LeTourneau Tech's NOW, Volume 4, Number 3, February 1, 1950 Page: 4
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came under conviction regarding this
one summer when she had taken a
group of youngsters to a Christian
camp at Mt. Hermon, California, and
promised the Lord that she would
speak to the boys if He gave her the
opportunity.
Near the end of the week, the Lord
took her at her word. After one of
the meetings she walked back to the
cabin with a couple of the boys. With
real fear and trembling, she asked
them if they were Christians. They
replied that they had been wanting
to ask her about these things. They
talked for several hours, and two of
the boys accepted the Lord. The rest
of the boys were saved the following
morning.
By 1935, the business had grown
so rapidly that it was necessary to
move closer to the source of mate-
rials. Peoria, Illinois was chosen as
the site of the new factory. About
25 of the boys came to Peoria with
them, but upon arrival there, found
no place to live.
"Mom" as those who know her
affectionately call her, remedied the
situation by turning the big home in
which they lived into a boarding
house. There was no one to cook, so
"Mom" took that over.
The next spring she started the
first plant cafeteria which is feeding
more than a thousand employees to-
day. In so doing she took the lead by
personally working as hard as her
helpers - and in fact, was the first
chief cook.
The year 1937 brought the reali-
zation of a dream for "Mom." She
had been taking children to Christian
camps for many years, and had wish-
ed for the opportunity to establish
one of her own. Bethany Camp at
Winona Lake, Indiana adjacent to the
Bible Conference grounds was avail-
able. She purchased it, greatly im-
proved it and carried on an effective
ministry for the next ten years.
Although aided by an able staff, it
was "Mom" who, when help was short
in the kitchen, pitched in, cleaned and
helped to get the meals ready.
When the LeTourneau Company
expanded to Georgia in 1939, "Mom"
found another task waiting for her
and promptly began work on an ex-
tended program which included set-
ting up a steel dormitory for the boys
and organizing and operating another
cafeteria.
(Concluded in Next Issue)Men and Corporations
QUESTION has been asked me.
This question, if boiled down,
would be, "Does not the average
small business man have higher scru-
ples than the heads of large corpo-
rations?"
In answer to this question, I would
mention a few things that might
throw some light on the subject. No
one realizes any better than I do that
many large corporations merge and
sometimes from a monoply that is
not good for the country as a whole.
As a young man starting out in a
small way, I undertook to break into
one of the tightest combines the coun-
try had. It took a lot of intestinal
fortitude and hard work but it has
paid me big dividends. Right now
I am having some keen competition
from a corporation several times lar-
ger than we are and their tactics
have not been what I would call high
grade, but I do believe that most of
the unkind stories about my going
cut of business have been circulated
by the smaller men in the organiza-
tion instead of the heads. I believe
this because of this fact - in nine
cases out of ten you just don't get to
be head of a large organization unless
you try to be a square shooter.
I remember the days of N. R. A.
(the Government has changed its
tune a lot since then) when the Gov-
ernment tried to get every industry to
form a combine. The men in my type
of industry (earthmoving machinery)
got together. I didn't like the idea
but they put the heat on me so I met
with them. I knew that they were a
good bunch of fellows except one
whom I knew to be quite shrewd.
Through perhaps more luck than
sense, I caught this fellow red handed
trying to pull a fast one on the rest
of us and I exposed his trick to the
rest right to his face. That broke up
the earthmoving combine. He is still
in business but he doesn't 'cut much
of a figure. The men with higher
principles have forged ahead.
Then judging from the many big
business men I know who are head
of large industrial organizations, I
firmly believe they have higher busi-
ness principles than the average small
business man. Big business has to
strive for efficiency but they are not
as heartless as many people think.Many of the hospitals are subsi-
dized by donations from big business.
The various retirement programs and
group insurance programs, both of
which our company have carried for
many years, were inaugurated by the
larger concerns. That is where the
unions got the idea. Now the smaller
concerns will have to fall in line.
There is so much talk nowadays
about social security so that no one
will have to worry about the future.
However, human nature is so con-
structed that the moment you get
security and don't have to fight to
hold your job any longer then you
get lazy and immediately inefficiency
sets in as it has done in England, and
if men make less they must get along
having less. Government is the big-
gest business in the country today
but they do not have to be efficient
because they have no competition.
That's why it costs more when the
Government goes into business.
I am firmly convinced that most
big businessmen work hard for the
joy of doing big things. Of course, the
profit motive is there because the
law of survival of the fittest is still in
effect. It's a hard law and perhaps
should be controlled somewhat, but
unless we allow it to operate, we be-
come lazy instead of becoming fit.
What a change it would make in the
world if everyone would do their best
just for the joy of doing. I remember
reading a story of a big dog who was
treated just like a member of the
family. He was allowed the coolest
spot in summer and the warmest in
winter but one day there was a new-
comer in the family. A new baby was
born and, of course, everyone was
paying attention to the new crib with
the pretty ribbons, etc. The dog
Continued on Address Page
.OIxic
YE A0
LeTourneau Tech's
Norman O. Galyon, Editor
Published semi-monthly by LeTourneau Technical
Institute and sent free upon request to the Editor,
P. O. Box 1872, Longview, Texas.
Entered as Second Class Matter January 10,
1947 ot the Post Office 'at Longvziewz, -Texas under
the Act of August 24, 1912.
"Behold NOW is the accepted time: behold
NOW is the day of salvation." - 2 corinthians
6:2.
LeTourneau Technical Institute is an officially
recognized degree granting college, specializing
in teaching industrial leadership and mechanical
science. Full information can be had by writing
to The Registrar, P. O. Box 2307, Longview, Texas.
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LeTourneau Technical Institute. LeTourneau Tech's NOW, Volume 4, Number 3, February 1, 1950, periodical, February 1, 1950; Longview, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth1526609/m1/4/: accessed July 16, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu.; crediting LeTourneau University Margaret Estes Library.