Either summer or Fall of 1961, Gertrude (via Kelly Employment Services, aka Kelly Girl) got me a job at Western & Southern Life Insurance Company in downtown Cincinnati on 5th over near where the garden in front of the P&G world headquarters is now, probably Broadway. I stayed there either until I graduated from VMC or until the end of that summer.
W&SLI, on the top floor of the new building on the corner of 5th & Broadway, had what today we would call their data center. The processing was using punch cards with no other media storage. They had a brand new 1401 which they were learning how to use. Our crew of college students worked second shift.
There were 18 model 083 card sorters, one new model 101 statistical sorter, a number (more than 5 and less than 10) of model 407 printers with attached "summary" punches, a few model 557 "interpreter"s that printed information on a card from its contents. There was an old model 604 calculating punch seldom used. There was a model 650 drum memory computer in the corner used for statistical calculations for actuaries. It ran so hot that it had a large pipe (~2' diameter) above it to vent its heat out the roof.
Repetitive work included printing the books the agents carried to manually record the premiums paid by the policy holder (so called "industrial insurance".
One special job I can remember came one day when we were told we had to make a test file for the 1401. The doors of the freight elevator opened and out came a forklift holding a pallet of boxes of IBM punch cards. In the end we used 3000 boxes of 2000 cards in each box.
We went to a lower floor where there were large machines holding trays w/about 1000 cards per tray. The trays were on a device in the machine which rotated front to back so all trays could be accessed. There were ~ 10+ trays across.
We took the trays up to the top floor where we reproduced the contents and put the cards back into the same tray. We then ran a pass through the interpreter, before going to the sorters. That many cards required block sorting on policy number. Instead of the the usual low (right) column to high (left) column sort, we sorted first on the high column. Because the high column had alphabetic values (two punches per column) from policies of acquired companies, the first pass was on the "zones". The top hole is the "12" hole for A-I; then the "11" hole for J-R; then it was tricky. The "0" hole could be a numeric if only one punch or else a signal of S-Z if two punches.
The output was 3 or 4 stacks of cards placed in large metal vertical trays. The next person took a tray, say "12" punch, and sorted that numerically. The pockets 1-9 would contain letters A-I. These were placed in other tray or in boxes marked with the letter contained..
When the column was done, the next lower column could be done.
Sunday, July 21, 2013
Saturday, July 20, 2013
Sigma Alpha Lambda fraternity
Villa Madonna College had its roots in the post-secondary education of young women to be elementary school teachers by the Benedictines of St Walburg convent in the diocese of Covington.
Later it admitted all women.
After WWII and the GI bill, it admitted men.
As group of those men formed a men's club and called it a fraternity.
I pledged in my sophomore year, not my freshman year.
It had a "house". The original one was facing Madison on the east side, part of the group of buildings at 11th. The back of the building faced Latin School across the Cathedral parking lot.
There were a group of buildings at that corner on Madison. At some point, the one on the end was condemned and torn down. But it had been holding up the one next to it. So one by one all the buildings came down.
The next one was above a medical office on 10th or 11th west of Madison but before the railroad tracks. I think it lasted one year. My senior year, it was the second floor of a building on Madison above 12th street on the east side.
The first floor of that building was a small church of the evangelical variety. I don't remember if it was ever done, but a one time there was a casual proposal to screw a speaker to the floor of a closet and attach an amp and a mike. The goal was to "talk" to the assembly below as "God".
I was part of the crew that emptied that building. It was Memorial Day. For some reason there was no new building and the detritus left over could not be just left for the garbage people as is done today. A pickup truck was loaded. One of the brothers from Campbell county (tall, heavy set, can't remember his name) said he knew we could use one of the dumps over there.
But when we arrived at the dump, it was closed. The fence was low but for some reason the stuff was not just tossed over the fence. Instead he had a new idea. We went to a one lane road with woods and no buildings on either side. We heaved the stuff over the side.
Of course this road was a short cut used by police to get back to the station. We were arrested and had our day in court.
I cannot hear the song "Alice's Restaurant" without having a flashback about this event.
<>
I don't know when the fraternity ended but it exists no more.
Requiescat in pace
<>
See also: .College Road Trips.
Later it admitted all women.
After WWII and the GI bill, it admitted men.
As group of those men formed a men's club and called it a fraternity.
I pledged in my sophomore year, not my freshman year.
It had a "house". The original one was facing Madison on the east side, part of the group of buildings at 11th. The back of the building faced Latin School across the Cathedral parking lot.
There were a group of buildings at that corner on Madison. At some point, the one on the end was condemned and torn down. But it had been holding up the one next to it. So one by one all the buildings came down.
The next one was above a medical office on 10th or 11th west of Madison but before the railroad tracks. I think it lasted one year. My senior year, it was the second floor of a building on Madison above 12th street on the east side.
The first floor of that building was a small church of the evangelical variety. I don't remember if it was ever done, but a one time there was a casual proposal to screw a speaker to the floor of a closet and attach an amp and a mike. The goal was to "talk" to the assembly below as "God".
I was part of the crew that emptied that building. It was Memorial Day. For some reason there was no new building and the detritus left over could not be just left for the garbage people as is done today. A pickup truck was loaded. One of the brothers from Campbell county (tall, heavy set, can't remember his name) said he knew we could use one of the dumps over there.
But when we arrived at the dump, it was closed. The fence was low but for some reason the stuff was not just tossed over the fence. Instead he had a new idea. We went to a one lane road with woods and no buildings on either side. We heaved the stuff over the side.
Of course this road was a short cut used by police to get back to the station. We were arrested and had our day in court.
I cannot hear the song "Alice's Restaurant" without having a flashback about this event.
<>
I don't know when the fraternity ended but it exists no more.
Requiescat in pace
<>
See also: .College Road Trips.
Thursday, July 4, 2013
rak_4
<1966>
I remember little about the day other than being called into my advisor's office on the second floor of the John Millis Science Center of Western Reserve University. Karl J Casper said he had been denied tenure and was leaving to take a position at the newly forming Cleveland State University. He would no longer be my advisor. I think I was being transferred to Berol Robinson.
He said that, if I wished, I could go to Oak Ridge TN and do thesis research at the Chemistry Division of the Oak Ridge National Laboratory.
I chose to do that. I packed up my things and put them into my VW bug. I had a carrier on the top. On it I placed a large heavy box of "stuff", probably books and left. Neither I-71 from Cleveland to Cincinnati nor I-75 south from there were finished.
<>
My social life in Oak Ridge was minimal. There were few people of post high school age in Oak Ridge, other than graduate students. In the summer, someone, possibly the local Baptist Church, had a volleyball game night on a tennis court.
<>
At some point, I went to Knoxville and found the Newman Club.
<>
This story reminds me of one outing the Newman Club made. We went to a house in LaFollette TN where we celebrated Mass in the "pool house".
<>
I remember little about the day other than being called into my advisor's office on the second floor of the John Millis Science Center of Western Reserve University. Karl J Casper said he had been denied tenure and was leaving to take a position at the newly forming Cleveland State University. He would no longer be my advisor. I think I was being transferred to Berol Robinson.
He said that, if I wished, I could go to Oak Ridge TN and do thesis research at the Chemistry Division of the Oak Ridge National Laboratory.
I chose to do that. I packed up my things and put them into my VW bug. I had a carrier on the top. On it I placed a large heavy box of "stuff", probably books and left. Neither I-71 from Cleveland to Cincinnati nor I-75 south from there were finished.
<>
My social life in Oak Ridge was minimal. There were few people of post high school age in Oak Ridge, other than graduate students. In the summer, someone, possibly the local Baptist Church, had a volleyball game night on a tennis court.
<>
At some point, I went to Knoxville and found the Newman Club.
<>
This story reminds me of one outing the Newman Club made. We went to a house in LaFollette TN where we celebrated Mass in the "pool house".
<>
Sunday, May 19, 2013
rak_2
previously
In the fall of 1959, I entered Villa Madonna College in Covington KY. The buildings were several old buildings from 12th St to 11th St and from Madison two streets east to Greenup, where on the corner was the old St Joseph Church used as an auditorium. An old Benedictine convent next door on 12th had administration on the lower levels and the library on the fourth floor. At 12th and Scott was the old St Joseph's Elementary School used as classrooms.
Down on 6th was the old Mother of God Elementary School, which had on the first floor the physics department.
The tuition of the first two years was covered by a scholarship I received from the school related to the fact that I had graduated from a Catholic high school. Of the other 4 semesters, I paid for 3 with my earnings and my parents paid for the fourth.
<1959>
Freshman and Sophomore years I had: "honors History" with Sr Mary Philip Trauth SND; "honors English" with Sr Lorotto Marie Driscoll CDP.
Freshman year I had: Chemistry - lecture and lab; Math; Religion. Note somewhere along the line I started taking the religion classes in the summer in the mornings, two "semesters" per summer.
At Christmas time, I got a job @ Shillito's downtown Cincinnati selling toys. I remember I (and possibly a parent) had to go downtown Cincinnati to the Board of Education to get some form so I could work @ age 16. I don't remember if Gertrude found me the job, or just pointed it out.
<>
Either January 1960 or 1961, Gertrude got me a job as a stock clerk in "Linens & towels" at McAlpin's downtown Cincinnati. I worked the January white sale. My stockroom was on an upper floor. One of my tasks was inventory.
All items had a machine-attached tag attached by a pin. At the time of a sale, the sales clerk tore off the end and placed it in a jar. I had to manually sort and count by what is now called SKU. A manual, "real-time" sales analysis.
I worked there again the following summer, including the August white sale.
The white sales were quite busy. The department manager cut the prices on all items more than usual and included items not usually on sale,such as "odd size" sheets such as Queen and King. Apparently the prices were good, because owners of small motels would come in and buy unopened boxes of sheets. (As many as 12 to a box, depending of the physical size of the folded and packaged sheet.) At the peak, I would bring a large cart of merchandise to the floor and people would take items from the cart.
I remember it being said that some of the specialty sizes sold 2 to 5 times the expected volume. We had to do emergency reorders.
One of the towel brands was Martex. I think the "in house" sheet brand was First Lady.
<1960>
Sophomore year I had: Physics - lecture and lab; Math; Religion; Logic (taught by the Philosphy department Fr Rooks?); Philosophy of Man
<1961>
Junior and senior years physics - lecture and labs, some math (one of them extra beyond requirements to raise my grade point average), religion, philosophy, a speech class.
<>
Western & Southern Life Insurance Company and me
<>
My social life in college was minimal, partly because I was two years younger than other students at my grade level, and partly because of "shyness".
In my sophomore year, I pledged Sigma Alpha Lambda fraternity.
Road trips in college.
<>
<>
In the fall of 1959, I entered Villa Madonna College in Covington KY. The buildings were several old buildings from 12th St to 11th St and from Madison two streets east to Greenup, where on the corner was the old St Joseph Church used as an auditorium. An old Benedictine convent next door on 12th had administration on the lower levels and the library on the fourth floor. At 12th and Scott was the old St Joseph's Elementary School used as classrooms.
Down on 6th was the old Mother of God Elementary School, which had on the first floor the physics department.
The tuition of the first two years was covered by a scholarship I received from the school related to the fact that I had graduated from a Catholic high school. Of the other 4 semesters, I paid for 3 with my earnings and my parents paid for the fourth.
<1959>
Freshman and Sophomore years I had: "honors History" with Sr Mary Philip Trauth SND; "honors English" with Sr Lorotto Marie Driscoll CDP.
Freshman year I had: Chemistry - lecture and lab; Math; Religion. Note somewhere along the line I started taking the religion classes in the summer in the mornings, two "semesters" per summer.
At Christmas time, I got a job @ Shillito's downtown Cincinnati selling toys. I remember I (and possibly a parent) had to go downtown Cincinnati to the Board of Education to get some form so I could work @ age 16. I don't remember if Gertrude found me the job, or just pointed it out.
<>
Either January 1960 or 1961, Gertrude got me a job as a stock clerk in "Linens & towels" at McAlpin's downtown Cincinnati. I worked the January white sale. My stockroom was on an upper floor. One of my tasks was inventory.
All items had a machine-attached tag attached by a pin. At the time of a sale, the sales clerk tore off the end and placed it in a jar. I had to manually sort and count by what is now called SKU. A manual, "real-time" sales analysis.
I worked there again the following summer, including the August white sale.
The white sales were quite busy. The department manager cut the prices on all items more than usual and included items not usually on sale,such as "odd size" sheets such as Queen and King. Apparently the prices were good, because owners of small motels would come in and buy unopened boxes of sheets. (As many as 12 to a box, depending of the physical size of the folded and packaged sheet.) At the peak, I would bring a large cart of merchandise to the floor and people would take items from the cart.
I remember it being said that some of the specialty sizes sold 2 to 5 times the expected volume. We had to do emergency reorders.
One of the towel brands was Martex. I think the "in house" sheet brand was First Lady.
<1960>
Sophomore year I had: Physics - lecture and lab; Math; Religion; Logic (taught by the Philosphy department Fr Rooks?); Philosophy of Man
<1961>
Junior and senior years physics - lecture and labs, some math (one of them extra beyond requirements to raise my grade point average), religion, philosophy, a speech class.
<>
Western & Southern Life Insurance Company and me
<>
My social life in college was minimal, partly because I was two years younger than other students at my grade level, and partly because of "shyness".
In my sophomore year, I pledged Sigma Alpha Lambda fraternity.
Road trips in college.
<>
<
Monday, May 13, 2013
VMC class of 1963 reunion 2013
First a thank you to those who organized it, both college team members and celebrating alumni.
Second a sadness that at least 29 of our 132 members are deceased.
Third a sadness that so few showed up. There was talk as the last attendees left that there needed to be a "post mortem". I suggest a "post partum". One of the lessons to be learned might be that organization of the events was not started soon enough. By several decades. A graduating class exists as a community up to the point of graduation. After that, it takes work to maintain any community.
Fourth joy at seeing those who showed. My personal sincere thanks for that.
Fifth the class of 2013 baccalaureate Mass or should I say Mess. The point where the liturgical incense set off the smoke detectors, may have been prophetic, or merely a point made by the Spirit that form is less important than substance.
requiescant in pacem to those who have gone before
ad multos annos to those who remain
See: Villa Madonna College
Second a sadness that at least 29 of our 132 members are deceased.
Third a sadness that so few showed up. There was talk as the last attendees left that there needed to be a "post mortem". I suggest a "post partum". One of the lessons to be learned might be that organization of the events was not started soon enough. By several decades. A graduating class exists as a community up to the point of graduation. After that, it takes work to maintain any community.
Fourth joy at seeing those who showed. My personal sincere thanks for that.
Fifth the class of 2013 baccalaureate Mass or should I say Mess. The point where the liturgical incense set off the smoke detectors, may have been prophetic, or merely a point made by the Spirit that form is less important than substance.
requiescant in pacem to those who have gone before
ad multos annos to those who remain
See: Villa Madonna College
Saturday, February 23, 2013
Saturday, February 16, 2013
rak_1
previously
Covington Latin School (good history at link including group picture in 1929 contining our father) today would be called a prep school. My father, a maternal uncle, both brothers, a paternal first cousin and at least one maternal cousin (Lubbers) graduated from the school.
The curriculum was heavy on the classics lead by Latin (prima forma - the first year - 7 of 30 weekly class periods were Latin; then 6 5 5 and culminating in an oral test before the bishop). When Bishop Malloy started a seminary, he sent high school students to CLS.
At the time I attended (1955-9), all faculty were local diocesan priests, except for Sr Evangelista OSB who taught 5 of 6 math classes, Omer Westendorf who taught chant and led the Bishop's Choir staffed by students, and a drill sergeant who had a drill class for prima forma to make up for our having no athletic facility.
The curriculum also included Greek. Initially it was one period a week. After the first year, it expanded to three periods a week.
<>
I graduated and received the Schwegman science award. I also received a two year scholarship to Villa Madonna College.
<>
Somewhere around this time, or perhaps earlier, I had a few customers cutting their lawns, besides cutting our lawn. One was the SFM city Hall. Once or twice I cut the lawn of the lady next door on Dixie Hwy.
I also cut Gertrude Trimpe's lawn at 115 Highland. She had bought a top of the line lawn mower. Instead of being stamped metal, it was cast. It was very heavy. It was "self-propelled" by a friction drive on the back wheels - a rotating metal rod w/grooves in the ends.
To get the machine to the back yard was quite a task. I couldn't lift it, so I had to take it down concrete stairs.
One time, when the grass was quite high in the back, I had tilted the rotor so I could get through the grass. Unfortunately, the back yard had metal posts in the ground, into which, at one time, clothes line posts were placed. I succeeded in breaking the shaft on the lawn mower. As I remember, I continued to cut the grass for free.
<>
Another adventure occurred when Dad came home and said the windows at City Hall needed cleaning. It was apparent they had not been cleaned for time (years?). Since most people smoked at that time, the dirt was partially smoke deposits. I had never cleaned windows and didn't know what I was doing. First I used newspaper and plain water to cut through the mess. Don't remember what I used for final cleaning nor what I was paid.
continued here
Covington Latin School (good history at link including group picture in 1929 contining our father) today would be called a prep school. My father, a maternal uncle, both brothers, a paternal first cousin and at least one maternal cousin (Lubbers) graduated from the school.
The curriculum was heavy on the classics lead by Latin (prima forma - the first year - 7 of 30 weekly class periods were Latin; then 6 5 5 and culminating in an oral test before the bishop). When Bishop Malloy started a seminary, he sent high school students to CLS.
At the time I attended (1955-9), all faculty were local diocesan priests, except for Sr Evangelista OSB who taught 5 of 6 math classes, Omer Westendorf who taught chant and led the Bishop's Choir staffed by students, and a drill sergeant who had a drill class for prima forma to make up for our having no athletic facility.
The curriculum also included Greek. Initially it was one period a week. After the first year, it expanded to three periods a week.
<>
I graduated and received the Schwegman science award. I also received a two year scholarship to Villa Madonna College.
<>
Somewhere around this time, or perhaps earlier, I had a few customers cutting their lawns, besides cutting our lawn. One was the SFM city Hall. Once or twice I cut the lawn of the lady next door on Dixie Hwy.
I also cut Gertrude Trimpe's lawn at 115 Highland. She had bought a top of the line lawn mower. Instead of being stamped metal, it was cast. It was very heavy. It was "self-propelled" by a friction drive on the back wheels - a rotating metal rod w/grooves in the ends.
To get the machine to the back yard was quite a task. I couldn't lift it, so I had to take it down concrete stairs.
One time, when the grass was quite high in the back, I had tilted the rotor so I could get through the grass. Unfortunately, the back yard had metal posts in the ground, into which, at one time, clothes line posts were placed. I succeeded in breaking the shaft on the lawn mower. As I remember, I continued to cut the grass for free.
<>
Another adventure occurred when Dad came home and said the windows at City Hall needed cleaning. It was apparent they had not been cleaned for time (years?). Since most people smoked at that time, the dirt was partially smoke deposits. I had never cleaned windows and didn't know what I was doing. First I used newspaper and plain water to cut through the mess. Don't remember what I used for final cleaning nor what I was paid.
continued here
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