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- Description:
- James Cataline talks about working for the REO Motor Car Company, in Lansing, MI, as a timekeeper during World War Two and later becoming Parts Department General Manager in 1967 when REO became Diamond-Reo Trucks, Inc. Cataline reminisces fondly about the social life at REO and the terrible emotional damage its closing had on workers and the Greater Lansing community. He also describes the demolition of the REO Clubhouse and the later fire that destroyed the plant, events which, to him, drove home the end of an era. Cataline is interviewed by Shirley Bradley. Recorded as part of the commemoration of REO Motor Car Company’s 100th Anniversary.
- Date Issued:
- 2004-05-06T00:00:00Z
- Data Provider:
- Michigan State University. Libraries
- Collection:
- G. Robert Vincent Voice Library Collection
- Description:
- Edward Rankin recalls his career as an inventory clerk, manager, and sales representative at REO Motor Car Company/Diamond-Reo Trucks, Inc, in Lansing, MI, between 1947 and 1973. Rankin talks about his youth and being hired at REO, and speaks nostalgically about REO social life, worker sports teams and the beautiful Olds family pipe organ featured at the REO Clubhouse. He also describes sales trips to Iraq and Lebanon on behalf of REO, the intricacies of foreign markets and general market pressures in the truck business. Interviewers are Shirley Bradley and Lisa Fine. Recorded as part of the REO Memories oral history project.
- Date Issued:
- 1992-01-28T00:00:00Z
- Data Provider:
- Michigan State University. Libraries
- Collection:
- G. Robert Vincent Voice Library Collection
- Description:
- Sandy Dragoo relates how she came to work at Diamond-Reo Trucks, Inc., in Lansing, MI, as an executive secretary, from 1971 to 1974. She talks about moving to the Capitol Area Transportation Authority (CATA), Lansing's public transit company, as REO began to die and recruiting other REO employees. She also describes the actions of Francis Cappaert, the end of the company pension fund and the emotional depression shared by REO workers. Sandy also talks about the many social activities enjoyed by workers and how much fun she had, as an executive secretary, being invited to management's "REO Men’s Club". The interviewer is Shirley Bradley. Recorded as part of the commemoration of REO Motor Car Company’s 100th Anniversary.
- Date Issued:
- 2004-05-27T00:00:00Z
- Data Provider:
- Michigan State University. Libraries
- Collection:
- G. Robert Vincent Voice Library Collection
- Description:
- Linda Maxon discusses her early years at REO Motor Car Company/Diamond-Reo Trucks, Inc., in Lansing, MI. She says that she started as a temporary stenographer in 1967 and stayed to work as a secretary for several managers until the plant closed in 1975. Maxon shares many experiences about company social events and institutions and describes the loss of the REO Clubhouse and the burning of the factory itself. Maxon says that in the end, she was able to draw money from the REO pension fund before it was drained and describes the terrible depression suffered by other workers who lost all of their retirement money. The interviewer is Shirley Bradley. Recorded as part of the commemoration of REO Motor Car Company’s 100th Anniversary.
- Date Issued:
- 2004-06-25T00:00:00Z
- Data Provider:
- Michigan State University. Libraries
- Collection:
- G. Robert Vincent Voice Library Collection
- Description:
- Otto Aves talks about his career at REO Motor Car Company/Diamond-Reo Trucks, Inc., in Lansing, MI, from 1944 to 1972. Aves describes growing up on a Delta Township farm and following both of his parents into the plant. He also talks about building military vehicles without heaters and defrosters, trying to run the family farm while working double shifts, a wildcat strike over piece rate pay, conditions on the shop floor, building custom trucks for celebrities, and the tremendous influence of the UAW. He says that REO was much like a family and reminisces about REO picnics, outings at Lake Lansing, the REO Clubhouse, movies, bowling, and the ball teams. As in any family, he says, there were problems and he describes filing a shop grievance against his real-life father-in-law who also worked at REO. The interviewers are Shirley Bradley and Lisa Fine. Recorded as part of the REO Memories oral history project.
- Date Issued:
- 1993-01-04T00:00:00Z
- Data Provider:
- Michigan State University. Libraries
- Collection:
- G. Robert Vincent Voice Library Collection
- Description:
- Marilyn Shadduck talks about her career at REO Motor Car Company/Diamond-Reo Trucks, Inc., in Lansing, MI, from 1942 to 1975. Shadduck describes her youth, going to weekly free movies at the REO Clubhouse, working at REO through the war years, being selected as "Miss REO", raising a family, and being part of the "REO family" until the plant closed. She talks about the dissolution of the company, the loss of the pension fund, and the start of Spartan Motors by former REO workers. She says that REO "was a great place to work". The interviewer is Shirley Bradley. Recorded as part of the commemoration of REO Motor Car Company’s 100th Anniversary.
- Date Issued:
- 2004-06-08T00:00:00Z
- Data Provider:
- Michigan State University. Libraries
- Collection:
- G. Robert Vincent Voice Library Collection
- Description:
- Edna Ramont talks about her career at REO Motor Car Company/Diamond-Reo Trucks, Inc., in Lansing, MI, from 1942 to 1974. Ramont describes her early years at REO and the everyday details of her employment, such as her pay, break time, layoffs, building lawnmowers and operating lathes and drill presses in the Truck Motor Department. Ramont also fondly recalls the REO Clubhouse, the pipe organ, the many worker social gatherings and the family-like atmosphere at REO. She also, however, stresses her staunch unionism and discusses a strike at the plant during the very difficult war years. The interviewer is Shirley Bradley. Recorded as part of the commemoration of REO Motor Car Company’s 100th Anniversary.
- Date Issued:
- 2004-10-06T00:00:00Z
- Data Provider:
- Michigan State University. Libraries
- Collection:
- G. Robert Vincent Voice Library Collection
- Description:
- Doris Dow recalls her career as a secretary at REO Motor Car Company/Diamond-Reo Trucks, Inc, in Lansing, Mi, between 1950 and 1975. Dow talks about joining her mother and other relatives at the plant and describes her first job running a blueprint copier, becoming a secretary and later working for Oldsmobile. She says that at REO, the company was more a part of the social fabric of a worker's life than at Oldsmobile and goes on to describe the "fun" she had at the REO Girls Club, and performing charity work with other employees. Dow also discusses the decline of REO, the day that the doors were locked, the aftermath of the closing, the demolition of the REO Clubhouse and the loss of the REO pension fund. She explains the complexity of selling the company as a unit because of the way owner Francis Cappaert had divided the operations from the property. The interviewers are Shirley Bradley and Lisa Fine. Recorded as part of the REO Memories oral history project.
- Date Issued:
- 1992-02-19T00:00:00Z
- Data Provider:
- Michigan State University. Libraries
- Collection:
- G. Robert Vincent Voice Library Collection
- Description:
- Marjorie Koehler talks about her career at REO Motor Car Company/Diamond-Reo Trucks, Inc., in Lansing, MI, from 1947 to 1975. She says that her grandfather and father were working at REO when she came on board, after working for the State of Michigan, the Civilian Conservation Corp (CCC) and the Works Projects Administration (WPA). She describes working in the payroll and catalog departments at REO, shares stories of the REO Clubhouse, employee picnics and the annual employee fair and says that working at REO was much better than Oldsmobile, where her husband was worked. The interviewers are Shirley Bradley and Lisa Fine. Recorded as part of REO Memories oral history project.
- Date Issued:
- 1992-06-16T00:00:00Z
- Data Provider:
- Michigan State University. Libraries
- Collection:
- G. Robert Vincent Voice Library Collection
- Description:
- Larry Otis talks about his career at REO Motor Car Company/Diamond-Reo Trucks, Inc., in Lansing, MI, from 1959 to 1975. Otis describes his youth and early jobs before coming to REO as a truck mechanic. He talks about REO facilities and products, explains the closing of the plant, the disposal of parts and equipment and the start of the Nuts & Bolts Store by former REO workers selling salvaged REO parts. Otis says that he considered REO a good place to work and recalls employee activities in the plant and the REO Clubhouse and the sense of belonging that came with REO employment. The interviewer is Shirley Bradley. Recorded as part of the commemoration of the REO Motor Car Company's 100th Anniversary.
- Date Issued:
- 2004-05-11T00:00:00Z
- Data Provider:
- Michigan State University. Libraries
- Collection:
- G. Robert Vincent Voice Library Collection