. Schneider continues to talk about working with Haviland, including his unique method of organizing projects with a system of colored pencils. Schneider contrasts this to his organization method, which...
Show moreIn this interview, Robert Schneider answers follow-up questions from his first interview on August 5, 2020. He goes into the creative process on some of Cinecraft's productions, including a directorial job for the U.S. Navy after the original producer, Bob Haviland suffered a heart attack. Schneider continues to talk about working with Haviland, including his unique method of organizing projects with a system of colored pencils. Schneider contrasts this to his organization method, which imitated Gene Rodenberry's index card system that he used on Star Trek. He also talks about how he learned to do the job watching Ray Culley on the job. He talks about doing live action sound work when sharing works in progress with clients. He compares this experience to working as a disc-jockey. Schneider talks about how recording and television technologies changed over time.
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Collection ID: Cinecraft oral histories (Accession 2021.206)
Hagley ID: BobSchneider09172020
Collection: Cinecraft Oral Histories

Title: Bob and Nancy Schneider
Date(s): 2020-08-05
Contributor(s): Schneider, Robert A. (interviewee), Schneider, Nancy (interviewee), Spohn, Benjamin (interviewer)
Description: Bob Schneider discusses his background in photography and video. He explains that his interest in these fields came from his grandfather. He joined Cinecraft in 1964 and began work after serving in the U.S. Army. In addition to working at Cinecraft, Schneider also worked as an independent DJ. Schneider provides a detailed overview on recording technology dating to the 1950s and 1960s. Nancy Schneider talks about her work at Storycraft, a sister company to Cinecraft. She worked on a radio...
Show moreBob Schneider discusses his background in photography and video. He explains that his interest in these fields came from his grandfather. He joined Cinecraft in 1964 and began work after serving in the U.S. Army. In addition to working at Cinecraft, Schneider also worked as an independent DJ. Schneider provides a detailed overview on recording technology dating to the 1950s and 1960s. Nancy Schneider talks about her work at Storycraft, a sister company to Cinecraft. She worked on a radio program called Salespoint, a program Westinghouse used to keep their traveling salesmen up to date on the company's products. Both of the Schneiders explain that Cinecraft was the top production company in Cleveland and they talk about how Cinecraft compared to other local production companies. They explain the relationship between Cinecraft and Storycraft.
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Collection ID: Cinecraft oral histories (Accession 2021.206)
Hagley ID: BobandNancySchneider08052020
Collection: Cinecraft Oral Histories

Title: Interview with Wesley Memeger, Jr., 2014 August 19
Date(s): 2014-08-19
Contributor(s): Memeger, Wesley, Jr. (interviewee), Smith, John K. (John Kenly), 1951- (interviewer), Oates, Mike (videographer), 302 Stories, Inc. (production company), Eleutherian Mills-Hagley Foundation (originator)
Description: Wesley Memeger, Jr. details his contribution to streamlining the synthesis of Kevlar, which allowed the timely start-up of the first commercial scale Kevlar plant. In the laboratory, the polymer for Kevlar had previously been prepared by polymerizing para-phenylene diamine and terephthaloyl chloride in a mixture of two solvents, HMPA (hexamethylphosphoramide) and NMP (N-methylpyrrolidinone). Memeger found that a polymer with satisfactory molecular weight could be made using only HMPA, a...
Show moreWesley Memeger, Jr. details his contribution to streamlining the synthesis of Kevlar, which allowed the timely start-up of the first commercial scale Kevlar plant. In the laboratory, the polymer for Kevlar had previously been prepared by polymerizing para-phenylene diamine and terephthaloyl chloride in a mixture of two solvents, HMPA (hexamethylphosphoramide) and NMP (N-methylpyrrolidinone). Memeger found that a polymer with satisfactory molecular weight could be made using only HMPA, a discovery which made the preparation of Kevlar more commercially viable, as it allowed for a continuous polymerizer in a single solvent system.

Memeger recounts that DuPont used HMPA as the solvent for Kevlar production in the early 1970s, but after toxicology tests conducted at the company's Haskell Laboratory raised doubts about the safety of the solvent, DuPont replaced HMPA with NMP and calcium chloride. Memeger describes his subsequent work at DuPont investigating melt processible polymers, which share some properties with Kevlar but lack equivalent chemical and thermal stability, as well as his work on ring opening routes to polymers with novel properties. An accomplished artist, Memeger continues to be impressed by the elegance and simplicity of the Kevlar polymer that produces such remarkable properties.
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Collection ID: History of Kevlar oral history interviews (Accession 2014.249)
Hagley ID: 2014249_20140819_Memeger
Collection: History of Kevlar oral history interviews

Title: Interview with Irénée du Pont, Jr., 2014 August 15
Date(s): 2014-08-15
Contributor(s): Du Pont, Irénée, 1920- (interviewee), Smith, John K. (John Kenly), 1951- (interviewer), Oates, Mike (videographer), 302 Stories, Inc. (production company), Eleutherian Mills-Hagley Foundation (originator)
Description: Irénée du Pont, Jr., describes his early life and later career with the DuPont Company. After World War II, he joined the DuPont Company where for the next two decades he held a variety of jobs. He describes his time on the DuPont executive committee, which he joined in 1967, during which the company had to deal with increasing competition, social unrest in Wilmington, equal opportunity legislation, and environmental regulation. Among other anecdotes, du Pont describes how his father, along...
Show moreIrénée du Pont, Jr., describes his early life and later career with the DuPont Company. After World War II, he joined the DuPont Company where for the next two decades he held a variety of jobs. He describes his time on the DuPont executive committee, which he joined in 1967, during which the company had to deal with increasing competition, social unrest in Wilmington, equal opportunity legislation, and environmental regulation. Among other anecdotes, du Pont describes how his father, along with his brothers Lammot and Pierre, set off large fireworks displays at Fourth of July celebrations in the 1920s. He also remarks that he believes Pierre continued to play an important role in the affairs of the company until his death in 1954.
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Collection ID: History of Kevlar oral history interviews (Accession 2014.249)
Hagley ID: 2014249_20140815_Irenee_du_Pont
Collection: History of Kevlar oral history interviews

Title: Interview with Ted Merriman, 2015 December 4
Date(s): 2015-12-04
Contributor(s): Merriman, Ted (interviewee), Smith, John K. (John Kenly), 1951- (interviewer), Oates, Mike (videographer), 302 Stories, Inc. (production company), Eleutherian Mills-Hagley Foundation (originator)
Description: After describing his education and early work at the DuPont Savannah River plant, Merriman describes his first project at the Pioneering Laboratory at DuPont Experimental Station in Wilmington in 1969 working on new uses for ceramic aluminum oxide fiber PRD-29. Merriman then details his role in developing a pulped form of Kevlar fiber that made it suitable for use in automobile brake lining in the late 1970s, after it was discovered that the standard material, asbestos fiber, caused a...
Show moreAfter describing his education and early work at the DuPont Savannah River plant, Merriman describes his first project at the Pioneering Laboratory at DuPont Experimental Station in Wilmington in 1969 working on new uses for ceramic aluminum oxide fiber PRD-29. Merriman then details his role in developing a pulped form of Kevlar fiber that made it suitable for use in automobile brake lining in the late 1970s, after it was discovered that the standard material, asbestos fiber, caused a particular form of lung cancer. Merriman developed a process that produced Kevlar fluff using conventional paper-making equipment. Because Kevlar cost about one hundred times as much as asbestos, brake linings had to be redesigned to use very small amounts of it. Working with brake pad manufacturers, Merriman succeeded in producing a commercially viable Kevlar brake pads that had good wear characteristics and were quieter than other types. Brake lining became a significant market for Kevlar. Merriman also describes the extensive testing on Kevlar that DuPont performed at its toxicology facility, the Haskell Laboratory, to ensure that Kevlar did not have adverse health effects.
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Collection ID: History of Kevlar oral history interviews (Accession 2014.249)
Hagley ID: 2014249_20151204_Merriman
Collection: History of Kevlar oral history interviews

Title: Interview with Herbert Blades, 2014 August 19
Date(s): 2014-08-19
Contributor(s): Blades, Herbert (interviewee), Smith, John K. (John Kenly), 1951- (interviewer), Oates, Mike (videographer), 302 Stories, Inc. (production company), Eleutherian Mills-Hagley Foundation (originator)
Description: After describing his education and early work at the DuPont Company on polymer solutions, Herbert Blades recounts his contributions to the development of Tyvek and Kevlar. On the Tyvek project, he describes developing the polymerization process for creating high-density polyethylene fibers after such paper-like fibers had been accidentally created in the laboratory.

Blades details his work on Kevlar, for which he developed a commercially viable process to spin fibers from the polymer. Blades...
Show moreAfter describing his education and early work at the DuPont Company on polymer solutions, Herbert Blades recounts his contributions to the development of Tyvek and Kevlar. On the Tyvek project, he describes developing the polymerization process for creating high-density polyethylene fibers after such paper-like fibers had been accidentally created in the laboratory.

Blades details his work on Kevlar, for which he developed a commercially viable process to spin fibers from the polymer. Blades describes the three components of the process. First, he discovered that a relatively high concentration of polymer could be dissolved upon heating in 100 per cent sulfuric acid, which is non-aqueous and non-corrosive. The resulting solution had a low enough viscosity that it could be spun rapidly through a spinnerette, a small hole. Next, Blades discovered that instead of spinning the fiber directly into a water bath, leaving a small air gap led to fibers that were significantly stronger. Finally, he determined that the water "quenching" of the fiber occurred extremely fast. His spinning innovations made it possible to spin Kevlar fibers economically and at high speeds.
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Collection ID: History of Kevlar oral history interviews (Accession 2014.249)
Hagley ID: 2014249_20140819_Blades
Collection: History of Kevlar oral history interviews

Title: Interview with Don Sturgeon, 2019 January 24
Date(s): 2019-01-24
Contributor(s): Sturgeon, Don (interviewee), Plasky, Joseph G. (interviewer)
Description: In his interview, Don Sturgeon gives a comprehensive account of his involvement with Kevlar applications at DuPont. He first describes his early life in Argentina. He then details the interview process he went through to get a position at DuPont. He describes in detail his first assignment at the PRL (Pioneering Research Laboratory), providing a snapshot of how DuPont managed technology in the late 1960s. He describes the application of Kelvar to both the Lockheed L-1011 TriStar airplane and...
Show moreIn his interview, Don Sturgeon gives a comprehensive account of his involvement with Kevlar applications at DuPont. He first describes his early life in Argentina. He then details the interview process he went through to get a position at DuPont. He describes in detail his first assignment at the PRL (Pioneering Research Laboratory), providing a snapshot of how DuPont managed technology in the late 1960s. He describes the application of Kelvar to both the Lockheed L-1011 TriStar airplane and to non-rubber reinforcement uses. He comments at length on the competition of Kevlar with Fiberglass and steel. He recalls the transition of Kevlar to venture status and the birth of Kevlar Special Products as initially a lesser contributor to venture economics that relied more heavily on tires and mechanical rubber goods.

He then describes his time (1976-1980) in the technical section of the DuPont Seaford plant, focusing on personnel management and frustrations. From his perspective, the first line technical personnel felt they had much responsibility but little authority and support from management. He describes the unsuccessful attempt by Human Relations staff to improve morale of the technical section of the Seaford plant. Concerning his time at Seaford, Sturgeon also details his attempt to bring a staple process CPU (Continuous Production Unit) online and his role in developing new carpet products for DuPont's commercial and residential carpet shows.

Sturgeon then discusses his return to Wilmington in Kevlar special products, which grew to include such applications as missiles, aircraft, armor, helmets, aero-engines, personnel protection, and optical cables. Many of the special products Sturgeon and his group developed were for specific niche applications but required large engineering and management efforts to design, test, and qualify. Sturgeon comments on the massive effort required to develop Kevlar in the marketplace and recalls DuPont's strategic efforts at forward integration, moving from being a materials supplier to a manufacturer of parts and sub-components. He also comments on high-density polypropylene, a competitor of Kevlar. In this discussion of Kevlar, Sturgeon remarks on the difficulties encountered in obtaining export licenses for Kevlar products to Asia and South America.

Sturgeon also describes his leadership of an Advanced Composite Systems products group, which was part of DuPont's efforts at forward integration. The multi-specialty group was formed to integrate DuPont product and processes and add any technology to make composite products using DuPont specialty fibers and resins. According to Sturgeon, however, management ultimately did not support the group due to the high labor costs and small market inherent in the products they were developing. Sturgeon remarks that the similar European composites group also did not succeed. He notes that reduced military spending after the end of the Cold War further contributed to the failure of the groups at DuPont, as the military had been a major customer for advanced composites products.
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Collection ID: Oral history interviews with former employees of DuPont Company's Textile Fibers Department (Accession 2010.215)
Hagley ID: 2010215_20190124_Sturgeon
Collection: Oral history interviews with former employees of DuPont Company's Textile Fibers Department

Title: Interview with Robert "Bob" Shellenbarger, 2019 April 26
Date(s): 2019-04-26
Contributor(s): Shellenbarger, Robert, 1936- (interviewee), Plasky, Joseph G. (interviewer)
Description: In his interview, Robert Shellenbarger discusses his career as an industrial chemist with DuPont's textile fibers division, notably his contributions to the Tyvek and STAINMASTER manufacturing processes. Shellenbarger begins his interview discussing his early life and education in California. He worked his way through the College of the Pacific by milking cows for a dairy and was encouraged to study physical chemistry at the University of North Carolina by the chairman of the chemistry...
Show moreIn his interview, Robert Shellenbarger discusses his career as an industrial chemist with DuPont's textile fibers division, notably his contributions to the Tyvek and STAINMASTER manufacturing processes. Shellenbarger begins his interview discussing his early life and education in California. He worked his way through the College of the Pacific by milking cows for a dairy and was encouraged to study physical chemistry at the University of North Carolina by the chairman of the chemistry department at the College of the Pacific. He mentions taking a summer job with the Army in Washington, D.C., before starting his PhD studies.

After describing his first role at DuPont as a chemist assigned to Reemay, Shellenbarger goes into great detail about his work with Tyvek in Richmond. He describes how he made improvements to the manufacturing process after observing that the plant produced better product on rainy days. He also describes the lifetime test he developed for Tyvek and how he fixed the problems which were observed during the test. He details making further improvements to the Tyvek spinning process by solving the issue of the target plate regularly becoming dirty and shorting out.

Shellenbarger then describes conducting flammability tests for the Dacron End Use research group, in which he improved the high speed weaving process by changing the modulus point to be closer to the breaking point of cotton. He then relates his perspective on STAINMASTER's development in the 1980s, describing the various ways in which the team addressed issues such as UV stability and continuous dyeing. He also comments on marketing and patent-filing efforts.

He ends the interview by describing his later career. He includes an anecdote about being a speaker at a seminar in Africa, and he mentions his final role working with DuPont's joint venture with Turkish conglomerate, Sabanci Holding Co.
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Collection ID: Oral history interviews with former employees of DuPont Company's Textile Fibers Department (Accession 2010.215)
Hagley ID: 2010215_20190426_Shellenbarger
Collection: Oral history interviews with former employees of DuPont Company's Textile Fibers Department

Title: Interview with Terry Branstetter, 2010 March 1
Date(s): 2010-03-01
Contributor(s): Branstetter, Terry (interviewee), Plasky, Joseph G. (interviewer)
Description: Interview primarily relates to Branstetter's role in the DuPont Co.'s Dacron business.
Collection ID: Oral history interviews with former employees of DuPont Company's Textile Fibers Department (Accession 2010.215)
Hagley ID: 2010215_20100301_Branstetter
Collection: Oral history interviews with former employees of DuPont Company's Textile Fibers Department

Title: Interview with Ed Koffenberger, 2010 February 3
Date(s): 2010-02-03
Contributor(s): Koffenberger, Edward L., Sr., 1926-2014 (interviewee), Plasky, Joseph G. (interviewer)
Description: Interview primarily relates to Koffenberger's role in management at DuPont Co.
Collection ID: Oral history interviews with former employees of DuPont Company's Textile Fibers Department (Accession 2010.215)
Hagley ID: 2010215_20100223_Koffenberger
Collection: Oral history interviews with former employees of DuPont Company's Textile Fibers Department

Title: Interview with Lawrence Shea, 2010 March 2
Date(s): 2010-03-02
Contributor(s): Shea, Lawrence (interviewee), Plasky, Joseph G. (interviewer)
Description: Interview primarily relates to Shea's role in the DuPont Company's Nylon process.
Collection ID: Oral history interviews with former employees of DuPont Company's Textile Fibers Department (Accession 2010.215)
Hagley ID: 2010215_20100302_Shea
Collection: Oral history interviews with former employees of DuPont Company's Textile Fibers Department

Title: Interview with Joe Parish, 2010 February 28
Date(s): 2010-02-28
Contributor(s): Parish, Joseph (interviewee), Plasky, Joseph G. (interviewer)
Description: Interview primarily relates to Parish's role in Dacron management at DuPont Co.
Collection ID: Oral history interviews with former employees of DuPont Company's Textile Fibers Department (Accession 2010.215)
Hagley ID: 2010215_20100310_Parish
Collection: Oral history interviews with former employees of DuPont Company's Textile Fibers Department

Title: Interview with Bill Shaw, 2010 February 4
Date(s): 2010-02-04
Contributor(s): Shaw, William McDermott, 1926-2014 (interviewee), Plasky, Joseph G. (interviewer)
Description: Interview primarily relates to Shaw's role in the DuPont Co.'s Dacron business.
Collection ID: Oral history interviews with former employees of DuPont Company's Textile Fibers Department (Accession 2010.215)
Hagley ID: 2010215_20100224_Shaw
Collection: Oral history interviews with former employees of DuPont Company's Textile Fibers Department

Title: Interview with Bill Manning, 2010 March 1
Date(s): 2010-03-01
Contributor(s): Manning, William (interviewee), Plasky, Joseph G. (interviewer)
Description: Interview primarily relates to Manning's role in the DuPont Co.'s Nylon business.
Collection ID: Oral history interviews with former employees of DuPont Company's Textile Fibers Department (Accession 2010.215)
Hagley ID: 2010215_20100311_Manning
Collection: Oral history interviews with former employees of DuPont Company's Textile Fibers Department

Title: Interview with C.E. "Skip" Oxford, 2010 April 5
Date(s): 2010-04-05
Contributor(s): Oxford, C. E. (Clarence Edward) 'Skip', Jr., 1936-2017 (interviewee), Plasky, Joseph G. (interviewer)
Description: Interview primarily relates to Oxford's role in the DuPont Co.'s Dacron business.
Collection ID: Oral history interviews with former employees of DuPont Company's Textile Fibers Department (Accession 2010.215)
Hagley ID: 2010215_20100415_Oxford
Collection: Oral history interviews with former employees of DuPont Company's Textile Fibers Department

Title: Interview with Cliff Nix, 2010 March 5
Date(s): 2010-03-05
Contributor(s): Nix, Cliff (interviewee), Plasky, Joseph G. (interviewer)
Description: Interview primarily relates to Nix's role in management at DuPont Co.
Collection ID: Oral history interviews with former employees of DuPont Company's Textile Fibers Department (Accession 2010.215)
Hagley ID: 2010215_20100315_Nix
Collection: Oral history interviews with former employees of DuPont Company's Textile Fibers Department

Title: Interview with Bill Bear, 2010 March 2
Date(s): 2010-03-02
Contributor(s): Bear, William Sidney, 1928-2011 (interviewee), Plasky, Joseph G. (interviewer)
Description: Interview primarily relates to Bear's role in the DuPont Company Dacron process.
Collection ID: Oral history interviews with former employees of DuPont Company's Textile Fibers Department (Accession 2010.215)
Hagley ID: 2010215_20100302_Bear
Collection: Oral history interviews with former employees of DuPont Company's Textile Fibers Department

Title: Interview with John Ahn, 2010 March 8
Date(s): 2010-03-08
Contributor(s): Ahn, John (interviewee), Plasky, Joseph G. (interviewer)
Description: Interview primarily relates to Ahn's role in the DuPont Company Dacron process.
Collection ID: Oral history interviews with former employees of DuPont Company's Textile Fibers Department (Accession 2010.215)
Hagley ID: 2010215_20100308_Ahn
Collection: Oral history interviews with former employees of DuPont Company's Textile Fibers Department

Title: Interview with John Montgomery, 2010 July 7
Date(s): 2010-07-07
Contributor(s): Montgomery, John W., Jr., 1932- (interviewee), Plasky, Joseph G. (interviewer)
Description: Interview primarily relates to Montgomery's role in the DuPont Co.'s Dacron business.
Collection ID: Oral history interviews with former employees of DuPont Company's Textile Fibers Department (Accession 2010.215)
Hagley ID: 2010215_20100727_Montgomery
Collection: Oral history interviews with former employees of DuPont Company's Textile Fibers Department

Title: Interview with Ray Collison, 2010 April 1
Date(s): 2010-04-01
Contributor(s): Collison, Raymond Greer, Jr., 1943-2018 (interviewee), Plasky, Joseph G. (interviewer)
Description: Interview primarily relates to Collison's role at DuPont's Camden plant which produced Orlon.
Collection ID: Oral history interviews with former employees of DuPont Company's Textile Fibers Department (Accession 2010.215)
Hagley ID: 2010215_20100401_Collison
Collection: Oral history interviews with former employees of DuPont Company's Textile Fibers Department

Title: Interview with John Gregory, 2010 January 2
Date(s): 2010-01-02
Contributor(s): Gregory, John (interviewee), Plasky, Joseph G. (interviewer)
Description: Interview primarily relates to Gregory's role in the DuPont Co.'s Dacron business.
Collection ID: Oral history interviews with former employees of DuPont Company's Textile Fibers Department (Accession 2010.215)
Hagley ID: 2010215_20100122_Gregory
Collection: Oral history interviews with former employees of DuPont Company's Textile Fibers Department

Title: Interview with Richard Wickliffe, 2010 March 5
Date(s): 2010-03-05
Contributor(s): Wickliffe, Richard (interviewee), Plasky, Joseph G. (interviewer)
Description: Interview primarily relates to Wickliffe's role in the DuPont Company's Nylon quality.
Collection ID: Oral history interviews with former employees of DuPont Company's Textile Fibers Department (Accession 2010.215)
Hagley ID: 2010215_20100305_Wickliffe
Collection: Oral history interviews with former employees of DuPont Company's Textile Fibers Department

Title: Interview with Roger Dawson, 2010 March 5
Date(s): 2010-03-05
Contributor(s): Dawson, Roger, 1932-2011 (interviewee), Plasky, Joseph G. (interviewer)
Description: Interview primarily relates to Dawson's role in the DuPont Company's Dacron yarn business.
Collection ID: Oral history interviews with former employees of DuPont Company's Textile Fibers Department (Accession 2010.215)
Hagley ID: 2010215_20100315_Dawson
Collection: Oral history interviews with former employees of DuPont Company's Textile Fibers Department

Title: Interview with Wayne Clark, 2017 May 02
Date(s): 2017-05-02
Contributor(s): Clark, Wayne (interviewee), Plasky, Joseph G. (interviewer)
Description: In his interview, Clark describes his career at the DuPont Co. Martinsville, Virginia, works. Clark describes knowing what he wanted to do and preparing himself to progress. He discusses the quirks available within the plant progression system such a "buying" a shift and being "frozen" in his job and going through spinning on paper. He describes progressing to a group 6 pipefitter, a prestigious position, by studying and applying himself. He was promoted to first line supervisor in operations...
Show moreIn his interview, Clark describes his career at the DuPont Co. Martinsville, Virginia, works. Clark describes knowing what he wanted to do and preparing himself to progress. He discusses the quirks available within the plant progression system such a "buying" a shift and being "frozen" in his job and going through spinning on paper. He describes progressing to a group 6 pipefitter, a prestigious position, by studying and applying himself. He was promoted to first line supervisor in operations at first. He supervised one half of the beaming area, which was all women and proved to be a unique experience for him. Later he move through a number of exempt jobs with one period as a shift supervisor in the Power House. The Power House was responsible for supplying services to the operations and Clark notes importance of this job. He indicates he was not comfortable with the assignment and moved out after a period of time, a move that was not unusual at the time.

Clark was recognized as a people person and assigned to Engineering as a resource person. Clark discusses from his viewpoint the impact the Martinsville local union had on the plant shut down decision, a viewpoint which is widely held by others familiar with the circumstances. Clark held a wide variety of assignments and mentions the people he worked for and with during his career; this description serves as a makeshift organization chart of the plant.
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Collection ID: Oral history interviews with former employees of DuPont Company's Textile Fibers Department (Accession 2010.215)
Hagley ID: 2010215_20170502_Clark_Wayne
Collection: Oral history interviews with former employees of DuPont Company's Textile Fibers Department

Title: Interview with Hazel Clark, 2017 April 27
Date(s): 2017-04-27
Contributor(s): Clark, Hazel (interviewee), Plasky, Joseph G. (interviewer)
Description: In her interview, Clark discusses the area jobs women had in the "textile area" of the DuPont Martinsville, Virginia, works. DuPont employed about 2500 women, most of them worked in the beaming and textile areas. Clark worked in these areas and describes the work assignments, providing insight into the way DuPont managed female employees in the 1950's through the 1970's. She discusses the draw twisting process in detail, which was the basis for the early nylon production process and the...
Show moreIn her interview, Clark discusses the area jobs women had in the "textile area" of the DuPont Martinsville, Virginia, works. DuPont employed about 2500 women, most of them worked in the beaming and textile areas. Clark worked in these areas and describes the work assignments, providing insight into the way DuPont managed female employees in the 1950's through the 1970's. She discusses the draw twisting process in detail, which was the basis for the early nylon production process and the reason DuPont employed large numbers of women at the early textile yarn plants. She also comments on the enforcement of the disability program and smoking rules at the plant. Clark also describes her movement around the plant as a secretary after earning a business degree and various other areas she worked, providing additional insight into the plant organizational structure.
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Collection ID: Oral history interviews with former employees of DuPont Company's Textile Fibers Department (Accession 2010.215)
Hagley ID: 2010215_20170427_Clark_Hazel
Collection: Oral history interviews with former employees of DuPont Company's Textile Fibers Department

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