Description
Sound recording digitized from an audiocassette of a telephone interview with Ernest "Pappy" Ross by Hugh L. Gordon. Ross discusses his early childhood in Donora, Pennsylvania, and his education at Morris Brown University. He was recruited to work at the Lockheed plant in Marietta, Georgia. On the production line from 1953 to 1968, Mr. Ross relates his experiences of transitioning from a segregated to an integrated workplace, including the attitudes of white employees towards black colleagues, segregated facilities at the plant, and incidents of racial discrimination and hostility. Ross was present at the meeting of African American employees and representatives of management at the office of attorney Donald L. Hollowell circa 1954-1955 to address complaints about discrimination in the plant. The complaints had the potential to derail Lockheed's contract with the U.S. government to build the C-130 aircraft. Gordon and Ross also talk about Lockheed employees Harry Hudson, the first African American supervisor at the Marietta facility, and Pat Patterson.; Ernest "Pappy" Ross was born in Donora, Pennsylvania, on August 26, 1928, to Addison and Blanche Ross. One of seven children, Ross spent the summers while he attended high school working at the American Steel and Wire Company cleaning up the mill yard. He moved to Atlanta, Georgia, in 1949 to attend Morris Brown College, where he also played football. Ross graduated from Morris Brown in 1953 and was recruited to work at the Marietta facility of Lockheed. He was married in 1954 to his wife, Marilyn. Beginning in 1961, Ross worked on the B-47 and C-141 as a lead supervisor. In 1968, Dr. Ross left Lockheed to pursue his education. He received a master's degree from Atlanta University and a doctorate from the University of Georgia. Ernest Ross died on August 11, 2014.
Citation
Interview with Ernest "Pappy" Ross, 2004-02-12, Hugh L. Gordon Papers, 1951-2009, Gordon, Kruse, Wentzel Collection, 1951-2010, SC/G/002, Kennesaw State University Archives
Rights
The digital reproductions on this site are provided for research consultation and scholarly purposes only. The Archives has made every effort to describe what is known about copyright, rights of privacy and confidentiality, publicity, or trademark in its holdings. The copyright status for this item has been deemed unknown. The Archives may not grant permission to publish, reproduce, publicly display, broadcast, or distribute this material outside the boundaries of fair use.
Identifier
scg002-04-030102-18-ros
