100 YEARS OF CO-OP AT GEORGIA TECH THE EARLY DAYS

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1 100 YEARS OF CO-OP AT GEORGIA TECH THE EARLY DAYS Presently, most records of students at Georgia Tech are archived electronically. This includes information from their applications for admission, academic progress, any disciplinary actions, honors awarded, and their co-op participation. However, until a few years ago, most all of these records were kept manually, and the information placed on permanent record cards. This was the system used at that time by the Coop Office, now known as the Division of Professional Practice, but in the early 20th century referred to as the Cooperative Plan, or the Cooperative Course of Study. In researching these record cards, it is with the Class of 1923 that we find the earliest information concerning these young men in the Co-op Program. Thirteen students received co-op degrees in 1923, which was the largest number in one class year to complete the Co-op Plan after its inception in Keep in mind that the country was just ending its involvement in World War I when these students entered Georgia Tech and it was a difficult time for many employers and individuals during the years, Dr. M. L. Brittain was the President of Tech, and Professor T. P. Branch, the Head of Civil Engineering, was the Director of the Cooperative Course. Co-op enrollment had grown to just under 100 participants. Figure 1 Courtesy Marilyn Somers, Georgia Tech Living History Program

2 CLASS OF 1923 CO-OP GRADUATES One of the students, John A. Aycock, from Bullockville, Georgia, does not have the work information on his record card, so we do not know anything about his experiences as an undergraduate. However, we do have work information on the other 12 co-op graduates of the Class of 1923, all of whom received degrees in General Engineering. Figure 2 Courtesy Marilyn Somers, Georgia Tech Living History Program Ellis W. Bullock - Mr. Bullock, known as E.W., came from Eastman, Georgia, and while at Tech lived on Williams Street and Cherry Street. In the 1990 s, he was known to be the oldest living co-op alumnus and presented the Co-op Office with a framed picture of the old Georgia Tech campus, which currently adorns the office of the Executive Director of the Division of Professional Practice in the Savant Building. Mr. Bullock s work history includes the following: Employer Duties Pay Rate Date Atlantic Steel Wood Shop $.225/hr Feb 1919 Exposition Cotton Mills Machine Shop $38/wk Mar 1919 General Fire Extinguishers General Engineering $35/wk Oct 1920 Exposition Cotton Mills Machine Shop $38/wk Mar 1921 Figure 3 Courtesy Marilyn Somers, Georgia Tech Living History Program Exposition Cotton Mills Machine Shop $30/wk Apr 1921 Exposition Cotton Mills Machine Shop $27.50/wk Jun 1921 Co-op Department Student Assistant $600/yr Sep 1922 Page 2

3 Oscar D. Calhoun - Mr. Calhoun ( Doug ) lived on Edgewood Avenue and worked all of his assignments with the Georgia Railway and Power Company. He had five work terms with them, and was listed as a carpenter s helper in the Engine Department. His earnings started at $.45/hour in July of 1920, and he finished at $.54/hour in September 1922, with a high mark of $.62/hour in August of Coleman L. ( Dave ) Davidson came from Shelbyville, Tennessee, and resided on Williams Street, Cherry Street, and Hemphill Avenue during his days at Tech. Mr. Davidson s record card shows the following: Employer Duties Pay Rate Date T.C. Gilbert Co. Auto Mechanic $.50/hr Feb 1920 T.C. Gilbert Co. Auto Mechanic $.60/hr Sep 1920 Ledger Motor Co. Auto Mechanic $.65/hr Jul 1920 State Highway Dept. Service Dept. $30/wk Oct 1920 State Highway Dept. Service Dept. $32/wk Sep 1921 State Highway Dept. Civil Eng. Dept. $100/mo Mar 1922 U.S. Motor Transport Corps Instructor $600/yr + tuition Sep 1922 Figure 4 Courtesy Marilyn Somers, Georgia Tech Living History Program Jay L. Frankum - Mr. Frankum hailed from Martin, Georgia, and worked numerous assignments, including seven with Atlantic Steel, including the Nail Mill; Drafting Room; Carpenter Shop; Forge Shop; Electric Shop (twice); and the Machine Shop. His wage rate there ranged from $.22 to $.36/ hour. He also had two assignments with the Georgia Railway and Power Company in Gas Distribution at the rate of $.40/hour. In February of 1923, he worked his last co-op term with Tennessee Coal, Iron, and Railway Company in the Steam Engineering Department at the whopping rate of $2.50/day. For some strange reason, his nickname at Tech was Hysteresis. Asbury B. Greene, or Rasbury, as noted in the 1923 Blueprint, was born in Valdosta, but came to Tech from Bowman, Georgia. He worked in the Experimental Lab of Georgia Tech for his first co-op assignment, earning $8/week. In June 1919, he began his first work term for Georgia Railway and Page 3

4 Power Company, and finished his sixth work term with them in September His pay rate ranged from $.30/hour at the beginning and ended at $.40/hour. Mr. Greene was employed in various departments including: Electrical Sales, Steam Heat, Water Power, and Station Construction. Apparently more nomadic than his classmates, Rasbury lived in five different locations while on campus: Juniper Street, West Peachtree Street, Williams Street, Saint Charles Street, and Baker Street. William B. Johns, called Willie Ben by his classmates, was a native of Hawkinsville, Georgia, and resided at the Tech YMCA during his days on campus. Like many of his classmates, he spent a work period at Atlantic Steel, earning $.27/hour in October of He moved to the State Highway Commission, repairing machines in February of 1920 with a huge jump in wages to $.60/hour. Another term was spent at Georgia Railway and Power in Drafting at $.42/hour, with Walker Electric in January of 1922 at $.45/hour, and lastly as an Instructor in the Experimental Engineering Lab at Tech at the standard rate of $600/year, plus tuition. Figure 5 Courtesy Marilyn Somers, Georgia Tech Living History Program Theodus Kight completed degree requirements in the fall of 1923, but was at that time, officially listed as class of 1924, but we will include him with this group. Mr. Kight, whose nickname was Kite, came from Macon, Georgia, and lived on Hemphill Avenue at Tech. He worked six times with Atlanta Utility Works, in the drafting room, machine shop and in the foundry. His wages ranged from $.30/hour to $.50/hour. In March of 1922, he worked an additional assignment with the State Highway Department in drafting, earning $100/month. Page 4

5 One of the few out-of-state students in the class of 1923 was Ray M. ( Mat ) Matson, originally from Citronelle, Alabama. Mr. Matson started work with Southern Oakland Company in the Service Department in September 1919 at the rate of $.40/hour. In November 1919 he was at work at Atlanta Battery Services performing battery repair at the same wage rate as before. The next month, he moved to Otis Elevator, again at $.40/hour working in the Storeroom. Then from May 1920 to September 1922, Mr. Matson worked five assignments with Walker Electric in the Motor Shop, Drafting, Construction, Steam Fitting, and Heating & Plumbing, all at the rate of $.50/hour. William T. Mealor - Mr. Mealor came from Gainesville, Georgia, and lived at 191 Fowler Street while at Tech. He worked for Atlanta Utility Works four terms in 1919 and 1920 in the Foundry, Machine Shop, and Sheet Metal Department. His wages ran from $.22/hour to $.38/hour. After that, Ted was employed in the Auto Repair Department of the Fulton Bag & Cotton Mills at $.40/hour. Mr. Mealor went back to Gainesville at one point to work in the Foundry at the Gainesville Iron Works where he earned $.30/hour, then finished his work assignments with the U. S. Motor Transport Corps as an Instructor at $600/year, plus tuition. Thomas C. Milner had residences at Tech on Lucille Avenue, Atwood Avenue, and Spring Street while working as a co-op and attending classes. His home address is listed as Cartersville, Georgia. Milner worked three assignments with the Georgia Railway and Power Company, with one in Atlanta and two others located in Tallulah Falls, and in 1922 was being paid $.46/hour. He had two more work periods with the Independent Electric Company, performing house wiring and repair at the rate of $20/week. In a rare occurrence for the early 1920 s, student Curtis F. ( Steve ) Stephens worked all of his assignments with the Georgia Railway and Power Company beginning in June 1919 with the Gas Survey Department, and working his final term in Steam & Construction in September His wages ranged from $.34/hour to $.40/hour. The last member of this group of students is Lee M. Tappan. Apparently Mr. Tappan was from Atlanta, and commuted to Tech from his parents home on Ponce de Leon Place. According to the Blueprint, Lee was somewhat diminutive and was known as Little Tap on campus. He worked seven times with Western Electric Company in two different departments: Repair and Pre-annealizing. His wage rate in February 1919 was $.25/hour, but he was able to increase that to $.42/hour in his last work assignment in September One interesting note that appears on his record card that is not on any of the others is that he went with Western Electric Company, Hawthorne Works in Cicero, Illinois, upon graduation! Page 5

6 If you have stayed with the article thus far, then you have a better idea of what it was like for some of the early co-ops as far as types of employers, duties assigned, wage rates, and what students of that era had an opportunity to see as possible career paths. Slightly different than today s students, but for the time, it was a very educational and a challenging route. They were able to learn through experience and earn wages to help defray the cost of their education. In future articles, we will see how the experiences began to change along with how the program adapted to military conflicts/wars, recessions, and even the Great Depression. Figure 6 Co-op Students, 1923 Blueprint Page 6

7 Figure 7 Left Column (top to bottom): Aycock, Bullock, Calhoun, Davidson, Frankum, Greene, Johns. Right Column (top to botttom): Kight, Matson, Mealor, Milner, Stephens, Tappan Blueprint Page 7