Accession Number: 2006.13.19
Scope & Content: Ronald (Ron) Gadson, APH Maintenance Division Manager, talks about working at the American Printing House for the Blind, where he began as a machinist in the Machine Shop in 1965. He describes machinery that maintenance employees have worked on over the years. He specifically mentions the Banbury mill used in making vinyl biscuits for talking books, the stitching machine used in the Bindery, and the making of cabinet-model stereograph machines. He talks about modifications of equipment for producing accessible materials; the development of a prototype tape machine by APH employee Macombus Lee for use in computerized braille transcription (ca. 1960); the introduction of OSHA standards for machine safety; and the effect of the Teamsters Union at APH, including the reasons leading up to unionization in 1981.
Narrator: Gadson, Ronald
Interviewer: Randles, Raymond
Interview Date: 03/03/2006
Interview Length: 77 minutes
Interview Place: Museum of the American Printing House for the Blind
Extent: 77 minutes
Collection: APH Oral History Collection
Credit Line: APH Oral History Collection, 2006.13
Media Type: Compact Disc
Subjects: American Printing House for the Blind Employees Interviews Machinery Maintenance & repair Labor unions
Interview Restrictions: All copyrights belong to the American Printing House for the Blind. Contact the Museum concerning any restrictions.