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Burlington Commission on Human Rights, 1964-1965

At Work in Industry Today Page 16

York State Senator from Oneida County in 1962):
"The time to start taking advantage of your opportunities is now. More and more definite educational requirements are stated for entrance into almost all phases of endeavor. Industry needs trained people. Many scholarships are available for people who possess unusual ability. You must cultivate your talents to the best of your ability. Many Negroes become discouraged and do not continue their education because they feel that they will be unable to obtain jobs commensurate with their abilities. However, barriers are being erased in practically every facet of life all over America. Adequate preparation is the password to success and advancement."
     Mr. Malone was born in Southampton, N. Y., in 1934. He was the first Negro ever elected captain of the Southampton High School football team. Presently, he's a scoutmaster, member of the Kiwanis Club and on the board of directors of numerous civic organizations. His wife is a teacher in the Utica Public School System.
     "The most hopeful factor in the existing racial situation," he says, "is that there is an increasing realization that in the complex problems of the present world, our nation has need of all her resources, human as well as material."

[photo to right]
Theodore Nims, Jr.

Pass up 'sheltered' job fields, says rookie appliance salesman

Theodore Nims, Jr. is learning how to sell General Electric appliances as a sales trainee in the Housewares Division.
     Although he is just 22 years old and fresh out of Florida A&M with a B.S. in business administration, Ted Nims is neither brand new to General Electric nor unfamiliar with the problems of the housewares industry. His interest in the industry springs from part-time employment with a large supermarket chain while attending high school in Bridgeport, Conn. During two years with the chain he advanced from stock-boy to assistant to the housewares manager.
     His first contact with General Electric came a year ago when he spent the summer making fans in the Bridgeport factory of the Home Care & Comfort Products Department. He "liked the friendly spirit in the factory" and decided to seek a position in sales or advertising upon graduation the following spring.
     Mr. Nim's letter triggered a series of interviews and resulted in an offer -- "more than I had expected" -- to join a training program expressly designed for outstanding young college graduates who want to represent GE's Housewares Division to appliance retailers and distributors  across the country.
     After his first few weeks with the division familiarizing himself with products, personnel, and procedures, he left Bridgeport for Boston where he is receiving actual in-the-field experience working with the regional sales manager located there.
     Looking to the future, Ted Nims hopes to prove himself as a district representative in the field and then return to headquarters in Bridgeport as a sales specialist.
     Although he has been on the job only a short time, he believes he recognizes the key to success in a company like General Electric: "Be willing to work hard, put into practice some of what you learned in school, and don't expect advancement overnight."
     Ted also has some advice for young Negroes: "Most Negroes have an inferiority complex which leads them to seek sheltered positions. In my class, for instance, 80 per cent are expected to teach. There is a heavy demand for teachers in segregated schools, which are on their way out, therefore creating a need for Negroes to branch out and look for more than certification for teaching. They should take more courses like marketing, management, and economics, regardless of their majors, so that they will have the necessary broad background to capitalize on future opportunities."
     He adds: "Today the Negro is on the ground floor, the way having been paved for him by the struggles of his forefathers. There are more job opportunities for Negroes today than ever before but most Negro college students don't recognize it."

[photo to right]
James Nixon

Carnegie Tech graduate works to inspire youth of Schenectady

James Nixon is a mechanical design engineer at the Knolls Atomic Power Laboratory at Schenectady, operated by General Electric for the Atomic Energy Commission.
     He was graduated from Carnegie Institute of Technology in 1956 and joined the Company's Technical Career Development Program that year. After completing that course, he became a turbomachinery design engineer in GE's Flight Propulsion Division; then joined KAPL.
     A registered Professional Engineer, member of the american Nuclear Society, and American Society of Mechanical Engineers (among many others) Mr. Nixon has taken graduate courses at the University of Cincinnati and Union College. Right now he's working in spare time toward a master's degree in business administration.
     He says: "Judging from my experience with the General Electric Company so far, I feel that any limitations on my future progress will be based solely on my capabilities. That's why I'm continuing my formal education."

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York State Senator from Oneida County in 1962): "The time to start taking advantage of your opportunities is now. More and more definite educational requirements are stated for entrance into almost all phases of endeavor. Industry needs trained people. Many scholarships are available for people who possess unusual ability. You must cultivate your talents to the best of your ability. Many Negroes become discouraged and do not continue their education because they feel that they will be unable to obtain jobs commensurate with their abilities. However, barriers are being erased in practically every facet of life all over America. Adequate preparation is the password to success and advancement." Mr. Malone was born in Southampton, N. Y., in 1934. He was the first Negro ever elected captain of the Southampton High School football team. Presently, he's a scoutmaster, member of the Kiwanis Club and on the board of directors of numerous civic organizations. His wife is a teacher in the Utica Public School System. "The most hopeful factor in the existing racial situation," he says, "is that there is an increasing realization that in the complex problems of the present world, our nation has need of all her resources, human as well as material." [photo to right] Theodore Nims, Jr. Pass up 'sheltered' job fields, says rookie appliance salesman Theodore Nims, Jr. is learning how to sell General Electric appliances as a sales trainee in the Housewares Division. Although he is just 22 years old and fresh out of Florida A&M with a B.S. in business administration, Ted Nims is neither brand new to General Electric nor unfamiliar with the problems of the housewares industry. His interest in the industry springs from part-time employment with a large supermarket chain while attending high school in Bridgeport, Conn. During two years with the chain he advanced from stock-boy to assistant to the housewares manager. His first contact with General Electric came a year ago when he spent the summer making fans in the Bridgeport factory of the Home Care & Comfort Products Department. He "liked the friendly spirit in the factory" and decided to seek a position in sales or advertising upon graduation the following spring. Mr. Nim's letter triggered a series of interviews and resulted in an offer -- "more than I had expected" -- to join a training program expressly designed for outstanding young college graduates who want to represent GE's Housewares Division to appliance retailers and distributors across the country. After his first few weeks with the division familiarizing himself with products, personnel, and procedures, he left Bridgeport for Boston where he is receiving actual in-the-field experience working with the regional sales manager located there. Looking to the future, Ted Nims hopes to prove himself as a district representative in the field and then return to headquarters in Bridgeport as a sales specialist. Although he has been on the job only a short time, he believes he recognizes the key to success in a company like General Electric: "Be willing to work hard, put into practice some of what you learned in school, and don't expect advancement overnight." Ted also has some advice for young Negroes: "Most Negroes have an inferiority complex which leads them to seek sheltered positions. In my class, for instance, 80 per cent are expected to teach. There is a heavy demand for teachers in segregated schools, which are on their way out, therefore creating a need for Negroes to branch out and look for more than certification for teaching. They should take more courses like marketing, management, and economics, regardless of their majors, so that they will have the necessary broad background to capitalize on future opportunities." He adds: "Today the Negro is on the ground floor, the way having been paved for him by the struggles of his forefathers. There are more job opportunities for Negroes today than ever before but most Negro college students don't recognize it." [photo to right] James Nixon Carnegie Tech graduate works to inspire youth of Schenectady James Nixon is a mechanical design engineer at the Knolls Atomic Power Laboratory at Schenectady, operated by General Electric for the Atomic Energy Commission. He was graduated from Carnegie Institute of Technology in 1956 and joined the Company's Technical Career Development Program that year. After completing that course, he became a turbomachinery design engineer in GE's Flight Propulsion Division; then joined KAPL. A registered Professional Engineer, member of the american Nuclear Society, and American Society of Mechanical Engineers (among many others) Mr. Nixon has taken graduate courses at the University of Cincinnati and Union College. Right now he's working in spare time toward a master's degree in business administration. He says: "Judging from my experience with the General Electric Company so far, I feel that any limitations on my future progress will be based solely on my capabilities. That's why I'm continuing my formal education." 16