Search Results

Title: DuPont commercial featuring Leland M. Jones of the Camden, South Carolina, Orlon plant
Date(s): 1950~, 1950
Contributor(s): E.I. du Pont de Nemours & Company (sponsor)
Description: Film describes Leland M. Jones, Manager of the DuPont plant in Camden, South Carolina where Orlon fiber is made. Depicts Mr. Jones responsibilities at the plant, including the electrical plant, employee safety and payroll. Includes short biography of Mr. Jones with footage of him in various setups at the plant. Other executives mentioned are Sam Cruz, Manufacturing Superintendent, Joe Sinclair, Works Engineer and Larry Steele, Assistant Plant Manager. Footage of the Camden, South Carolina...
Show moreFilm describes Leland M. Jones, Manager of the DuPont plant in Camden, South Carolina where Orlon fiber is made. Depicts Mr. Jones responsibilities at the plant, including the electrical plant, employee safety and payroll. Includes short biography of Mr. Jones with footage of him in various setups at the plant. Other executives mentioned are Sam Cruz, Manufacturing Superintendent, Joe Sinclair, Works Engineer and Larry Steele, Assistant Plant Manager. Footage of the Camden, South Carolina downtown and employees working in plant is included.
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Collection ID: DuPont Company films and commercials (Accession 1995.300)
Hagley ID: FILM_1995300_FC251_02
Collection: DuPont Company films and commercials

Title: Sizing or putting a protective coating on nylon yarn in DuPont plant at Seaford, Delaware
Date(s): 1953-06-15
Contributor(s): E.I. du Pont de Nemours & Company (originator)
Description: The yarn is wound from one package to another; passing over a substance which gives it added protection during textile manufacturing operations. The size is subsequently removed from the finished products.
Collection ID: DuPont Company Product Information photographs (Accession 1972.341)
Hagley ID: 1972341_1180
Collection: DuPont Product Information photographs

Title: DuPont commercial featuring Dacron plant in Kinston, North Carolina, Cavalcade of America Commercials Reel No.3
Date(s): 1954
Contributor(s): E.I. du Pont de Nemours & Company (sponsor)
Description: Kinston, North Carolina 'Dacron' plant. Various images of the plant including employees. Downtown Kinston is also shown. Interview with control room operator Carl Johnson. Johnson expresses his pleasure at DuPont opening a plant there, since there was little opportunity before.
Collection ID: DuPont Company films and commercials (Accession 1995.300)
Hagley ID: FILM_1995300_FC253_01
Collection: DuPont Company films and commercials

Title: Final inspection of bundles of toothbrush bristles
Date(s): 1930/1939, 1930, 1939
Contributor(s): E.I. du Pont de Nemours & Company (originator)
Description: Final inspection of bundles of bristles used in the manufacture of toothbrushes at the Leominster Massachusetts plant of E.I. du Pont Nemours & Company. Imperfect bristles are being removed.
Collection ID: DuPont Company Product Information photographs (Accession 1972.341)
Hagley ID: 1972341_1201
Collection: DuPont Product Information photographs

Title: Bundling bristles for toothbrushes
Date(s): 1930/1939, 1930, 1939
Contributor(s): E.I. du Pont de Nemours & Company (originator)
Description: Bundling bristles for toothbrushes at the Leominster Massachusetts, plant of E.I. du Pont Nemours & Company where toothbrushes are manufactured.
Collection ID: DuPont Company Product Information photographs (Accession 1972.341)
Hagley ID: 1972341_1202
Collection: DuPont Product Information photographs

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

Title: Interview with Jim Flynn, 2017 April 4 and 2017 April 17
Date(s): 2017-04-04, 2017-04-17
Contributor(s): Flynn, Jim (interviewee), Plasky, Joseph G. (interviewer)
Description: Flynn spends a significant portion of the interview discussing his role in the construction of a DuPont Poly Acryl plant in Iran. He recalls the difficulties faced during the process in detail, commenting on the complicated politics involved with the project and providing insight into the Textile Fibers Department's efforts at global expansion. Flynn also relates some details about the major change in the DuPont Engineering Construction Division from union shop to nonunion. The incident at...
Show moreFlynn spends a significant portion of the interview discussing his role in the construction of a DuPont Poly Acryl plant in Iran. He recalls the difficulties faced during the process in detail, commenting on the complicated politics involved with the project and providing insight into the Textile Fibers Department's efforts at global expansion. Flynn also relates some details about the major change in the DuPont Engineering Construction Division from union shop to nonunion. The incident at the Cape Fear River is discussed and is a significant turning point in the move to nonunion. He also provides insight on the Engineering Department's shift from a "functional organization" to one more supportive of the businesses as prescribed by DuPont Co. management.
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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_20170404_Flynn
Collection: Oral history interviews with former employees of DuPont Company's Textile Fibers Department

Title: Interview with Ron Steele, 2017 August 9 and 2017 August 10
Date(s): 2017-08-09/2017-08-10, 2017-08-09, 2017-08-10
Contributor(s): Steele, Ron (interviewee), Plasky, Joseph G. (interviewer)
Description: Ron Steele's interview provides insight into the technical work required to maintain DuPont's position in the Nylon hosiery and apparel market. He discusses how having a background in mechanical work, including welding experience, as well as a chemical engineering degree prepared him well for his job responsibilities. When he was hired by DuPont in the 1960's the hosiery market had left the monofil basis and was looking for better yarns at a lower cost.

Steele worked in the ATO process groups...
Show moreRon Steele's interview provides insight into the technical work required to maintain DuPont's position in the Nylon hosiery and apparel market. He discusses how having a background in mechanical work, including welding experience, as well as a chemical engineering degree prepared him well for his job responsibilities. When he was hired by DuPont in the 1960's the hosiery market had left the monofil basis and was looking for better yarns at a lower cost.

Steele worked in the ATO process groups and he comments on the impact this had on his development. He states that he had a great peer group and that this mentoring helped him in his work. He offers detailed comments on his efforts to develop specialty yarns for the warp knitting trade, for instance gear crimped yarn and knit de knit yarns. His view and details of the POY, PTY, Undrawn, and fully drawn yarns are really informative. DuPont was really struggling to keep its position in hosiery and light denier yarns and the market was oscillating on the preferred way to process the yarns. This indecision was requiring DuPont to look at all the ways of supplying yarn to the trade, and Steele explains the technical efforts involved in this.

At a point in Steele's career, management suggested that each engineer develop a career specialty and he chose windups. In the interview, Steele discusses several DuPont windups and the reasons and capabilities for each. One issue he dealt with is the melt polymer supply to the spinning blocks. Contrary to the SM 25 NRD 402 test at Martinsville, Steele was convinced the NRD 402 was inadequate for the modernized process. He was joined by others in this opinion. Steele explains in detail the process of screwmelter and extruders and his logic for his opinion. This provides information on Nylon polymer melting and spinning machine supply at Martinsville.

In 1984, Steele was selected as a member of the team formed to modernize the Martinsville plant. After a short period of work, Martinsville was dropped mainly because it was a one-product (light denier yarn) plant and the team was moved to Chattanooga to modernize that site. [Interviewer's note: there are several other opinions for the demise of Martinsville that relate to the union situation there. These are expressed in other interviews.] The Modernization Team was convinced that DuPont in-house development of a spinning machine was not attractive and that commercial equipment was the better option. The team visited all equipment vendors to select a partner. At this time the product choice was narrowed to selling POY to the trade and this would be the basis of the machine design. Steele discusses this in the interview.

The team did a worldwide search to select a machine designer and builder to partner with for the modernized machine. They selected Barmag as their partner. With information in-house and gleaned from Monsanto, which had exited the nylon business, they had the basic data for the machine. This basic data included different concepts from the previous processes and allowed much higher spinning speeds with better quality and higher texturing speeds. Steele describes this in detail. The first machines introduced and installed were named type 90.

After successful startup of the T90 machines, Steele describes the development of the next generation machine for nylon apparel yarns. He discusses in detail the process and the keys to making a better yarn at a lower cost. Steele was the technology manager for this process with several engineers reporting to him only for technology development as he was reluctant to take on supervisory responsibilities. Again DuPont partnered with Barmag and developed the T95 machine. This was in the later stages of DuPont's history in the textile fibers business and management decided to partner with international businesses to install and operate this machine. The machines were installed in Taiwan, Brazil, and Mexico with JV's. Much later machines were installed at Chattanooga but only operated for a short period of time.

[Interviewer's note: In my opinion there were three stages of the hosiery and light denier nylon apparel yarn business. The first was the period 1940 to 1960, a slow speed process which was the original split process; the second was the high speed coupled process for POY; and the last one (which is the one extremely well described in Steele's interview) which is an ultra-high speed process based on new polymer technology. It is impractical for me to capture all this interview in these few words but I highly recommend this interview as a source of information for any interested in Nylon technology.]
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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_20170809_Steele
Collection: Oral history interviews with former employees of DuPont Company's Textile Fibers Department

Title: Interview with Robert "Bob" Brandt, 2018 June 5 and June 13
Date(s): [2018-06-05, 2018-06-13], 2018-06-05, 2018-06-13
Contributor(s): Brandt, Robert (interviewee), Plasky, Joseph G. (interviewer)
Description: Bob Brandt spent his career at the DuPont Martinsville, Virginia, plant. After graduating high school in 1961, he attended East Carolina University for two terms before deciding to leave to seek a career. He was hired at the Martinsville plant in 1962 and progressed through various operational assignments. A talented artist, Brandt was often called upon to create posters and fliers for different groups at the plant.

In 1978, having reached the top of the manufacturing progression system and...
Show moreBob Brandt spent his career at the DuPont Martinsville, Virginia, plant. After graduating high school in 1961, he attended East Carolina University for two terms before deciding to leave to seek a career. He was hired at the Martinsville plant in 1962 and progressed through various operational assignments. A talented artist, Brandt was often called upon to create posters and fliers for different groups at the plant.

In 1978, having reached the top of the manufacturing progression system and wanting to extend his career, Brandt applied for a transfer to engineering crafts. Despite speculation that the plant was to close, in 1990 he moved into a Technical Assistance role, winning the position over several competitors. Brandt held this assignment until he retired in 1994 with one of the "reduction of force" offers DuPont made. The Martinsville plant was demolished in 1998. After retirement Brandt continued to do craft work in the Raleigh area, eventually forming his own company.
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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_20180605_Brandt
Collection: Oral history interviews with former employees of DuPont Company's Textile Fibers Department

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