Click for Table of Contents

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Vol. 6 AUGUST 1960 No. 8

CONTENTS P a g e

S e c u r i t y f o r a P e o p l e - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 5

T o u c h i n g A l l B a s e s - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 6

Social Security: Past, Present, Future- - - - - - - 8

O A S I i n A c t i o n - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 1 2

B u i l d i n g D e d i c a t i o n - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 1 5

“Good Morning” in Pennsylvania- - - - - 1 8

D i s t r i c t O f f i c e s - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 2 6

S q u a r e P e g - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 3 0

T h e B u r e a u 1 9 3 5 - 1 9 6 0 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 3 1

I n t e r v i e w s - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 3 8

R e - T o u c h i n g A l l B a s e s - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 4 4

M e m o r y L a n e - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 4 7

C o v e r S t o r y - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 4 8

.

Published once each month for the employees of the Bureau

of Old-Age and Survivors Insurance, Social Security Admin-

istration, Department of Health, Education, and Welfare for

admin is tmt ive in format ion only . It does not alter or

supersede Regulat ions , operat ing procedures , or manual

instructions.

.

Victor Christgau, Director

Robert M. Ball, Deputy Director

Thomas C. Parrott, Assistant Director

Division of Public lnformation and Personnel Management

El len McGuire, Editor

Contr ibut ions and inqui r ies should be addressed to the

Editor, Room 133, Social Security Building, Baltimore 35,

Mary land . P h o n e Wlndsor 4 - 5 0 0 0 . E x t . 2 3 8 5 .

EDITORIAL

With deep pleasure we present this edition of

OASIS to commemorate with you, the people of

BOASI, the 25th Anniversary of the Social Secur-

ity Act.

Words alone can do little, so we ask you to read

and remember--this Bureau is what it is today

because of the people who work here; people ever-

willing to give their entire working lives in dedi-

cated service to a program that stands always ready

to lend its hand to the aged, the dependent, the

disabled.

To be a part of this program, to feel that each

day we are engaged in helping our fellow man at a

time when he needs us most, is a source of great

satisfaction to each of us. Regardless of whether

we stand in the front lines and deal directly with

contributors and claimants or whether we process

their records, or decide the policy, or frame legis-

lative proposals, we all are parts of the chain that

binds us.

Let these first twenty-five years stand as our

pledge to the future of America-and to our con-

viction in the soundness of our program and the

seriousness with which we approach the task with

which we are charged.

OUR CONTRIBUTORS

We wish we could say a personal word of thanks to allemployees, past and present, for their contributions tothis edition. From North, South, East, and West-frompayment centers, from regional and district offices fromthe Central Office-came your anecdotes, your memories,your pictures. We regret that space limitations have notpermitted us to include them all, but many will be pub-lished in future issues of OASIS.

O A S I S

Click on a Topic Below

ET me take this anniversary occasion to extend sincere congratulationsL to all those associated with the Old-Age, Survivors, and Disability In-surance Program for a job well done and best wishes for the years ahead.

This is an occasion not merely to note the passage of time but to recognizeachievement-and to look ahead toward even greater achievement in thefuture. For the age of the program in which you are engaged is not a truemeasure of its worth; the true measure is how well it serves the needs, thehopes, and the aspirations of the people.

The first quarter of a century since the passage of the Social Security Acthas been a period rich in human progress in this country, and you have beenin the main stream of this progress, many of you from its beginnings. All ofyou, I am sure, have a sense of being part of history still in the making.You are partners in a never-ending effort to improve the economic well-beingof the American people.

The success of this pioneering program and the warm feeling that Americanseverywhere have toward social security is in no small measure a result of themanner in which you have translated law into service and the regard thatyou have shown-despite the tremendous growth of the program-for theindividual and his personal problems.

I know that in the years ahead you will continue to bring to your workthe same sense of mission and devotion to duty that has been the hallmarkof this program from the beginning.

A U G U S T 1 9 6 0

ARTHUR S. FLEMMING, SecretaryDepartment of Health, Education & Welfare

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A Message From

Director Christgau

THIS month marks a point in our history when wecan stop for a moment and look back on a quartercentury of accomplishment and the traditions that

over the years have become a part of BOASI. But in alarger sense, this is a time at which to view the past as aprologue to what is really important to all of us-thefuture. Tradition is not only a source of pride; it is alsoa source of strength for what we have yet to do, a founda-tion upon which to build.

One of our strongest traditions is based on our constanteffort to provide an efficient, yet personalized administra-tion of the law. This feeling lives with us today as thevery soul of our operations. We must dedicate ourselvesas a group and as individuals to make this purpose evenmore meaningful in the’years ahead.

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Another tradition that has grown over the years is that

BOASI is a good place to work; that here we work to-

gether to do a very significant job; and that this is anorganization where initiative is recognized and rewarded.

Each of us has played a part in forming the traditions,

the attitudes that exemplify the OASDI program in our

own minds and in those of the public. We have all added

to the sum total of what the Bureau means as a living

organization.

On this 25th Anniversary of Social Security, I hope

you will all join me in considering this milestone in our

history as truly a guidepost on our way toward better

things, for the Bureau, for its employees, and for the

people we serve.

OASIS

SECURITY for a People

An attempt to find security for apeople is among the oldest of politicalobligations and the greatest of thetasks of a state. The Declaration ofIndependence sets down as self-evi-dent the right of a people “to providenew guards for a future security.”The avowed object of the Constitutionof the United States is “to secure theblessings of liberty to ourselves andour posterity.”

But what is security? It is noblessing to be had for the asking. Itis no gift of the government througha single legislative act. It is no ab-straction too nebulous for definition.Security begins with bread and but-ter. But a mere subsistence is nosecurity for the American citizen.The Nation is rich in natural re-sources; it possesses a developingtechnology; it has a varied abundanceof human capacities to turn to ac-count. Security is more than a con-dition of material well-being. Anopportunity to earn a living, to be amember of the community, to havea part in the government is basic. Inpositive terms, the security of apeople is the sum of the arrangementsset up by business, by the govern-ment, and by society through whichthe things we cherish are safeguardedagainst the hazards we, as individuals,cannot control.

Above all, security is not static.The march of the decades bringschanged conditions. Old problemshave to be freshly stated, establishedsafeguards to be supplanted by new.But there is still the necessity of serv-ing a people in their lives and prop

A U G U S T 1 9 6 0

Foreword to the First Annual Report,

Social Security BoardFiscal Year Ending June 30, 1936

erties, their liberties and opportuni-ties. As we have met the exigencieswhich changing times have brought,the domain of security has been en-riched and enlarged. As the wayopens ahead, we must secure its wideropportunities.

The quest of security is a task forthe whole of the people. It must beworked out within a system which isdistinctly American. That systemdoes not offer the individual a lifeof security. It grants him an op-portunity and imposes upon him theobligation to find security for himself.There can be no obligation withoutopportunity. And for opportunitythe individual must look to privateenterprise. Upon it he is dependentfor a job, an income, a chance to getahead, a place to put his savings. I fagriculture, industry, and businessare articulated into an orderly andsmoothly running system, the morefundamental part of the problem issolved. To the extent to which theyare not so articulated, an obligationrests upon the government. Agricul-ture and industry must be aided toprovide the opportunities out ofwhich the security of the people is tobe created. Thus, the security of apeople is a great cooperative enter-prise. The citizens, the economicsystem, and the government arepartners in this national provision.

In this endeavor the governmenthas its distinctive part. Its task isto quicken opportunity, to set up bar-riers against industrial shock, to carefor the needy for whom private en-

terprise cannot provide. Its policiesmust be directed to all groups in so-ciety. The nation is an intricate or-ganization of activities. Interests,occupations, and sections have dif-ferent tasks to perform in a nationaleconomy. The security of each mustbe promoted within the circumstancespeculiar to it.

The Social Security Act was passedas a single measure to promote therealization of this broad aim. Itsmeaning and significance are to bediscovered in its relationship to thesociety it serves. It does not usurpthe role of private enterprise. Itrecognizes work and a wage as thebest security which the worker canfind for himself. The act providesnot a complete security in itself buta necessary complement to the secu-rity afforded by private enterpriseand a complement to other measuresof government directed to the sameend. The plan would make a sorrygo of it if the whole burden of keep-ing a people from destitution fell uponits provisions. In fact, it is the rea-sonable certainty of what industrycan provide that makes it possible forgovernment to undertake its task.. Itcarries no threat to the way of indi-vidual thrift. On the contrary, itenlarges the opportunities and lessensthe hazards of personal provision.

Here is the key to the Social Se-curity Act. It hedges the major haz-ards of life about with safeguardswhich neither the individual alonenor industry unaided can provide.The life of the worker is continuous.

(Continued on page 39)

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SOCIAL SECURITY:

Twentv-five vears aeo. the Social Security Act estab-lished a new concept in the United States of social re-sponsibility for the well-being of individual Americans.It brought a broader and deeper significance to the Consti-tutional phrase, “To promote the general welfare.” Abrief quarter century of experience under the Act hastestified to its utility in today’s industrial society. Createdin response to a national economic crisis, the social secu-rity programs have proven their worth in periods of in-creasing economic prosperity as well as during adversity.

This year, old-age, survivors, and disability insurancebenefits will total an estimated $10 billion and publicassistance payments from Federal, State, and local fundswill total about $3 1/2 billion. Today these programs arebasic to the total national effort to provide income secu-rity to the aged, to meet the needs of families who havelost the breadwinner while the children were young, andto help provide support for the severely disabled and theirdependents. In add’t’i ion, they provide the foundation formuch of the work of private welfare agencies. Similarly,the many thousands of industrial pension plans involvingmillions of workers supplement the basic retirement in-come that is provided by old-age, survivors, and disabilityinsurance.

Principles Accepted

Both major political parties support these programs,and there is widespread acceptance of them throughoutthe country. It should be especially pleasing to the found-ing fathers of social security that public acceptance ofthese programs embraces not only the results which havebeen achieved, but also the principles upon which theprograms are based.

I want to address myself particularly here to the old-age, survivors, and disability insurance program. On this

Past, Present,

25th anniversary of the Social Security Act, I want to talkto you, the people who carry out that program, about thereasons why I think it has won such wide acceptance andabout the challenges the future may hold.

American Incentive

The chief reason, in my opinion, why this program ofold-age, survivors, and disability insurance has won suchwide public acceptance is that it is squarely in line withour American traditions of hard work, thrift and self-reliance. Under it a person’s security and that of hisfamily grow out of the work that he does. He earns hisfuture security as he earns his living, and he pays towardmeeting the cost of that security while he is earning. Be-cause the right to benefits arises from the individual’swork and the amount of benefits is related to past earnings,the program backs up our American system of incentives.And because benefits are paid without regard to theperson’s other income and resources, they serve as a baseupon which he is encouraged to build for himself addi-tional income protection.

Two other important features of the program are thatit is compulsory and comprehensive as to coverage. Ifit were not, many people would not have the protectionthe program provides at the time when it was needed,and the community would find that it would have tosupport, through assistance from general revenue, thosepeople who had not provided for their own’ support.Still another characteristic of the program, at least as ithas developed so far, is that it has proven responsive tochanges in prices and levels of living.

America’s economic and social life has changed rapidlyand substantially since the thirties. Future changespromise to be even greater, both in pace and magnitude.In looking toward the future, we must examine the ade-

8 OASIS

and Future

quacy of our social security programs in relation to cur-rent American standards of living. And, tied in with this,we must explore the devices by which we can assureadequacy as our economy and society expand.

There is no single, simple, objective standard for deter-mining the adequacy of a system of money payments.For the old-age, survivors, and disability insurance pro-gram, adequacy has at least three meanings: sufficiency inrelation to wage loss, sufficiency in relation to need, andkeeping pace with the economy.

Threefold Adequacy

In the first meaning of the word, benefits under theold-age, survivors, and disability insurance program can-not be considered adequate if they are not reasonablyrelated to the individual’s previous earnings. Benefitsunder old-age, survivors, and disability insurance are apercentage of the insured person’s average monthly earn-ings in covered employment-a higher percentage forthe low-paid worker, a lower percentage for the higher-paid worker. From time to time we need to take a lookat those percentages to see if they are reasonable in rela-tion to the extent to which a family can and should beexpected to reduce its level of living when its breadwinnerretires, becomes disabled or dies.

In its second meaning, adequacy must be defined interms of sufficiency to meet the needs of the beneficiaries.Benefits paid under old-age, survivors, and disability in-surance are intended to make it possible for peopIe whowere self-supporting throughout their working lifetimesto continue to be self-supporting in retirement, withoutthe need for recourse to public assistance.

The fact that there are some people, especially at thelow benefit levels, whose benefits must be supplementedby public assistance does not negate this principle. Over

BY WILLIAM L. MITCHELLCommissioner of Social Security

the long run, those people on whose earnings recordsminimum or near-minimum benefits are paid will be, forthe most part, people who had not been dependent oncovered earnings over a good part of their lifetime but, asa result of occasional or part-time work, managed never-theless to become insured. There would seem to be nojustification for providing these people with old-age, sur-vivors, and disability insurance benefits high enough to befully adequate for their support when the earnings thebenefits are based on would not have been high enough tosupport them before their working years were over.

Social insurance can and should diminish the role ofpubIic assistance, but it never can be expected to com-pletely eliminate the need for it. Although the greatmajority of American families will in time be fullyprotected by the old-age, survivors, and disability insur-ance program, there will probably always be some peoplein need who, for one reason or another, wiII not be insuredunder the program or who will qualify for only minimumbenefits and require further financial assistance. Andsome beneficiaries who have no resources other than theirinsurance benefits may need emergency help; publicassistance will continue to be needed to provide for meet-ing those extraordinary needs that benefits under thesocial insurance system cannot be expected to meet.

I come now to a third meaning of adequacy-the abilityof the programs to keep current in a dynamic economy.

Under present law, benefit amounts over the long runwill be based on a lifetime average of a person’s earningsin covered work. Over the years, as earnings go up, theaverage on which benefits are based will more and morereflect wages paid many years earlier, when general wagelevels were lower. During the recent past, benefitsawarded havn generally been based on relatively current

(Continued on page 46)

AUGUST 1960

558710-60-2

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ually over the next few years the taperecord will be built up until eventuallyit will contain enough data to permitactions to be processed with a mini-mum of paperwork.

tion because it now looks like work-loads will be two to three per cent

Covered also was the Data Trans-mission Pilot Study which got under-way in July in two networks of Penn-sylvania district offices. Experiencegained in this study will be invaluablein working out plans for extendingthe wire communications system na-tionwide. Plans call for setting up anational system of about 50 networksduring calendar year 1961.

lower than estimated when the legisla-tive budget was prepared nearly ayear ago; the possibility that a ceilingmay be imposed requiring the reduc-tion of year-end employment, as wasrequired in the fiscal year just past;and the possibility that part of the 7 1/2per cent pay raise will have to beabsorbed.

A new budget item is the Bureau’sshare of the cost of the new FederalEmployees Health Benefits Program.

Experiences were exchanged on ad-A slide presentation developed

for use in explaining the future proc-ess to employees was previewed toobtain the reactions of the officialswho will have primary responsibilityfor putting the system in operation.The slides will be reproduced inquantity for use in face-to-face com-munications with employees through-out the Bureau.

vance recruitment in the regions andpayment centers. Used on a largerscale this year, the procedures give

Financing and workloads also cameup as important topics. As back-ground, figures for fiscal year 1960were given: $180.8 million was spentand 25 ,855 man-years worked.Workloads which turned out to befive per cent less than anticipated atthe beginning of the year, were keptwell in hand even during high receiptperiods. Consultative examinationswere purchased in two out of five dis-ability claims as compared to one outof four in 1959; and the proportion ofdistrict offices housed in quarters meet-ing minimum standard requirementsincreased from 42 to 56 percent.

1961 Budget

the Bureau a jump on meeting thepersonnel needs for the year. Collegeseniors are recruited before gradu-ation and enter on duty early in July.By the time peak loads hit in theJanuary-March quarter, they aretrained and ready to pull their shareof the load.

Self-Employment

The money outlook for this year,fiscal 1961, is comparable to 1960.Included in the budget of $193.2 mil-lion are funds to finance 26,551 man-years of work, purchase $665,000worth of equipment, provide betterspace for more offices and allow for amoderate further increase in the pur-chase of consultative examinations.

A good deal of discussion went intowhat responsibility the Bureau has,if any, toward adults incapable oronly marginally capable of managingtheir benefits. Representative payeesare selected for those who are in-capable of handling their funds at thetime an application is filed and thosewho later become incompetent andare brought to the Bureau’s attention.But what about an unknown numberwho are capable when they first startdrawing benefits, and over the yearslose this capability? Does the Bureauhave an obligation to try to find outwho they are?

Turning their attention to completeand accurate self-employment incomereporting, the conferees explored

The $193.2 million budget, how-ever, is subject to three contingencies:the possibility of a Bureau of theBudget reserve against the appropria-

means of getting accurate earningsinformat ion on DAO records asquickly as possible. Many presentproblems would be alleviated if fewertax returns had to be requested andexamined at the time a self-employ-ment claim is filed.

Recognition was given to the fact

AUGUST 1960

that collecting social security taxesis but a small part of Internal Reve-nue’s responsibility. Therefore, au-diting SE returns, and other socialsecurity work is not given the prioritythe Bureau would like it to have.

It might be that the Bureau, in co-ordination with IRS, will have to dopart of the job to achieve neededimprovements.

Great Responsibility

Involved in this discussion, too, wasa re-evaluation of the policy of mak-ing it easy to get an account number.In addition to the Bureau’s longtimeconcern about the establishment ofmultiple accounts which could lead toloss of benefits, other problems areemerging: the beneficiary who estab-lishes a new account in an attemptto evade the retirement test; peoplewho get as many cards as they canto better their chances of having the“lucky n u m b e r ” i n p r o m o t i o nschemes; and people who, for a va-riety of purposes, get social securitycards to help establish a false identity.The issue considered was what canbe done to tighten account numberprocedures to cut down on theseabuses without appreciably delayingthe issuance of a card to the personwho needs it to show his employer.

The Director closed the conferencewith his thanks to Bob Ball for theable manner in which he conductedthe sessions, and to the group for thecontributions they had made to theconsideration of the issues and to thepolicy decisions which would follow.

‘We have a great responsibility tomake the lives of millions and mil-lions of people happier lives,” heconcluded.

The payment center chiefs re-mained in Baltimore through Friday,July 15, for further discussions withDick Branham, assistant director incharge of the Division of Claims Con-trol, and his staff. The regionalrepresentatives adjourned to AtlanticCity, N.J., to confer on field matterswith Hugh McKenna, assistant direc-tor in charge of the Division of FieldOperations and his chief assistants.

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Out of a quarter century of OASI history, most of us will probably re-member most vividly the last ten years as “the amendment years.” Theywere busy, exciting, meaningful years, a time of growth and achievement.

These were the years, too, when we gave careful thought to the kind of

program OASDI is in action and set forth our principles and goals in the

Statement of Bureau Objectives. And, as the end of the decade drewnear, we made plans for yet another period in Bureau history.

In speeches delivered during those years, Deputy Director Robert Ball

captured the spirit of the times and the significance of the events as they

occurred. Here are excerpts from three of his talks:

1954-Signifi- would like to talk with you aboutcance of theAmendments I the program significance of these

new amendments. In my judg-ment they are by far the most signifi-

cant amendments since those of 1939, when survivors in-surance was added. They are the most significant becauseat long last the program is nearly universal in coverage-which means that in five years, say, about two-thirds ofthose over 65 will be eligible for OASI benefits . . .when one realizes that less than 20 years ago, less than10 percent of the entire labor force had any retirementprotection at all, it is clear that old-age and survivorsinsurance has meant the swiftest and greatest advance insocial welfare in our history as a nation . . .

The technical stability arising from the attainment ofuniversal coverage makes this a good time to reexaminethe program, provision by provision, with the objective ofsimplifying the law and its administration and with theobjective of making sure that each provision is necessaryand soundly conceived . . . what we have in mind in thisproject is not solely simplification although this would bea major objective. It is always necessary to temper theobjective of simplification with a sense of what people willaccept as equitable and rational.

The second reason I feel that these amendments arethe most significant since 1939 is that, as the 1939 lawdid with survivors insurance, these amendments give someprotection in an entirely new area of risk, that of dis-ability. This is a pioneering effort in what is to us a

1 2

completely new field and I am sure that it will be watchedwith the greatest interest . . . we must do a particularlycareful job of administering the law.

Thirdly, this is the first time benefit increases under theprogram have actually resulted in an improvement in whatmay be called the standard of insurance over what wascontemplated first in 1935 and then in 1939. Until theseamendments, the increases in benefit amount in 1950 andin 1952 may be said roughly to have compensated for thedecline in the purchasing power of the benefit . . . thistime the benefit was raised to take account of the risingstandard of living as well as the rising cost of living and,by and large, the new benefits will buy a higher level ofliving than originally planned.

The fourth reason is that the benefit formula changeswere in the direction of an individualized benefit basedon equity principles . . . the 1954 benefit changes werevery encouraging then from the standpoint of strengthen-ing the long-term elements of equity in the program eventhough they quite correctly, in my judgment, continuedthe precedent of full-rate benefits for the newly covered inthe older age groups . . .

A fifth reason these amendments seem so important isthat for the first time there has been a significant increasein the proportion of future payrolls that Congress hasbeen willing to commit to the system . . . I believe thisfeature of the 1954 amendments may turn out historicallyto be the most important one of all.

Finally, the very greatest significance in the 1954

OASIS

amendments, to me, lies in the fact that they were spon-sored and enacted by the opposite political party than theone in power when the system was established and, untilthis last year, in power throughout the entire administra-tive history of the old-age and survivors insurance. Underthe new administration the system has been greatlychanged . . . I believe there is now widespread apprecia-tion in both political parties and throughout the countryof the significance of the unique contribution to thenation’s welfare which is being made by social insurance.OASI provides a mechanism through which individualeffort and responsibility accomplish the broad moral goodof the welfare of the aged, the widow, and the orphan.It does not take over the responsibility from the individualin order to do something for him but, rather, makes hisown security and that of his family the automatic resultof his own productive effort.

1956-The Mat- LD-AGE and Survivors Insur-ter of BureauObjectives 0 ance is, of course, a great deal

more than a legislative defini-tion of program. OASI is the trans-

lation into operation of the spirit and objectives of thelegislation. These objectives of OASI must be derived,not only from the statute itself and from the reports anddebates of Congress, but also from the deliberate decisionof those who administer the program. Detailed as theAct is with respect to who is to receive benefits, the con-ditions of eligibility and the amount of the benefit, thereis nothing specific on dozens of policy matters which de-termine, almost as much as does the statute itself, thekind of program OASI is in action . . .

Setting the objectives is the first and basic task. Oncecommunicated, these objectives become the goals ofmanagement in all organizational segments and at alllevels. They give unity to Bureau effort, and clear under-standing of their nature is the only way that various partsof management in the Bureau can be expected to organ-ize their work toward accomplishing what should beaccomplished.

Let me remind you of some of the broad objectives ofthe Bureau that have derived over the years from ourdeveloping concept of the very nature of the programitself.

We have taken on as our responsibility, as an objectiveof the Bureau, the obligation to inform people of theirrights . . . we also have held that, to protect people’srights, reporting of wages and self-employment incomemust be complete and accurate . . .

We have taken on the obligation to treat everyone whocomes in contact with our organization as a contributor,entitled, if he meets the conditions, to his benefit as amatter of right, and with a right as well to courteous, help-ful, sympathetic, and friendly treatment.

(Continued on page 40)

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The dedication of the Social Security Building, “Theculmination of years of dreams and planning,” as Com-missioner William Mitchell put it, was held in the audi-torium of the new building on July 1.

It was originally scheduled to be held out doors, butrainy weather forced a last-minute switch inside. Over1,000 employees and guests crowded into the auditoriumand the adjoining multi-purpose room; the ceremony wasalso broadcast over the public address system throughout

the Operations Wing.Resplendent in their red, blue and gold dress uniforms,

the United States Marine Band provided music for theceremony. The Social Security Chorus, robed in gownspurchased especially for the occasion, sang several selec-tions, including “A Mighty Fortress Is Our God.” Thenewly formed Bureau band made its debut, providingaccompaniment to the chorus.

A speech by Secretary Arthur Flemming highlighted

the afternoon. He stated: “This building is a symbol ofthe confidence that the American public has in the mannerin which this program has been, and is being operated.Projects of this magnitude are not approved if the pro-gram is not being operated in a sound manner. Thisbuilding can be considered a vote of confidence by theelected representatives of the people.”

“We can say to the American people that this is asystem that continues to adapt to changing conditions,sets its sights high and moves forward to ever increasingstandards of efficiency.”

“I have the highest regard for the ability and the dedi-cation of the employees of the Social Security Adminis-tration. You have earned it by your intelligent, devoted,and dedicated service.”

In closing, the Secretary said: “Today, I am sure, thateach one of us is praying for the insight, courage, and

(Continued on page 16)

1 4 OASIS

Dedication(Continued from page 14)

strength that will enable us to respond to the challengethat is inherent in the program, and to take the fullopportunity to serve our fellow human beings in thisprogram. Congratulations on your achievements of thepast, and best wishes as together we face the future.”

Reverend Fredrick Brown Harris, Chaplain of the U.S.Senate, gave both the invocation and the dedicationprayer. A Marine Corps Reserve Unit presented thecolors.

William H. Pothast, an 87-year-old beneficiary washonored at the ceremony. In presenting him with his246th monthly benefit check, the Secretary pointed outthat he represented the 14 million beneficiaries currentlybeing paid by social security, and that we are dealingin this program not just with dollars, but with people;not just paying benefits to keep body and soul together,but with paying them in such a way as to preserve in-dividual dignity and self-respect.

Bureau Director Victor Christgau welcomed the Secre-

(Top) Frederick Brown Harris, U.S.

Senate Chapla in a t recept ion fo l -

lowing the ceremonies. (Right)Leona MacKinnon, Assistant to the

Director, paused for a moment with

Nelson Cruikshank, Director of the

Depar tment of Socia l Secur i ty o f

the AFL-CIO. (Below) Caught on

a busman’s h o l i d a y f r o m t h e

B e r w y n , Ill. D O , w h e r e s h e i s a

Field Rep., Grace Wallin Anderson

(right) a n d h e r h u s b a n d o n l e f t ,

renew o l d t i m e s w i t h F r a n c e s

O’Connor , Technica l Correspond-

ence Spec ia l is t , DPIPM, and Paul

Kohorst, right, Administrative Serv-

i c e s A s s i s t a n t D C C , f o r m e r l y o f

Chicago DO’s.

tary and the guests to the ceremony and mentioned that,“We are now in our new home, designed for our needswhich enables us to better serve the public.”

He then introduced Commissioner William Mitchell whopresided at the ceremony. Mr. Mitchell, he remarked,is an outstanding example of a career employee, havingbeen in Federal service since 1922.

Commissioner Mitchell introduced top Department,(Continued on page 41)

(Top) Crews worked through the night to set up chairs for the cere-

monies, which at the last minute were driven indoors by rain. (Center)S e c r e t a r y Flemming p r e s e n t s M r . W i l l i a m P o t h a s t w i t h h i s 2 4 6 t h

monthly social security check. (Be low) The ca fe ter ia , ad jo in ing the

auditorium-multipurpose room, had standing room only, as the over-

flow crowd gathered to hear the ceremonies.

start? A bell signal sounded to indi-cate commencement of the transmis-sion and a request for earnings recordbegan to take shape simultaneouslyon the IDP-1 in the printer and onpunched paper tape for later trans-mission to DAO.

Although the moment was a historicone in the development of the Bu-reau’s claims service, Ed Romig, man-ager, Harold Dickert, assistant man-ager, and Emil Schott, claims super-visor, who were now looking overYvonne’s shoulder at the incomingmessage from Sunbury, took the oc-casion calmly as the natural culmina-tion of months of training in the fieldand planning in the central office.

The paper-tape version of the earn-ings record requests from Sunburywas removed from the machine forsubsequent editing and transmissionto DAO. Yvonne then called her owndistrict office and a prolonged trans-mission commenced from a machineabout 12 feet away, but in anotherroom. Although the Harrisburgrelay center is the responsibility ofthat district office, its data transmis-sion business is handled by the relaycenter exactly the same as that of anyoutside office.

The day wore on . The skiesbrightened and then clouded overagain. The TWX equipment rarelystopped chattering, and then for onlybrief periods. The tapes for trans-mission to DAO began to accumulate.The sole uncertain factor was a ques-tion in everybody’s mind as to whythe Baltimore Transmission Terminalhad been so strangely silent all day.Then suddenly Baltimore called andall hands watched the message rapidlyskittering through the printer: thesame electrical storms that had upsetthe atmosphere in Pennsylvania hadknocked out the main cable at Balti-more and an emergency crew had justfinished making repairs. Was thereany traffic? There was, and the re-paired line to the Baltimore Terminalbecame alive with earnings requestsgoing out at the rate of 360 characters

a minute, from paper tape to papertape, from a constellation of offices inand around Harrisburg through theBureau’s first activated relay centerto Baltimore for processing throughthe computers.

Pittsburgh’s relay centers A andB were in operation nine days later-the equipment there is more complex,and required a greater lead time inpreliminary shake-down and trainingof operators.

The Baltimore Transmission Ter-minal is set up in the extreme southernend of the Operations Wing, within avast area otherwise given over to thePunching and Verifying Section’sbattalion-sized array of card-punch-ing machines. Jim Riley is the super-visor both of the card-punchingoperations and the Transmission Ter-minal, which are closely related infunction, namely the translation ofdata to forms that are readily under-stood by machines, and the transla-tion of machine talk back into manlanguage.

Earnings records requested theprevious day by wire are transmittedback to the relay centers for re-trans-mission to the individual districtoffices as the first order of business ofthe Transmission Terminal’s day.(These earnings records, as they areforwarded without reference to theS S - 5 ( S o c i a l Security AccountNumber Application) file and to cer-tain earnings developed outside thecomputer, are not designated for useat present in claims adjudication. Astandard earnings-record package issupplied in each case by mail. Astime progresses, this limitation will beeliminated, whenever a decision to doso is arrived at.)

This isn’t the whole story of theData Transmission Pilot, but anaccount of how it-and the Bureau’sIDP plan for the claims process-went out into the world and began.But every relay center that will eversend a first “gm” to its first selecteddistrict office, will owe something tothat first good morning in Harris-burg.

Rosaline Lazarus, Terminal operator , checks

high-speed transmission of earnings records

to relay center.

Mary Edmonds, Ba l t imore Transmiss ion Ter -

minal operator, operates card-to-tape machine

w h i l e p r e p a r i n g a r e p l y t o D O r e q u e s t f o r

earnings record.

D o r o t h y H o w a r d , t e r m i n a l o p e r a t o r , s e n d smessage to relay center over the duplex ad-ministrative circuit.

Te le type rece iv ing console , geared to takeTerminal input from six relay centers simul-taneously. Extreme right, Ed Bozza, methodsbranch, DAO, discusses technical details witha carrier representative.

AUGUST 1980 1 9

A bevy of Bureau beaut ies greeted each guest wi th a tour map as he entered the bui ld ing. Here former

Bureau Director Oscar Pogge (with glasses) can be seen starting on the tour.

FAMILY DAY

The) n e v e r had it so goo d ; t w o j u n i o r me

the crowd get first class transportation fo r

Years ago, when the new Social Security Buildingwas but a dream, the planners had one thoughtuppermost in their minds. This edifice would bring

under one roof, a family of operations so long scattered invarious Iocations throughout the City of Baltimore.

And, as the Open House held on June 18, 1960, pro-gressed, it took on a new title, “Family Day,” becauseindeed, that is what it was. Families and friends ofemployees had been invited to tour the building, andwatch the people at work. And with just pride the em-

the

ss of

trip.

2 0 OASIS

ployees shepherded their groups along the arrow-indicatedtour route.

Never before had the marble lobbies and long corridorsrung with so much of the music of life, . . . and prob-ably never before has Daddy taken so much pride in theplace he works . . . and you could feel it and you couldsee it, as the employees would deviate from the tour routejust long enough to indicate a desk, or a machine and,

Drink ing founta ins a lways seem to be a few

inches too h igh for the smal l f ry , and ours

at the new building are no exception.

On the outs ide look ing in . . .

A U G U S T 1 9 6 0

Outside the library on the 5th floor observation deck, visitors got a panoramic view

of our suburban location.

to the not-too-secret admiration of the spouse, and thewide-eyed amazement of the younger set.

Speaking of the younger set, these folks really had itmade when it came to conveniences on the tour. Manyfamilies thought to bring strollers along for the tiny oneswhose little legs would tire on so long a trip. But forthose who didn’t, strollers were made available at thedoors, courtesy of a local department store.

And just like tourists everywhere, these tourists gothungry. Arrangements had been made for the cafeteriato be open and ready to serve them. The cafeteria, soaccustomed to the work-a-day world customers, becamealive with the orders of little tykes whose bright eyesdanced at the enticing sight of food. And so the cafe-teria became the dinner table for hundreds of families,who continued to chat about the wonders of Woodlawn.

From 10 in the morning till 4 in the afternoon, thestream of traffic was steady. Through the auditorium,the library, the conference room, the executive suite, oper-ations, six thousand strong they came in answer to aninvitation warmly extended, and graciously accepted . . .all part of a real Family day, for our individual families,and for the family of OASI.

Black marble wal ls , in sharp contrast to whi te marb le p i l la rs prov ided an exce l lent

set t ing for numerous d isp lay cases conta in ing memorabilia of our soc ia l secur i ty

program.

The Roaring Twenties overnight became the TryingThirties. , , , In the few short years between 1929 and1932, factories closed, the gross national product declinedfrom $104 to $58 billion. . . , Wage payments dwindledfrom $50 to $30 billion, and corporate profits of $10 bil-lion became losses of $3 billion.

Tax receipts dropped, municipal services were ham-strung; whole towns were deserted, and the rising sta-tistic on everybody’s mind was unemployment , , . whichshot up from 1.5 to a staggering 12 million.

Families combined to share their meager resources . . .thousands of farmers lost their farms through fore-closure , . . bewildered, angry veterans marched on theCapitol to demand a bonus.

The apple stand . . . the relief kitchen . .. . the bread-line; . . . all became a way of life . . . hard-earned lifesavings went down the drain when banks across the na-tion failed. . . . Even solvent banks were closed duringthe 1933 Bank Holiday; they reopened under new regu-lations intended to guarantee that these failures wouldnever occur again.

2 2 OASIS

The Federal Emergency Relief Administration was setup to provide basic necessities to the needy. The WorksProgress Administration and the Civilian ConservationCorps established work projects to give the unemployedwhat they needed most-Work-a chance to earn their

living and recover their self-respect. With this providedfor, the vital issue then became-security.

On August 14, 1935, the Social Security Act wassigned. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . , . , . , . , . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

AUGUST 1960 2 3

. . . . On August 14, 1935, the Social Security Act wassigned. . . . This Act set up three broad kinds of pro-grams-Federal provision for: public assistance to helppeople already in need, unemployment insurance to buildprotection against layoffs, and old-age benefits.

2 4

Under Federal Old-Age Benefits, people who workedin commerce and industry would build rights to retire-ment benefits at 65. . . Workers and their employerswould pay social security taxes starting at 1 per cent eachand gradually increasing to 3 per cent by 1949. . . Eachworker’s benefits were to be related to his earnings-asrecorded under an account number he would keep through-out his lifetime.

The first monthly benefit went to Miss Ida Fuller ofLudlow, Vermont, in January 1940. . . By now the law

OASIS

In 1950, the program expanded to cover many self-employed, the workers on farms, in private households,and in nonprofit organizations. . . The 1954 amendmentsincluded the self-employed farmers, ministers and em-ployees of State and local governments, and in 1956President Eisenhower signed the laws that brought inmost remaining professional groups, and members of theArmed Forces.

Disability insurance became a reality, and Social Se-curity became a stancher protector against the third

Benefits now could go not only to the hazard that threatens family life.In 1957 Department of Health, Education, and Wel-

fare Secretary Folsom presented Mrs. Jane Gavin, widow,of Ozone Park, New York, her first check-she, the tenmillionth beneficiary. . .

We now see real hope of achieving an objective as oldamounting to over $4 million a month. as mankind, the abolition of poverty; Social Security

Ten years pass-more and more people become eligible makes its contribution in this field by-helping to keepfor benefits. By the end of 1945, more than one and families together, helping the aged to retire with dignity,one-quarter million people were receiving checks amount- and by helping the disabled to meet their day-to-day ex-ing to almost $24 million a month. penses-providing greater security for all.

AUGUST 1960 2 5

THE FIRST CUSTOMER

DISTRICT

OFFICES

“And after you’ve worked a certain number ofquarters-Hold it steady now while I slip thisbolt in!”

The Social Security Act was signedon August 14, 1935, and the first fieldoffice opened its doors, in Austin,Texas, on October 14, 1936.

When Fred Rogers turned the keythat opened the “space” on theground floor of the Old Post Officebuilding at Sixth and Colorado Streetsin Austin on October 14 (a Wednes-day), he found a musty interior andequipment which consisted solely ofsome dilapidated desks and chairs leftbehind by the Post Office when itmoved to its new building.

Fred, the office’s first manager andonly staff member at the time, didn’thave too auspicious a first day, but,as indicated by subsequent events,wasn’t a man to discourage easily.“Three people visited the office onopening day,” Fred recently told us:“Two reporters and CongressmanJames Buchanan, o f WashingtonCounty, Chairman of the House Com-mittee on Appropriations, who diedsuddenly a few months later. He, notI, held the press interview on the

2 6

opening of the first Social Securityoffice in the country. As for pho-tographs, according to instructions, Idelayed any and all publicity.”

In November 1936, the Austin postoffice began to receive considerablepublicity in connection with registra-tion for social security cards, and itwas noted in the press that “securitywork” would make jobs for about 50people in that office, although the ac-tual social security office was noteven mentioned. According to Fred,everything that was published aboutthat time was in this vein: “Austinwill be the location of one of theTexas field offices of the Social Secu-rity Board, whose primary work willbe to cooperate with the Post Officeofficials in the work of registration.”

Fred Rogers does not recall thenames of the first several employees,but George Clark, now assistant man-ager at San Antonio, writes, “I re-ported to Fred Rogers in Austin onNovember 17, 1936. I believe Fredwas the only authorized person on the

job up to the time I got there.” InDecember, Maurice Dewberry, nowRegional Representative, III, arrivedto take charge of the office, and Fredmoved on to the managership atHouston, a position he has held eversince. Clark and Dewberry were re-cruited from the civil service register

“assistant personnel clerks” atCAF-3 which paid $1,620 annually.

Charles von Rosenberg, now assist-ant regional representative, VII, re-ported to Maury at the same gradeand salary. Mrs. Merle Gleckler wasthe first typist employed by the Aus-tin Post Office to type Social Securitycards. She transferred to the SocialSecurity office on June 28, 1937, threedays before the Board took over theissuance of account numbers. Merlehas been with the Bureau ever since,passing up through the grades toclaims rep.

James Marley, the present districtmanager at Austin, was appointed tothat position in March 1937. Afterthree weeks of “training” at Central

OASIS

Austin

Juneau

Kankakee

“Well, we’ve got our full staff of three, a nicetwo room office and we’ve got the 1939 amend-ments all straight! Looks like we’ll have smoothsailing from now on!"

20 SHO RT YEARS AGO!

Office, Jim started out for his assign-ment by automobile. He arrivedthere more than 11 years later, inDecember 1948. (His marching or-ders, as he left Washington, D.C.,called for a visit to the Regional Of-fice, which was then in San Antonio.While he was there, he was offered,and accepted, the executive assistantposition at the regional office, laterbeing appointed regional director.Finally, he was again offered the po-sition at Austin, which he gladly ac-cepted, being once more influenced bythe fact that this was his old home-town).

Among the betwixt-between man-agers were Jess Carter (September1937-November), now assistant dis-trict manager at Dallas. Hank Averyfollowed, leaving in April 1940 to be-come assistant regional rep at SanAntonio. Dave Pruitt bridged theperiod between Avery and Marley,later going to the district office atEl Dorado, Ark., from which he re-tired in 1959.

The staff at Austin now has sevenclaims reps and the same number ofstenos; a supervisor; two reception-ists; five field reps; and the managerand assistant manager.

On October 26, 1936, the Terri-torial Social Security Office at Juneau,Alaska, went into operation. Thisoffice, which combined some of thefeatures of the contemporary State-side regional and field offices, wasopened by Hugh Wade, who had ar-rived on the previous day from theStates on a mission that was the be-ginning of a series of events that wasfinally to see him the holder of thesecond highest elective position in the49th State, and serving as ActingGovernor during the temporary in-capacity of Governor William A.Egan, at the first session of the StateLegislature.

Among Hugh’s first concerns onarriving in Alaska was that of work-ing closely with the Territorial Legis-lature in setting up machinery forTitles I and III in the territory. His

AUGUST 1960

first big OASI job, under Title II,he tells us, was the issuance of accountnumber cards. Although, as else-where, the post offices did the greaterpart of the work at the beginning, theresponsibility for issuance of thecards returned to the Territorial Officebefore the first canning season inJune 1937. This meant that the Eski-mo cannery workers looked to Hughfor their account numbers. This jobwas complicated by the fact that manyEskimos had no surname, but weregetting along fine up to that time witha given name only. Consequentlytheir mothers had no maiden names,and their fathers had names possess-ing no elements in common with theprogeny. Many Eskimo families to-day owe their surnames to the accountnumber cards issued in 1937.

As in 1066, when the Norman Con-quest of England resulted in the rapidassignment of Anglo-Saxon surnamesto all and sundry for taxation pur-

(Continued on page 28)

2 7

District Offices(Continued from page 27)

poses, many Eskimos received andstill use names assigned to them bythe cannery bookkeepers who helpedthem complete applications for ac-count number cards in 1937. Some-times the last names indicated thevillage of residence, but more oftenthey were fancifully descriptive, such

language difficulties by the use oftranslators-and the missionaries andvillage teachers proved very helpfulin this respect-but how do you estab-lish the age of an Eskimo who neverheard of a calendar and doesn’t knowone year from another? And canyou establish the death of an Eskimolost on a hunting trip if his com-panions swear that they still see hisghost occasionally?

James Browne was appointed fieldoffice manager for Alaska in 1949, to

situation this way: “Our service areatoday is the same as it was in 1936-all of Alaska. However, the popula-tion has tripled, from 72,000 in 1939to 223,000 in 1960. In 1950, a resi-dent station was established inAnchorage, and was first manned byJoe Finnell, now manager of the SanDiego DO, being succeeded by mewhen I came to Alaska in 1954.

“Statehood has been the most im-portant event since then. While ithas solved many problems, it has

The First Now. The present staff of the Austin, Texas DO, sits for Vernon Streeter, claims supervisor; Alfred Seitz and John Pace, field

an anniversary photo. In the usual order, they are: front row, Reba reps; James Marley, manager; Fern Grossman and Rena Dye, claims

Myrick, claims rep; Mary Huth, claims steno; Lorraine Causer, claims stenos; E l ida Torres, recept ionist ; Theda Blount and Mer le Gleck ler ,

rep; Crescencia Stanley, claims steno; Betty Grubbs, field rep; Patricia claims reps; Evelyn Donnel, claims steno; Ruth Hester, claims rep; John

Insko, c l a i m s r e p ; F l o r e n c e Joyner, administ ra t ive c lerk; Mi ldred Bennet t , ass istant manager; a n d E l l i o t t A d a m s a n d H a r r y L e w i s ,

Young, c la ims s teno; and Frances Word, c la ims rep . Second row, field reps.

as “Smallsled,” “Oldfriend,” and“Bighead,” or were “borrowed” froman admired personality or even theclerk who was assisting them.

Hugh Wade can remember no com-pliance difficulties in those early days.Most instances of failure to meet therequirements of the Act stemmedfrom the lack of knowledge ratherthan from refusal to accept the pro-gram, and it was often mighty toughto get the information out to employ-ers and employees scattered like buck-shot over an area a fifth the size ofthe “South 48.” Dogsleds, river boats,and all types of aircraft, in combina-tions and singly, were utilized to bringthe message to a territory of 586,000square miles of frozen tundra, fertilefarmlands, and settlements that wereonly a dot surrounded by sections ofvirgin timberlands larger than manyStates. You could always conquer

2 8

supervise the OASI program. Up tothen, the program had been adminis-tered by Hugh Wade as territorial di-rector of the Federal Security Agency.In 1950, the duties of the territorialdirector were shifted to the SanFrancisco Regional Office, with JimBrowne staying on as field officemanager. W h e n h e arrived inJuneau, the personnel assigned toOASI was three persons. When heretired, in late 1957, the ceiling hadbeen increased to 10. He was suc-ceeded by Everell Cummins, who stillserves. Hugh Wade continued inFederal service as Director of theAlaska Native Service under the De-partment of the Interior. In 1954, hewas elected Treasurer of the Territoryof Alaska, serving in that capacityuntil 1958 when he was elected Secre-tary of Alaska.

Ev Cummins sums up the present

created others. Formerly all law en-forcement and informational serviceswere Federal. Now most of thesefunctions have been taken over byState agencies, and frequently it isdifficult to determine immediatelywhich of the new State departmentshandles any given problem. How-ever, with experience and the co-operation of the State agencies, suchsituations are being ironed out.

“But the pioneering is by no meansfinished. After 24 years, we stillhave nearly a third of the more iso-lated villages to visit.”

From the vast State of Texas (246counties) to the vaster State ofAlaska to our newest district office inKankakee, Ill., which services twocounties (Kankakee and Iroquois)with one less staff member than isauthorized for the district office thathas responsibility for the entire 49th

OASIS

The Juneau DO now occupies

space in this local skyscraper.

State, is a progression that symbolizesthe pat tern of our growth as aBureau.

Within the service area of the newoffice, which was formally opened onJuly 25, 1958, resided not only ap-proximately 114,000 persons, 29,000of whom were employees and 1,100employers, with both urban and farmemployment and self-employment wellrepresented, but most significantly,the service area contained two largeState hospitals, with from 12,000 to13,000 mental patients, requiringhigh priority, intensive service underthe disability provisions of the law.

Dean Lemke, formerly assistantmanager at the N. Milwaukee AvenueDO in Chicago, opened the office, as-sisted in the preliminary details byHarold Whiteside, manager of the

AUGUST 1960

Joliet, Ill., DO, and Don Pals, man-ager at Danville, Ill., from whoseservice areas the service area for thenew office was carved.

Kankakee can’t be called wet be-hind the ears; still, the office is so newthat no one would expect it to have runup any records in its brief history.However, in its second quarter of op-eration it ran up the highest workload index in the region, which pro-vided justification for the addition ofanother claims unit; it was reclassi-fied from a Class IV to a Class IIIoffice before it had one candle on itsbirthday cake; Boyd Holmes, claimsrep, received a cash award for superi-or work performance on March 2,1960.

Austin and Juneau and Kankakee-these have their stories; but so have581 other district offices, nor wouldtheir stories lack in significance. Allthe same, we are sure that no one ofthem would begrudge our spotlightingAustin and Juneau and Kankakeehere and now-the earliest and latest.

T h e Latesf N o w . The Kankakee, Ill., staff sits for photo taken by

District Manager Lemke. Front row, I. to r., Helen Bayston and Grace

Payne, c la ims stenos; and Dolores Harr is , recept ion is t . Second row,

Horace Fox, Boyd Holmes, and Rober t Herubin , c la ims reps; and

Burten Wikgren , f ie ld rep . At left be low, the Kankakee rea l estate.

Right, DO Manager Dean Lemke pinpoints the newest office’s service

area.

President Franklin D. Rooseveltstarted our history with a stroke of hispen on August 14, 1935, when hesigned the Social Security Act. Butbefore we go back to look at how webegan and how we grew, let’s see whatstature the program has achieved in25 years.

The importance of OASDI to theAmerican people was recognized bythe Advisory Council on Social Secu-rity Financing in their January 1959report which stated in part: “For mil-lions of Americans the social securitybenefit will spell the difference be-tween deprivation on the one handand an assured income provided on abasis consistent with self-respect anddignity on the other . . . We be-lieve that the almost universal ac-ceptance of this program is well-deserved and that it is a permanentinstitution in American life.”

But back in 1935, Social Securitywas new and untried. It started outas a law and an idea; it needed peopleand planning, and a lot of work. Itwas a big job, and we had to thinkbig to put it into operation.

Plans and Problems

That is where people and planscame in. We faced new problems,and needed new answers, and neededthem fast. Henry P. Seidemann, anexpert in the field of records man-agement, was named Coordinator forthe Social Security Board in Novem-ber 1935, and set up committees towork on the problems. Those earlyplanners, men like Joe Fay, now as-sistant director in charge of the Di-vision of Accounting Operations; thelate Tom McDonald, who was deputydirector in DAO; E. J. Way, whoheaded the early records division;and Charles Beach, who helped to setup work methods for field operations,among others, had to sift through a lotof ideas, accepting or rejecting, test-ing and retesting, to find those thatwould work.

Then too, we needed a place to

AUGUST 1960

work, and that was not easy to findin the depression days when Wash-ington was filled with employees of anumber of new agencies. At first weworked in offices borrowed from theDepartment of Labor, the Farm CreditAdministration, and the Departmentof Commerce, before we got space ofour own at 1712 G. St., NW.

But even more space was going tobe needed to store and handle therecords that would be pouring in.Millions of workers were applying forcards, and soon wage reports wouldbe coming in from employers all overthe country. We had to be ready forthe effective date of the law, January1, 1937.

After much searching to find abuilding to fit the job, the Candlerbuilding in Baltimore was selected.It was near the waterfront, next to afish market, dirty and dilapidated,but it was big enough to hold a lot ofrecords, and at that time was avail-able on a short-term lease.

Bureau Tradition Outmoded

This was an important factor in ourearly planning. Employees who wentto work there were warned that thiswas to be a temporary location, sincethe plan was to let each region keepits own wage records once the systemwas established. However, experi-ence quickly showed that the job ofkeeping records for a mobiIe popu-lation was one that had to be cen-

tralized.Now that we had a building, we

also needed machines. It was obvi-ous that traditional methods of book-keeping couldn’t solve our problems,and the then infant punch card systemwas chosen to add mechanical muscleto the task. Hundreds of companieswere contacted to find machines todo the work, and even after it wasdecided that the IBM equipmentoffered the best possibilities, our

-1960 people had to work with the company

(Continued on page 32)

31

1935-1960(Continued from page 31)

to design special equipment to meetour needs.

These early machines marked thefirst step in the Bureau’s continuingeffort to develop new methods andmachines to do the work.

And more people flocked in fromall over the country to direct the op-eration, and to run those machines.On one day alone, December 7,1936, Esther Sholl, present Employ-ment Branch Chief, remembers, 940people were put on duty. It was anall day and all night job, ending upat 5:00 a.m. the next morning.

Many of the top people in the Bu-reau today started with us in thoseearly years; like Regional Repre-sentatives Ernie Tallman, Region IX,Joe Tighe, Region II-A, MauriceDewberry, Region III, Al Kuhle,Region V-A, and many others whonow occupy key positions in the fieldand in Baltimore.

Space Problem

This also was the time when wewere setting up the field offices thatkeep the program in direct contactwith the people. Many a managerand his staff started an office in bor-rowed space with borrowed furniture.By December 1936 we had 71 fieldoffices.

Long hours were common in thefield just as in Central Office. Appli-cations for cards flooded in, andeverybody was put to typing them.

We started our program of publicinformation early. Both workers andemployers needed to know whyproper wage reporting was so impor-tant. “John Doe” was a familiarname in those days, as it showed uptime and time again on wage reports.A lot of our managers of today canremember that one of their first jobsin the field was contacting employersto find out just who “John” reallywas.

Claims started coming in about themiddle of 1937. Under the early pro-gram there were no monthly benefits;at 65 a worker received a lump-sumof 3 1/2 per cent of what he had paid in.

All awards were processed in theWashington Claims Division, afterbeing taken in the field and checkedin the regional offices. Here was an-other training ground for people inthe Bureau today, such men as pay-ment center chiefs, Mandel Benjamin,Chicago, Joe Columbus, San Fran-cisco, and Jim Tully, Philadelphia,got their start there along with DickBranham, assistant director in chargeof the Division of Claims Control;Joe Carmody, chief of the Coordina-tion and Procedures branch, Divisionof Field Operations; and Lou Za-watzky, deputy assistant director ofthe Division of Claims Policy.

Everybody helped out on any jobthat was at hand at the moment. Oneand all were filled with the knowledgethat they were working on somethingnew, interesting and vital.

In January 1940, Congress gavethe Bureau another big job. Westarted paying monthly benefits notonly to retired workers but also todependents and survivors.

Many of the amendments werebased on proposals of the Social Se-curity Board and the Advisory Coun-cil on Social Security, backed by theBureau’s early work in programstudies and analysis.

Claims Manual Born

“With the ‘39 amendments the fieldreally began to feel that they had aprogram,” remembers Hugh Mc-Kenna, assistant director in charge ofthe Division of Field Operations.Public reaction also became over-whelmingly favorable. The actualpayment of monthly benefits gave thepublic the feeling that the programnow had real meaning,

Training became even more impor-tant with the impact of the increasedand more complicated claims load.First came the Claims Manual to out-

line the law and the procedures inhandling claims. Oscar Pogge, laterBureau Director, headed the claimsdivision in those days, and he and hisgroup produced the manual, a slimvolume no bigger than some of thepamphlets we put out today.

Next came the claims schools, onein Washington and five or six in eachregion. Everybody became an in-structor as soon as they learned theropes. One of the first trainers wasFrancis McDonald, who of course isstill at it.

In order to handle the paymentsthemselves, the Claims Correspond-ence and Control section was set upunder Jim Tully. Starting out with40 people, it soon had over 500 em-ployees as new procedures, forms,and schedules had to be worked outto handle the claims that poured in.

The War Years

The war years had a big impact onthe Bureau and its organization, prob-lems modnted as many of our em-ployees left for the service and warwork.

The problem of how to replacethose people loomed large in thosedays. Recruiting teams scoured thecountry looking for qualified people,and found them. The Bureau repu-tation for being a good place to workhelped a great deal in securingworkers.

The need for both personnel andspace accelerated plans that were al-ready under study to decentralizepart of the claims handling. In June1942 the first of the area offices, Phil-adelphia, was opened, followed quick-ly by New York, Chicago, SanFrancisco, and New Orleans. Theunit in New Orleans lasted only until.1946, when it was replaced by thearea offices set up in Birmingham andKansas City.

This same pressure for spacebrought central office to Baltimore.A building had been planned andbuilt in Washington for OASI (thepresent HEW Building), but it wascompleted just when space for the

32 OASIS

expanding war agencies was at a pre-mium. As a result, Central Officemoved into the Equitable Building inthe summer of 1942.

The card punch unit in Wilkes-Barre, Pa., was born of wartime ne-cessity, but proved so valuable thatit is still a part of our operationtoday.

Another job that decentralizedduring this time was that of initialdetermination on claims. Beginningafter the 1939 amendments the fieldoffices began to take over more andmore work in handling claims. Thenin 1942, they were given the respon-sibility of making the decisions onentitlement subject to review by thearea offices.

Steady Growth

We came out of the war period witha well-trained staff and an organiza-tion that had steadily grown in ex-perience. In 1946 the old SocialSecurity Board was dissolved and re-placed by the Social Security Admin-istration with Arthur Altmeyer asCommissioner. Two years before,John Corson had resigned as BureauDirector and had been replaced byOscar Pogge.

We took our next giant step withthe 1950 amendments. Congress ex-panded the law to cover large newgroups of people. Social Security be-came an even more intimate part ofAmerican life, as the self-employedbusinessman came into the program.It extended into the home and to thefarms as domestic and farm workerscould earn benefits.

Increases were voted in benefitamounts to bring them closer in linewith living costs. The retirementtest was also changed to allow forhigher earnings without loss of bene-fits. The old figure of $14.99 as anearning limit was raised to $50.

These amendments meant morework throughout the Bureau, but onceagain planning and training paid offin results.

These changes in the law providedDAO with another big job in record

AUGUST 1960

keeping and benefit computation. In1950 the “604” electronic brain whichcould do 50 benefit computations perminute, 100 times faster than itcould be done manually with tables,was installed. This was another inour series of answers to the question:“Can we do it faster, better, andcheaper?”

A National Survey

Soon new claims started coming inand the field offices, area offices, andDCP were all engrossed in such newproblems as how to interpret self-employed tax returns.

The early 1950’s was also a periodwhen we first took a detailed lookat the effect of our program. TheNational Beneficiary Survey of a ran-dom sample of one percent of thosedrawing benefits showed that a largeproportion of the beneficiaries werein less than “comfortable” circum-stances. This data helped to planlater increases and adjustments in thelaw.

Another example of planning dur-ing that period was the establishmentof a Central Office Disability Plan-ning Staff in 1952. This was headedby Art Hess, present assistant direc-tor in charge of the Division of Dis-ability Operations, Actually studyof the problem had started as far backas 1948, when a work team was as-signed to study the administration ofother disability programs.

Organizational Changes

Administrative changes that shapedour organization as it is today cameabout during this time. In 1953, theDepartment of Health, Education andWelfare was formed as a cabinet levelorganization, and we became its largest unit. It was during this time thatthe field offices got the new title of“district offices” to indicate thegrowth of their responsibilities in theprogram. A little later, the area of-fices were renamed “payment centers”to bring their major function to thefore.

Once again plans were formed toconsolidate segments of the Bureau.The original plan was to move Cen-tral Office to Washington in the HEWBuilding. Congress, partly at therequest of Baltimore interests whohad found that we were nice peopleto have around, passed a bill to keepus where we were.

Even at that time plans had beenmade for a building designed espe-cially for our needs. At first it wasonly for the DAO operation, but withthe decision to keep Central Officehere, administrative offices were alsoadded.

Presently the Social Security build.ing which was just dedicated lastmonth houses 7700 employees, withan annex planned for thedivisions of DDO and thePayment Center.

Coverage Expanded

There were top level personnelchanges then also. In December of1952 Bob Ball became Deputy Direc-tor of the Bureau along with hisduties as head of the Division of Pro-gram Analysis. He became ActingDirector shortly afterwards when Os-car Pogge resigned. Victor Christgauwas named Bureau Director in 1954.

The final five years of our historyhave seen changes that would haveamazed even the most far-sightedback in 1935. Coverage was ex-panded to new areas-professionalpeople, farmers, and more State andlocal people; and we took on the wholenew problem of disability.

These were the years when amend-ment followed amendment, andworkload figures were established oneday only to be broken the next.

Once again, the experience, theplanning, the organization of the pastyears enabled us to work out eachproblem as it came along, and to planfor the next.

Let’s take a look at a few of theseproblems and how we handled them.

(Continued on next page)

3 3

operatingBaltimore

1935-1960(Continued from page 33)

Our experience with the self-em-ployed, going back to 1950, aided usin dealing with farm tax returns; butmany a city-bred Bureauite spentmany man-hours convincing farmersthat while a cow may be a cow tothem, it can also be a capital asset tous.

Disability provisions in 1954,1956, and 1958 plunged the Bureauand its people into a new program de-signed to offer further protectionunder the social security system. Anew division, DDO, had to be formed,and in order to process these newclaims speedily, the Baltimore Pay-ment Center was opened in 1958.

Workloads Mounted

New district offices were opened,most of them in medium sized townsin rural areas to handle the extraclaims and inquiries. Heavy claims loads in the district offices alsomeant heavy loads in the paymentcenters. The people in the Divisionof Claims Control both in Baltimoreand the payment centers faced up tothe job, applied new procedures andhard work to get the end product ofall’ of our efforts, the benefit check,into the hands of the claimants.

This period was one of growth, somuch of it in such a short time thata few figures might help just to showwhat was accomplished. Take per-sonnel for instance: from 18,000 in1956 we grew to 22,500 in 1958 andnow we number 25,700.

Our workloads mounted even fasterthan our number of employees. Topoint that out, let’s just take the final,most important figure, how manypeople were receiving benefits. Froma figure of 9.1 million beneficiaries in1956, it zoomed to almost 12.5 mil-lion in 1958, and now the figure hasedged past the 14 million mark.

Even with an increasing staff oftrained people much study and in-

genuity had to be used to process theworkloads most efficiently. This wasthe period of many studies designedto bring out better ways of doingthings.

To start off, DAO had to copewith evermounting record keepingproblems. This of course was notnew, this division had long experiencewith coping with record workloads.The big decision had been made tomove into electronic data processingand in August 1955 the first units ofthe system were put to work translat-ing punch card records into taperecords.

Invaluable Experience

The experience we have gained inthe use of electronic data processingin the handling of earnings records isproving invaluable as we movetoward integrated data processing inthe claims function.

All down the line, in every division,concentrated efforts were made to im-prove operation. New and betterclaims forms, improved proceduresfor making payments, improved tech-niques of doing the multitude of jobsthat make up the Bureau; all of thesewere studied, tested, and put intooperation.

Dedication

Our new Social Security building,dedicated just last month, can beconsidered the fitting climax to thefirst 25 years of our history. Just aswe have established a strong, endur-ing program over the years, so also,we now have a tangible symbol of ourgrowth and permanence in bricks andsteel.

This sketch has detailed the historyof people and planning, organization,and machines. These were some ofthe highlights, but so much has hap-pened that much has been left out.The same is true of names, we men-tioned a few, but there were a lot morepeople who played important roles inour past, thousands of them in fact.This is their history as well as theBureau’s.

BROTHER, CAN YOUSPARE A CLAIM?

As manager of a giant Class I dis-trict office receiving an average of alittle better than 300 claims a weekand processing approximately 125,000work units a year, it is rather amusingto look back to the years of 1937 and1938 when the only valid excuse forthe existence of district offices wasthe enrollment of workers for accountnumbers and public informationalefforts. The only claims processed inthose days were the “live” and“death” lump sum payments. Thosewere the days when each of the dis-trict offices-at that time known asfield office-vied one with another tobuild up its claims load.

At that time the Borough of Brook-lyn, with about two and one-half mil-lion population, had one field office.Consequently, it was probably thelargest account number and claimsoffice. As the months of 1938 rolledon, the office was straining toward thegoal of 100 claims receipts per week.One week the goal was almost reached.It was a Thursday and the recordsshowed the receipt of 99 lump sumclaims. This was too close to the 100mark to restrain the manager’s temptation. Immediately an effort wasmade to borrow a claim. Several of-fices were solicited but no managerwould sacrifice the one precious claimwhich would bring his own recorddown one claim for the week.

Finally, Col. Chubb, who was thenthe manager of the Downtown NewYork District Office, was approached.After some meditation he finallyagreed, and the Brooklyn office camethrough with flying colors, reporting100 claims received for the week.

From that point on the DowntownNew York District Office became thekissing relative of the Brooklyn Dis-trict Office.

-Charles Ferber, Mgr.1657 Broadway, NYC, DO

3 4 OASIS

One of the first family portraits on Bureau record is this one of the

regional meet ing of f ie ld managers he ld in Kansas Ci ty , M O . , on

N o v e m b e r 1 9 , 1 9 3 7 . F r o n t r o w (l. t o r.), J o e C o l u m b u s , C l a i m s

div is ion , Washington, D .C . , Newel l George , asst . reg . a t ty . , Kansas

City, Henderson Jacoway, reg. atty., Kansas City, Jack Wrenn, exec.

asst., Kansas City, Ed. McDonald, reg. dir., Kansas City, Howard C.

Dunn, reg. rep, Kansas City, Philip Holt, asst. reg. rep., KC, Cal Broad-

away, f ie ld d iv is ion , Washington , D .C . Second row (I. to r.), Jack

Graham, asst. mgr., Tulsa, Okla., Ova Stuart, mgr., Fort Smith, Ark.,

Kendall Haas, mgr., Topeka, Kan., Leslie Meek, mgr., Clinton, Okla.,

Joel Mason, mgr., St. Louis, MO., Robert Sisson, mgr., Little Rock, Ark.,

Leland Reid , asst . mgr . , For t Smi th , Ark . Th i rd row (I. to r.), Hugh

McTernan, mgr., Kansas City, MO., Carnot Brennan, mgr., Wichita, Kan.,

E. C. Lupton, mgr., Kansas City, Kan., Richard Nitschke, mgr., Dodge

City, Kan., Thomas Gaukel, mgr., St. Louis (N), M O., Jefferson Davis,

mgr., St. Louis, Mo., Carl Kunsemuller, mgr., Muskogee, Okla., Frank

Bristow, mgr . , Ok lahoma Ci ty , Ok la . , Lee Morse , mgr . , C layton, M O .

Four th row ( l . to r.) , Peter Freder icksen, mgr . , Jef ferson Ci ty , M O . ,

Char les Wi lson, mgr . , Tu lsa , Okla . , Jack Tay lor , asst . mgr . , Kansas

Ci ty , Kan., Ober Nossaman, mgr . , Salina, Kan. , Harry Gi lhaus, mgr . ,

C a p e G i r h r d e a u , M O . , H u g h McGehee, m g r . , H a n n i b a l , M O . , C a r l

Thomas, mgr., Springfield, M O .

A pause during a claims conference back in

1939 when Kansas Ci ty , M O . , was in Reg ion

IX . F r o n t r o w (I. t o r.): W e s l e y M a t t s o n ,

m g r . , H u t c h i n s o n , K a n s . ; A r t R o b b , a s s t .

mgr., Topeka, Kans.; Richard Nitschke, mgr.,

D o d g e C i t y , K a n s . ; S h e r m a n Gunn, C l a i m s

Div is ion, Bal t imore; Frances Bogart , c la ims

clerk , Kansas Ci ty , Kans. ; un ident i f ied; and

Josephine Vogr in , s teno, Kansas Ci ty , Kans.

Second Row (il . to r.): First three unidentified;

Kenneth Doane, mgr., Hot Springs, Ark.; Wil-

l i a m B e l l , a c t . m g r . , T e x a r k a n a , A r k . ; u n i -

dentified; Pauline Phillips, clerk-typist, Joplin,

M O . ; M a r y Clegg, s e c r e t a r y , K a n s a s C i t y

AUGUST 1960

Regiona l Office T h i r d R o w (I. t o r.): F i r s t

two unidentified; Ruth Rowe, mgr., Atchison,

Kans.; unidentified; O b e r N o s s a m a n , m g r . ,

Topeka, Kans. ; Carnot Brennan, mgr . , Wich-

i ta , Kans. ; E . A lber t Kreek, asst . reg . rep. ,

Kansas City. Four th row (I. to r.): First two

unidentified; Letha C a r d w e l l , K a n s a s C i t y

Regional Of f ice; next two unident i f ied; Har-

r ie t t Wi l l iams, adm. c lerk , Kansas Ci ty , M O .F i f t h r o w (I. t o r.): Berniece M a b a r y , s t e n o ,

St . Joseph, M O . ; unidentified; Carl Thomas,m g r . , S p r i n g f i e l d , M O . S i x t h r o w (I. t o r.):E a r l A m o s , a s s t . r e g . r e p . , K a n s a s C i t y ;Howard Dunn, reg . rep . , Kansas Ci ty ; and,Jack Wrenn, exec. asst . , Kansas Ci ty .

Always RememberA wage earner or self-employed tax-payer is the most important personto enter the DO.He is not dependent on us-to thecontrary, we are dependent on him.He is not an interruption of ourwork-he is the purpose of it. Weare not doing him a favor by servinghim-he is doing us a favor by giv-ing us the opportunity to serve him.He is not an outsider to the program,but the one who has provided themonies for the benefits he receives andthe salaries we are paid.He is not someone to talk down to norargue nor match wits with. He is ahuman being with emotions like ourown. He has his prejudices andbiases like ourselves. So treat himas you would like to be treated.He is a person who has entrusted alarge part of his financial future toour keeping.

-Richard Fincel, Field Rep.Phoenix, Ark., DO

3 7

Health(Continued from page 36)

throughout your life will stand youin good stead following retirement.Research done at one of the Com-munity centers in New York City in-dicated the life spans of persons tak-ing part in planned recreational pro-grams have been extended as muchas ten years.

Meetings and companionship arethe best prescriptions for mental ill-ness. The person who keeps up hisassociations through the years main-tains an interest in his surroundingsand will remain young regardless ofthe color of his hair.

Will you become a successful re-tiree? Then take care of your healthas best you can. Work after retire-ment if you can. The more resourcesyou develop for economic security thebetter off you will be. Involve your-self in community activity.

Find your own hidden inner re-sources such as enjoying the soundsand sights around you, the laughterof grandchildren. Especially fortifyyourself with your own religiousfaith.

Granted, there is no earthly im-mortality but there is a road to alonger happier life if you plan aheadand seek the proper guidance.

*Send a card to Dr. Leon Kochman,Medical Director, BOASI, 2d FloorLink, Social Security Building, Balti-more 35, Md. for a packet of materialson “Living Longer and Liking It.”

How Many?I had just finished taking a farm

claim. As he arose to leave, thefarmer asked, “Does this count as oneof my three visits?” Seeing my puz-zled look, he added, “You get to visita social security office just three timesduring your life, and I just want toknow how many more times I cancome in.”

-Anne Band, Claims Rep.Fort Wayne, Ind., DO

AUGUST 1960

AdministrativelyYours

“The launching of a study of amagnitude herein described at a timeof heavy workloads would normallynot be considered. However, wefeel . . .”

“Although we are not able to con-sider your proposal for an award, weappreciate the interest you haveshown in this very important area,and we hope you will continue to giveus the benefit of your thinking.”

“Your l0,000-word account of yourvacation trip through the GreatSmokies was thoroughly enjoyed byeveryone here in the OASIS office.Unfortunately, considerations ofspace . . .”

“While we recognize the possibledifficulties that might be encounteredin further developing this case as out-lined in paragraphs 1 through 16above, still . . .”

“While we feel that you will agreethat objective findings, such as EKGreadings, X-ray reports, etc., wouldbetter document this case, yet athorough search of the file . . .”

“As you are undoubtedly wellaware, there were 168,252 instancesof transmittals from work station towork station in fiscal 1960 where ex-cessive use of wire-stapling methodsof securing claims materials resultedin some loss of administrative manhours.”

“We have no doubt but that thedocument that you submitted in sup-port of the date of birth shown onyour application was received fromthe country in which you were born.However, we must point out . . .”

“In this area of program projectionthere is Bureauwide agreement as towhere we must set our sights.”

Security(Continued from page 5)

The income from his job obeys thetides of the market; his expenses clickon endlessly with the clock. This isthe case for unemployment compensa-tion. The worker’s living comes fromhis job ; yet his life is likely to outlastthe skills which he can market.Neither wages nor savings can bedepended upon to protect him againstwant in old age. The way of individ-ual provision is beset with too manyperils for safety. This is the case forold-age benefits. A number of haz-ards which no one can control lie inthe path of every man and everyw o m a n-a dependent childhood,blindness, disability, the need for ma-ternity care, and indigent old age.This is the case for public assistanceand special services for health andwelfare.

We cannot achieve security for anation without promoting the secu-rity of the groups which make it up.But interests are interlocked. Thewell-being of industry reaches thefarmer in a more plentiful supply ofcheaper goods, just as an increase inthe stream of farm income setswheels turning and wage earners towork. As in war, so in public policy,forces must be massed at certainpoints of stress to protect the safetyof all.

It is within this broad conceptionof the security of a people that theBoard has endeavored to carry outthe responsibilities allocated to it inthe Social Security Act. An accountof that stewardship is given in thefollowing pages. Since this is thefirst report of certain activities newin our national life, it has been con-sidered important to outline not onlythe record of events since Congressenacted the measure in August 1935but also the ways in which, in actualexperience, the purposes and methodsset out in the act have been foundto relate to past developments in theStates and the Nations.

3 9

OASI In Action(Continued from page 13)

We have taken seriously the fact that every dollar spent on administration comes from the contributions people

have made for their security, and we have striven to cutall unnecessary expense, at the same time feeling that thecontributors are entitled to a high level of service, Thus,we seek the latest money-saving machinery, improvedmethods, and simplified procedures.

We take seriously the obligation to protect the TrustFund against improper payments, and we strive to earnthe respect of the public for the integrity of our adminis-tration as well for its helpfulness and its humanity.

management in which information is shared, decisionsmutually arrived at and opinions and experience sought,and after it is sought, valued. It means hard work . . .to do everything possible to preserve the greatest asset ourorganization has-the devotion and interest of our skilledand experienced people. It means hard work to furtherdevelop and strengthen the career system; to make surethat the promotional system is fair and just, and perhapseven more important that each job is rewarding and sat-isfying in itself; that pay for the job is reasonable; thatthe work place, the budget, policy, and instructions arethe best we can make them. In other words, to keep onmaking OASI a better and better place to work as wellas a better and better program for the public.

We have taken as a Bureau objective the goal of uni-form treatment of people under law; and, through man-ualized procedures and instructions, and the even adjudi-cation of cases and their review, have striven for thedemocratic goal of fair and equal treatment under law.

1958-TheChallengeAhead

E are just about to begin aWnew period in Bureau history.We have completed three quite

distinct historical periods, each about

We have taken as a Bureau objective the quickest possi-ble payment of initial claims and the prompt and accuratedelivery of checks in succeeding months. Most peopleare dependent on this money for the necessities of lifeand we have taken on the obligation of getting it tothem fast, and with a regularity each month that theycan count on.

six or seven years long, and we are now entering a fourthperiod, this one of uncertain length.

The first was a time of “getting started.” It lasted fromthe time the first employee was hired until say 1941 or1942. It was characterized by the great excitement andpioneering spirit of establishing a completely new insti-tution in American society. . .

We have also set objectives for improving the basicstatute and for making it easier to administer and under-stand. . .

And these are but a few of the Bureau objectivesset over the years, and as fresh and good today as ever.Of course, we have not always obtained our objectives100 per cent, but we have taken many practical steps thaton a long-range basis help to build an organization capa-ble of meeting these goals. The Bureau has recognizedthat reaching objectives of the type I have outlined isdependent primarily on hiring, training and developinga group of competent and devoted people, that good ad-ministration is a matter of attitude, a matter of thespirit.

The second period in Bureau history, which ran roughlyfrom 1941 or 1942 to 1949, was a period of relative sta-bility and calm. The big job of forming an organizationhad been completed and without significant changes inthe law the task was to do better the job we alreadyknew. . .

The ihird period, just about completed, running fromthe time of the 1950 amendments to about now, has beena period of very rapid change and great growth char-acterized by a succession of major amendments to thelaw, each one bringing huge peaked workloads and com-plicated new provisions to administer. . .

Many times over this last year I have asked myselfwhat it is in this organization that makes it do a splendidjob day in and day out and then be capable of rising tothe very heights of achievement whenever the going isparticularly rough. . . , The answer is, of course, thepeople, the devoted, loyal, hard-working intelligent peoplewho must make the vast number of decisions on whichsuccess depends, the people who must deal day in andday out with the myriad of individual tasks that make upthe great complex of an organization like this. . .

But today I am not primarily concerned with the past.I want rather to talk with you about why I think we aremoving into still a fourth stage in Bureau history, andwhat I think the characteristics of this new period willbe . . . in the period ahead there will be amendments tothe Act, and they will be important amendments . . . butwhat makes the difference from an operating point ofview is that the amendments that seem most likely in thenear future do not produce huge backlogs of claims to beprocessed in a single year, like 62 for women, or dis-ability, or the extension of coverage to farmers . . .reduction in age for disability, for example, would bemostly a conversion from the freeze . . .

You can be assured that we are not only grateful to I believe these next few years with relatively stable

you but are determined to conduct the business of the workloads should be a period of re-examination of theBureau in a way that truly recognizes that the people of program and policies and procedures and should be char-

OASI are the organization. This means a democratic (Continued on page 41)

4 0 OASIS

OASI In Action(Continued from page 40)acterized by study and evaluation by experimentation andby a determination to attain our goals and make theBureau Objectives a living reality. We have lots todo and we are on our way . . .

During this period of study and re-examination wewill need the ability to shake ourselves out of our routineways of thinking. We must be willing to look at theBureau’s job with new eyes and be willing to change, tomodify, to discard, and to create. We must be willingto re-examine accepted thoughts and notions that we havehad for many, many years . . .

You have met the challenges of the past magnificently.The challenge that lies ahead of us, though vastly differ-ent in character, is just as great . . .

Out of our successful past we can go forward, into thisnew period with great confidence and with great securityin the comradeship which comes from common devotionto a great cause.

Dedication(Continued from page 16)Social Security Administration, and Bureau staff membersand invited guests who were assembled on the stage.Among them were: Assistant Secretaries of the Depart-ment, Edward Foss Wilson and Robert A. Forsythe; theGeneral Counsel, Parke M. Banta; Director of the Officeof Administration, Rufus E. Miles; and Deputy Commis-sioner, Joseph H. Meyers.

Representing the Bureau were Deputy Director RobertBall, Executive Assistant Jack Futterman, and AssistantDirectors Joseph Fay, Division of Accounting Operations,Alvin David, Division of Program Analysis, RichardBranham, Division of Claims Control, Thomas Parrott,Division of Public Information and Personnel Manage-ment and Roy Touchet, Division of Administrative Man-agement. Hugh McKenna, Division of Field Operations,was attending a Management Training Conference at StateCollege, Pennsylvania. Commissioner Mitchell remarkedthat Roy Touchet had much to do with the design and con-struction of the building. He expressed regrets that be-cause of illness, Ewe11 Bartlett, Assistant Director, Divisionof Claims Policy, could not attend.

Special guests were also introduced; they includedformer Bureau Director Oscar Pogge; President of theBaltimore City Council Phillip Goodman; head of theMaryland State Welfare Department, Judge Thomas J.Waxter; and James Campbell of Fisher, Nes, Campbell andAssociates; and Julius C. Meyers and Richard W. Ayersof Meyers and Ayers, the architects for the building.

After the ceremony, invited guests adjourned to thecafeteria for an informal reception.

Harbor Lights(From Candler-by-the-Sea)

I am sure there are many people now located all overthe United States who will long remember November 30,1936. This was the day when literally thousands of menand women from all over the United States descendedupon the Candler Building to report for work as clerks,tabulating machine operators, key punch operators anda variety of other jobs. A week or two before this date,the scene was no doubt duplicated since there wereseveral hundred people already on duty when the “11-30”team arrived.

DAO in those days was a vastly different sight thanit is today. In oo1 king back over the years, I have oftenthought what a field day a practical joker could have had.Thousands of people reported for duty. None of usknew to whom we should report; what section we were tobe assigned to, nor did we have the slightest idea of whatkind of work we were going to do. Anyone with a senseof humor and even a slight bit of acting ability and nervecould have been “King Tut” himself, by merely sittingat a desk, looking important and giving out orders. He(or she) could have herded hundreds of people together,

given them all kinds of jobs to do, and I assure you, theorders would have been followed to the letter, even if theorders made no sense. The scene referred to reminds oneof the story of the complete stranger who came upon aroad crew waiting for the boss. The stranger walked upand directed the crew to rip up a block of trolley car tracks.Before the supervisor arrived on the scene, the tracks hadbeen pulled up for a full block on the busiest street intown. The stranger had merely walked away, never tobe seen again.

In November and December 1936, thousands of mailbags from all over the United States arrived at DAO.They contained the OA-702’s and SS-5’s which had inthose days been issued by post offices throughout the coun-try. These all had to be coded, and checked for accuracy.There were thousands accompanied by notes of protestand others with humorous explanations attached. Pencilswere in short supply and were broken in half and distrib-uted around. Undertaker chairs by the hundreds wereplaced at a long makeshift wooden table. The lucky oneswere able to beg, borrow or steal small pillows for thosehard chairs.

Little by little, order grew out of what seemed likechaos, and eventually posting and balancing operationsbegan, using individual ledger sheets. An appropriatecomparison between 1936 and 1960 would be the horseand buggy days compared to the jet age, and our topplanners now tell us, “You ain’t seen nothin’ yet !”

AUGUST 1960 41

RECOLLECTIONSby Ewell Bartlett, Assistant Director

Division of Claims Policy

Several months ago when we began gathering materials for this Anni-versary Edition, we asked Bart for some recollections of the early daysin Social Security. As always, he graciously responded-as follows:

When Social SecurityStopped the Clock

Because of Social Security the Sen-ate clock was run back 45 minutesjust before the hour of midnight, Au-gust 26, 1935. As the minute handagain neared the hour of 12, the clockwas run back 45 minutes once moreand there stopped and not startedagain for 3 or 4 hours.

The President had signed SocialSecurity into law August 14. The ap-propriation to start the program wasincluded in a deficiency hill whichboth Houses had passed, but the Sen-ate had included amendments forloans to cotton and wheat farmerswith which the House disagreed. TheSenate and House had previouslytwice agreed upon a date to adjournonly to have to delay the agreed upondate. In House Concurrent Resolu-tion 40, adjournment date was fixedas August 26 (which of course meantan hour no later than midnight).

The question before the Senate atabout 7:00 p.m. was reconsiderationof its vote by which the cotton andwheat amendment had been added.Senator Long objected and heId thefloor till the Senate adjourned earlythe next morning without final actionon the bill.

As the hour approached midnightand the Senator showed no signs ofgiving up, the clock was first runback 45 minutes, and then run backa second time and stopped at 11:15.Meantime, simultaneous efforts werebeing made to get the Senator to re-lease the floor and to find a meansby which other funds could be made

4 2

available for the essential items car-ried in the deficiency, including SocialSecurity. The Senator still holdingforth and the necessary assurances offunds having been secured, the clockwas started up once again and theSenate adjourned sine die at 12 mid-night by the Senate clock, actually5:00 a.m. by nonofficial clock time.

And that’s how Social Securitystopped the Senate clock.

When Social Security Went on Relief

Social Security was operated as arelief project for over five months.Funds were not provided by the FirstSession of the 74th Congress, whichenacted the law as signed by thePresident August 14, 1935.

The appropriation for Social Secu-rity died with Senator Huey Long’s“swan song” filibuster of August 26,1935. (The Senator was felled by anassassin’s bullet the next calendar dayafter the end of his filibuster.)

The leaders of Congress hadworked out with executive officials aplan by which Social Security couldbe initiated with funds of the WorksProjects Administration, assigned tothe Department of Labor.

And that’s how Social Security be-came a relief project pending its ownappropriation made available by thenext session of Congress, February11, 1936.

How Social Security Got Its Name

The Committee on Ways andMeans had already decided to reportthe Bill favorably. A final act of theCommittee that early April day of

1935 was to consider the title. TheBill had gone by the title of “Eco-nomic Security Act” up to that time.Question was raised whether in viewof the modest benefits carried by theBill, “Economic Security Act” wouldbe a fitting title.

Several suggestions were made byCommittee members and staff, andsome that got passing attention were :Personal Security Act; Personal Wel-fare Act; Social Welfare Act; SocialInsurance Act (‘Social InsuranceBoard” being the name given to theagency set up by the Bill to carry outa number of its provisions). Therewas reservation about the word “so-cial” because some thought it sug-gestive of socialistic and especially sowhen tied to “insurance.”

The final title “Social SecurityAct” takes the word “social” from“social insurance” and the word “se-curity” from the original title “Eco-nomic Security Act.“, and the fulltitle was supposed to be suggestiveboth of protection to the individualas a member of society and ofsociety’s concern for the individual.

No More Poor House

From Justice Cardozo’s opinion up-holding the constitutionality of theOld Age Benefits provisions of theSocial Security Act: “The hope be-hind this statute is to save men andwomen from the rigors of the poorhouse as well as from the hauntingfear that such a lot awaits them whenJourney’s end is near.” (HelveringV. Davis, Sup. Ct., May 24, 1937.)

OASIS

DO YOU REMEMBER? By Fern Hassell, Assistant Chief,Reconsideration Unit, KCPC

“Do you remember the Social Security Duckpin Leaguewhich bowled at the Ice Palace? If so, you should re-member some of the following who appear in this picture.

Wendell Bain; Ellsworth Listerman; Reggie Sherriff;‘Gene Saunders; R. W. “Jake” Jacobson; Joe Carmody;Elmer Biedenholz; Joe Stetler; U. S. Martin; Gus Meyers;Winston Bradley; Gordon Peterson; George Harrington;Jimmie Flanagan; Frank Abbott; Oscar Pogge; LesGriffith; Ed Jones; Dudley Snyder; Charlie Potter; May-nard Whitney; Alvin David; Norman Hall; Bob Peck;Wilson Jones; Jackson Smith; Earl Newlon; Bill Joyce;Ted Ladouceur; Jack Bluett; Rudy Nelson; Roy Grove;Odin Klovstad; Joe Balkoski; Alex MacKinnon; GeorgeKeating; Ned Garver; John Sanders; Lou Lange; RayHensrud; Bill Spates; Millard West; John Henry Schull;Chet Aylor; Don Sutcliff; Wayne Bobst; Bill Frakes;Walt Sompayrac; Eddie Kingsolver; Sam Lite; JohnnyAdler; Harold Lampron; Grover Shepherd; Frank Ad-cock and John Shellington.

“Our apologies to the others whose names we are un-able to recall and associate with their likenesses-afterall, this picture was made about 1941! We believe thatScott Penfield; Werner Puppa; Joe Harrington and FrankMay bowled, in this group, but we don’t recognize them.

“And do you remember working in the Farm CreditAdministration Building while the foundations for theBenjamin Franklin Station of the Post Office were beingdug and the filtering of sand and dust into your type-writer and hair?

“Working ‘like mad’ until 10:00 or 11:00 p.m. gettingsubmissions to the General Counsel, Tom Eliot, or theBoard typed so they could be considered at the followingmorning sessions?

AUGUST 1960

“The anniversary, Hallowe’en and Christmas parties atthe Admiral Club, Lee Sheraton Hotel, Washington Hotelor the Pirates’ Den?

“The solemn gathering while listening to PresidentRoosevelt’s address to the House and Senate the dayafter the attack upon Pearl Harbor? And the departureof the Reservists who had diligently attended sessions toretain their commissions in the Army, Navy or MarineReserve?

“Working with John Winant, Vincent Miles, FrankBane, Arthur Altmeyer, Leonard Calhoun, ‘Colonel’ MC-Cormack, James D. Hayes and Bill Harding?

“The pride we felt when we had checks out to disastervictims’ survivors the month following death of the bread-winner?

“The reorientation when ‘the boys came home’ and youturned their jobs back to them?

“The drilling and inspection of squads or platoons ofmen of Headquarters Company, 16th Brigade of the 12thInfantry when they were quartered in the old MayfairApartments Buildings beside the Potomac Park Apart-ments Building at 1800 C Street, N.W.?

“The joy when we heard that we would all be housedin one beautiful building in Southwest Washington?

“The first involvement with res adjudicata and admin-istrative finality? The doctrine of equitable estoppel?

“Getting someone else to respond to roll call in lawschool because you had to work late and had all the legalabsences permitted?

“The water splashing in those ‘Government ClosingTime Showers?’

(Continued on page 46)

4 3

-Touching All Bases

PROBLEMS, PROBLEMSShown above is a candid shot taken be-hind the scenes of a Regional Manager’sConference held at Kansas City, MO., inthe Fall of 1940. We don’t know whatweighty program plans were being dis-cussed by Howard Dunn, l., longtime re-

gional representative in Region VI, andJohn Corson, r., an early Bureau direc-tor, but it wasn’t the last problem tofurrow brows in the Bureau.

CHICAGO REMEMBERSMandel Benjamin, chief, Chicago PC, inresponse to our request, gathered a groupof his fellow Bureau early birds togetherthe. other afternoon for a buzz sessionthat would recreate the past from a PCangle.

They collectively remembered thatDCC’s past and present staff was wellrepresented on the Washington, D.C., ad-judication scene in 1938 and 1939, withDick Branham, now in charge as assistantdirector, Jim Tully, now PhiladelphiaPC chief, Lou Zawatsky, today’s deputyassistant director, DCP, and Mandel Ben-jamin busily engaged in getting out thoselump-sum life-and-death claims. Joe Co-lumbus, now chief of the San FranciscoPC, headed up the Policy section, aidedby Bill Neise, Jack O’Connell, and VinceGriffith, all now departed. Lou Lange,the present deputy assistant director,DCC, was in charge of an adjudication

4 4

section. Acting assistant adjudicators,many of them with law degrees, wereentering on duty at CAF-3, $1,620 peryear, and it was out of the ranks of theseintrepid souls that much of the topstaff of the Bureau was subsequentlyselected.

In 1942, the adjudication of claims wasdecentralized to field offices and area of-fices were set up to handle review andcertification. Naturally this group re-membered most vividly the setting up ofthe Chicago area office at 188 West Ran-dolph St., with an original staff of 300employees. (Presently the office has acomplement of 3,000 and is located at165 North Canal Street. The ChicagoPC now services more than 3 millionbeneficiaries.)

Pointing up the phenomenal growthof the Bureau, one of the conferees re-membered a day in 1935 when he exam-ined a listing of the entire payroll of theSocial Security system-it consisted of 12names; and how an individual who wasleaving the Board went around and shookhands with all the employees before mak-ing his departure.

LAND OF NYNJDELPAAbe Asofsky, manager of the New York33 (St. Nicholas Ave.) DO, nostalgicallyrecalls for us the presentation of “Re-gional Follies No. 1” on May 26, 1945,at the Hotel Martinique, N.Y., by a castdrawn from all ranks in Region I-II.Although the event was strictly extra-curricular, and was followed by dancing,the musical review departed from OASIthemes only during the opening chorus,which featured a rendition of “The StarSpangled Banner.” (On second thought,that segment had a “Bureau purpose,”also.)

Other numbers listed on the programwere “House of Cards,” “I’m ForeverChasing Numbers,” “In the Land ofNynjdelpa” (the regional States), “TheWage Discrepancy Blues,” and “Balletof the Claims.”

Albert Gamse, now retired, contributedthe original score. (Al, who was a bona-fide member of the American Society ofComposers, Authors and Publishers(ASCAP), was also the composer of “Let’sWelcome Region II-III,” a rousingmarching song that enlivened many a

regional conference until new organiza-tional arrangements rendered the dittyobsolete.) The cast of “Follies” ran intopractically thousands, preventing any de-tailed rundown here. We do note, how-ever, that Abe personified an accountnumber in one skit, a DO receptionist inanother, a typist in a third, and hit theheights of chief clerk in the main extrava-ganza, which may have been propheticof his subsequent ascension of the re-gional ladder.

OUR OLD POTOMAC HOME

A group of employees from the Claimsand Correspondence Control division(circa 1938) are shown enjoying a bit ofsunshine in front of the old Bureau officesin the Potomac Park Apartments, 21stand C Streets in Washington.

In the back row are: (l. to r.) MaxineGray, Gladys Jorgenson, Emma Clay,Margaret Burke, Mary Crowley, andMary Naughton. Seated are: (l. to r.)Anne Romansky, Evelyn Davis, Mr.Carter, and Angie Ave.

Bringing things up to date, MaxineGray married Charles Dafcik, who is nowa supervisory management analyst inDCC, Gladys Jorgenson is the wife ofRichard Branham, assistant director incharge of DCC, and Anne Romansky ismarried to Norman Hall, deputy chief,Operating Facilities branch, Division ofAdministrative Management. EmmaClay, now Mrs. DiMaggio, is a claims repin the New Brunswick, N. J., DO.

DAWN AT CANDLERLee Gulberg, now manager of the

Omaha, Nebr., DO, recalls nostalgicallyhis life and hard times at AOD (laterDAO) in 1936 and 1937, when the pay

OASIS

was minuscule by 1960 standards, butsomething could be done with it then.

Lee chronicles off-duty “kicks” in theform of occupying a box seat at MemorialStadium for double-headers, summer eve-nings at Gwynn Oak Park, witnessing theWar Admiral-Sea Biscuit race classic atPimlico, travelling to New York City forthe World’s Fair, and purchasing abrand-new, fully equipped Ford converti-ble for $775, which was almost immedi-ately stolen from in front of the Candlerbuilding and never recovered. Contrib-uting to the elasticity of the paycheck, Leestates, was the $35 monthly board-and-room expense.

His on-duty memories include Soundexcoding and the thrill of seeing the SS-5of a hometown friend or a celebrity-he recalls processing film-actor WilliamPowell’s application.

appearing on the front page of the May24, 1937, issue of the Washington (D.C.)Daily News. The headline reads, “SE-C U R I T Y A C T V A L I D . ” I t certainlyrepresented one of the most importantdecisions of the U.S. Supreme Court,without which we wouldn’t be here.

Incidentally, the inside pages of thenewspaper offer a new Oldsmobile DeLuxe two-door sedan for $545, and acountry estate in Silver Spring, Md., with“eight rooms, four bedrooms, large livingroom, sun porch, full basement, two-cargarage, large poultry house, fish pond,tennis court, 20 bearing fruit trees, niceshrubbery, and 24 acres of land” for an“asking price” of $11,500, raising thequestion, “What price advances in gradeand salary increases?”

ANOTHER FIRST

Walter’s unique claim to fame is thathe worked on New Year’s Day in 1937,was paid for his efforts on the same day-and that as far as anybody will everknow, given the intricacies of Treasuryoperations, the FICA money transactionsin his case technically provided the bed-rock for the present multibillion OASITrust Fund.

Elmer tells us that Walter is robust andin good health, and is doing his ownhousekeeping in a trailer home outsideof Laurelville.

MODEL DJanuary 1953 was only yesterday in theBureau’s long history, but it was D-year-minus-two for DDO. All the same, dis-ability legislation was on the books andthe Bureau had a staff studying the com-

But the preoccupation of many of Lee’s Elmer Biedenholz manager, Chillicothe, plexities of what a full-fledged programWalter G. Becker would entail.co-workers at Candler in those days was

an ambition to get on the day shift. Lee Ohio, DO, nominates ---

never made it. Laurelville, Ohio, for our Beneficiary

But most poignant of all the collec-tive memories was the tale of the small-town youth who arrived in Baltimore toreport for duty at the Candler building.A Baltimore cabbie, noting his confusionon being confronted with the metropolis,offered to drive the lad to a roominghouse that he could recommend, and thentake him along to Candler. After reg-istering at the rooming house and de-positing his luggage, the recruit went onto a long session of personnel processing,which was followed bv his working thelate shift. Finally emerging into a night-shrouded Market place, the boy hailedthe first cab he saw. “Where to?” thedriver asked. “I dunno,” was the reply, :“but you ought to-you brought medown here.”

GOOD OLD DAYSDorothy Smith, claims rep, and JosephMayo, claims supervisor, in the Saginaw,Mich., DO, display the banner headlines

Photo above shows part of our taskforce assigned to observing the disabilityoperations at the Chicago headquartersof RRB as they relaxed at the ChicagoMuseum between bouts with tentativestandards and policies for the future pro-gram. Snapped while demonstratingthat often one must travel the backroadsslowly in a modest vehicle before hittingthe main highway in a superpowered jobare (l. to r.), Thomas B. McNeeley, M.D.,then on loan from OVR, now medicalconsultant, BPA; Herb Borgen, presentlychief, Disability Standards branch, DDO,and Lucille Covev. now chief. Policy and

Hall of Fame. Walter, who celebrated Procedure branch. OHA. SSA. ’his 87th birthday on June 17, alsorounded out 20 years as a beneficiary inthat month. However, we have 2,000 in-dividuals on the rolls who are in theirnineties, and six have passed the centurymark; and there are about 28,500 folkswho have been receiving payments overthe full course.

Herb Borgen tells us that the twomonths spent with RRB were most fruit-ful in providing the Bureau with thebasic standards for the program, and thatnearly every paragraph of the presentguidelines owes something to that pio-neer study.

AUGUST 1960 4 5

Past, Present, Future(Continued from page 9)wage levels. The longer the system is in effect, the moreseriously we will have to consider whether virtually theentire adult working lifetime should be used in figuringaverage earnings for the benefit computation or whetherthe benefit amount should be based on an averaging, forexample, of years of highest earnings or of years im-mediately’ preceding retirement.

The upward trend of wages has particular significancein relation to the limit that the law sets on the amountof annual earnings taxable and creditable towards benefits.Unless this so-called “earnings base” is raised as generallevels of earnings rise, more and more people will haveearnings above the base and fewer people will have theirbenefits related to their total earnings.

Another problem arises from the fact that the man orwoman who retires today may still be living-and pri-marily on his social insurance benefit-ten, twenty, oreven thirty years hence. What do we, as a society, wanthim to have year by year relative to what the rest of ushave? Probably we would all agree that, if inflation takesplace, his benefits should be raised at least to retain theiroriginal purchasing value. During the period of his re-tirement, however, not only price levels but also theaverage level of living in the United States undoubtedlywill rise. Should retired and survivor beneficiaries sharein the rise? If so, in what amount? We cannot avoidthese questions, since inaction in itself is a reply. I haveno question but that amounts paid currently should reflectcurrent levels of living.

Confidence in the FutureIn determining the degree to which benefit levels of

those long on the roles are adjusted to reflect the risinglevel of living, we undoubtedly will be influenced by theextent to which beneficiaries have other sources of income,the circumstances under which they can get medical care,and the availability of other special services for theirneeds. Beyond that, we shall have to weigh their re-sources and needs against those of other groups.

These problems of benefit adequacy are perhaps typicalof the many different problems we will face in the yearsahead as the American economy and the conditions ofAmerican life change. We have come far in the lastquarter century and I believe we can look with greatsatisfaction at our achievements. They may well give usconfidence in our ability to meet and solve the problemsof the future. That a high order of ingenuity and states-manship is required no one can question; but equallydifficult problems have been solved in the past. I haveno question that the staff of the Bureau of Old-Age andSurvivors Insurance, who bear a major share of this re-sponsibility, will acquit themselves with distinction inmeeting these challenges as they arise.

DO YOU REMEMBER?(Continued from page 43)

“The riding clubs, ball teams, and other recreationalactivities?

“The first monthly benefit claims and the chagrin ofthe higher salaried beneficiaries who wrote to their con-gressmen because their social security benefit was notequivalent to their usual monthly wage?

“The first time you had to pay income tax in D.C. be-cause you earned over $l,000.00?

“When Francis McDonald, Joseph Columbus, HaroldO’Connell, Henry Merry, Bob Huey, and Bill Connellwere collaborating with Joseph McElvain and LeonardCalhoun on preparation of Regulations and Procedures?And the drafts and redrafts of Statement of Employerand Application Forms?

“And the activities to coordinate interpretations ofthe Social Security Act, Internal Revenue Code and Rail-road Retirement Act when ‘independent contractors’ orstockyard employees were involved?

“Mr. Corson’s admonition to write your letters asthough you were explaining the problem to the newsboyon the corner, but ‘do not write down to thesecorrespondents.’

“The training classes conducted by Francis McDonaldand Dr. Nevins?

“Or the consternation when George Washington intro-duced himself in the training class and the instructorthought it was a “gag” to brighten the dreary prospect?

“If you remember, you’ve been here as long as I !”

*wrr*:hhq-.,“I believe Smith handled our first scrambledwage case-By the way, how are you comingon it?”

46 OASIS

Mary Lloyd’s (Memory) Lane . . .Manager Mary Lloyd Lane, Ham-

ilton, Ohio, District Office, sent usone of the most interesting sets ofrecollections of her early days with theBureau that we have seen in many aday. For newcomers, it will capturesome of the spirit of “those earlydays” and for those of us who remem-ber those first years it will reawakenmemories which may have been dor-mant for some time about how we in-formed the public about the newprogram.

Mary’s early days with BOASI

were spent in the Middlesboro, Ky.,DO and it is of her experiences therethat she writes . . . “One very coldwinter night (in the late 1930’s) Man-ager W. Chenault Cockrell, MarcoRudd, then field assistant, and I wereto show a film at Gatliff. By the timewe got ready, there were at least twoinches of snow and ice on the road.Despite advice to the contrary, westarted out. None of us had everbeen there. About eight miles of theway was over a narrow WPA roadthat wound in and out over one of thehighest mountains I had ever crossed.It seemed the further we drove, theharder it snowed. By the time wereached our destination we were weakfrom fright. To add insult to injury,there wasn’t a car in sight. I was surewe had made a mistake, but when weopened the theater door, we found theplace literally packed. It had a seat-ing capacity of 500 and there werepeople standing! . . .

From Garmeada

“We conducted a rather extensivepublic relations program. Wheneverwe could, we would take Ray Colyer(then a clerk) with us. One cold andsnowy night we were to show a film atGarmeada, just up the mountain outof Middlesboro. Ordinarily we couldhave driven reasonably close to thechurch where the meeting was to beheld, but the road was so muddy we

AUGUST 1960

had to carry the projector, record,sheet (which we used for a screen)and publications at least a quarter ofa mile straight up the side of themountain. I have never seen itdarker. The very first thing I didafter getting out of the car was tostep into a mud hole over the top ofmy boots. That was a good start! Aminer finally came along and held hisminer’s lamp as a light for us. Whenwe got to the building where the meet-ing was to be held, they didn’t want ust o s h o w the film. It was achurch and it seems it is against theirreligion to even look at a movie. Thearrangements had been made with acompany official. We were in nomood to be argued with! The mandoing most of the talking was a claim-ant of ours. We told him that itseemed to us that if it was all rightfor him to receive benefits, it shouldbe all right for others to know aboutthe program. He agreed, and weshowed the film.

To Straight Creek

“Meetings were held under peculiarcircumstances. At one place upStraight Creek, they didn’t have elec-tricity. One or two of the neighborsbrought kerosene lamps. After themeeting several wanted account num-bers. Louise Wilson and I filled themout by the light of miners’ lamps.

“Very odd things happened atsome of our meetings. We had toresort to strange methods not in thebook. Probably the most memorableone was in Manchester, Ky. (ClayCounty) . . . Clay County had quitea reputation (not too favorable),which was not in the least exaggerated. We arranged for a meetingat the Horse Creek church atPigeonroost, just out of Manchester.We distributed hand bills with a hugeFREE at the top and social securityin rather small print. The day ar-rived and Mr. Cockrell took Marco

Rudd and me along. Much to oursurprise there was a huge crowd at6:45 and the meeting wasn’t sched-uled until 7:30. We tried to talk tothe people standing around in thechurchyard, but they either stared atus or walked away-quite an uncom-fortable feeling. ‘Rudd’ and I de-cided we would do something aboutit. He agreed to lead the singing ifI’d play the piano. We picked outsome good, lively old revival hymnsand before long the rafters rang!Then we made our almost fatal mis-take. As it was in church, we askedone of the brethren to lead us inprayer. He blessed everyone fromRoosevelt on down and back again.It lasted 15 minutes! Then ManagerCockrell got up and ‘spread the gos-pel of social-security’ and from thenon we had lots of friends and finecooperation in that section.

“Sometimes folks in the RegionalOffice doubted some of the tales thatcame from our office. Once in awhile we had a chance to prove them.Vince Powers wanted to ‘quick getout of a restaurant’ when he heardsomeone talking about the murderthere the week before. Some of ourvisitors were quite impressed with the‘night spot’ that had locks on theinside of the doors on the booths . . .

Unafraid

“My mother worried about mewhile I was in the mountains, but Iwas never actually afraid. I liked thepeople and I suppose they knew it.I find the work much different now-practically like retiring on a pension.While I loved every minute of it-the people, their quaint ways, thebeautiful mountain scenery, the wildflowers in spring and the snow-cappedmountain peaks in the winter-Iwouldn’t want to go back to stay . . .Maybe I’m getting old !”

4 7

Glance again at the front cover and you will see this

same family 17 years ago. That’s when Mrs. Mary

Thompson, then age 32, became a widow and she and

son Jerry (13 months) and daughter Dale (age 3) came

on the rolls of social security. In fact, many will re-

member the family since Mrs. Thompson was our One-

Millionth beneficiary.

Mrs. Thompson, who lives in Parma, Ohio, with her

two children, says that, “Social security payments per-

mitted me to stay at home and care for the children and

better provide for their needs at least until they got into the

second grade of school. The best part of it all was that

the authorities didn’t make me feel as if I were accepting

charity. I didn’t have to account for the money, and it

was very good insurance.”

48

Against the background of a program that now servesover 14 million beneficiaries to the sum of $950,000,000

a month, Mrs. Thompson recalls that she has received

about $14,000 in monthly benefits. At first, payments

for herself and the children amounted to only $66 a

month; later they rose to $130. A widow in a like situa-

tion today would receive $240 a month.

The Thompson children are grown now (see above).

Payments were made on behalf of Jerry until late last

year when he turned 18. Currently he is a high school

student, taking an industrial course, and working at a

Parma gas station. Dale (19), a high school graduate,

does bookkeeping for a paint company, and is engaged to

be married. Mrs. Thompson, 47, is employed also.

The Cleveland Plain Dealer, which serves the greater

Cleveland area, ran a feature story on the Thompsons

recently. Not a sensational headline maker, but one true

to life; more testimony of what our program has come,

to mean in the lives of so many Americans today.

OASISU.S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE: 1960