Women Enter the Automation Workplace
Tom Watson Sr.: Women in the Workplace
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Date Published: August 29, 2021
Date Modified: January 1, 2024 |
Tom Watson Sr. Brings Women into the Automation Workplace
Tom Watson was a man who evolved in his beliefs. This comes across in this story related in the Binghamton Press by Drury W. Cooper, a member of the IBM Board of Directors, at Watson's 33rd Anniversary Celebration held in 1947:
"Mr. Cooper, told several humorous stories of Mr. Watson's early years in the business. He remarked at one point that Mr. Watson, a third of a century ago, was noted for two things: 'He smoked like a chimney,' he said, 'and he wouldn't have a woman in his business. He gave up smoking—and he's changed in the other respect, too.' "
The Binghamton Press, August 15, 1947
Yes, by 1947 women were well on their way to be recognized as integral and critical parts of a Tom Watson driven organization.
These are a few of the stories, dates, and newsworthy firsts for the women of IBM.
These are a few of the stories, dates, and newsworthy firsts for the women of IBM.
A Few Thoughts on Tom Watson
Thomas J. Watson Sr. was a man who believed that hope was a critical factor in motivating men—hope of a better future for themselves and their families. He believed that if these men sought after and worked to make that hope a reality, they would bring their corporation along with them. He knew he needed a team that understood hard work and would not shy away from it—eventually he understood that he needed both men and women.
On the subject of women, I must provide some details concerning the videos that I use for "The World's Greatest Salesman." They are located here: [Tom Watson videos]. I preserved as much as I could of Thomas J. Watson Sr.’s exact words. The word “men” will appear so often, such as in “The Man Age” or in his other speeches, that women may feel excluded from his comments and observations.
On the subject of women, I must provide some details concerning the videos that I use for "The World's Greatest Salesman." They are located here: [Tom Watson videos]. I preserved as much as I could of Thomas J. Watson Sr.’s exact words. The word “men” will appear so often, such as in “The Man Age” or in his other speeches, that women may feel excluded from his comments and observations.
To this I would say, “Please don’t.” It is a function of the times. Women did not get the right to vote until 1971 in Switzerland; the words he used in the videos are from the 1920s and early 1930’s. At the time in these videos, when he looked out over his sales force, his engineers, his shop foreman and his executives, for the most part all he saw were men.
1924: Three Women in Quarter Century Club
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Research sometimes requires a little thinking.
If the reader will look below there is an entry for the "first" woman entering the "IBM" Quarter Century Club in 1938. Yet this article documents that three women were members of the Quarter Century Club in 1924 with one (from the Dayton Office) in attendance at the event held in Atlantic City, New Jersey—hosted by Thomas J. Watson Sr. The two women from Chicago Office were unable to attend. IBM's traditional beginning was considered the day that Tom Watson Sr. joined the company in 1914. Thus the "IBM" Quarter Century Club tracing its roots to the 1913–14 timeframe. This Quarter Century Club recognition obviously traces its roots back to an earlier date: pre–1900. |
The Binghamton Press, June 27, 1924
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This item is included to show that women were working at the corporation (or rather one of the independent companies which were merged to form the C-T-R Company) prior to 1911–14.
1935: The Year of the Woman at IBM (updated November 29, 2021)
This was the changing face of IBM in 1935: the first women's Systems Service Professionals Class.
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Tom Watson Sr. during the Great Depression, moved IBM forward to be one of the most progressive and considerate businesses in the world in the hiring and promotion of women. In 1935, he established a women’s systems services school alongside the men’s. Then, when he met management resistance in hiring the first women graduates, according to an interview with Jim Birkenstock in Kevin Maney's book The Maverick and His Machine, the chief executive ordered the firing of "all 67 men in Birkenstock's class."
According to Birkenstock, Watson with a single thrust of authority fired the entire competing class of newly trained men and, now, there were only women left to be placed and hired. If this was done, it certainly was not fair to the men he fired. Watson's outrage was understandable—especially with his branch office management teams, but the story makes this author's "tummy hurt" because it surely doesn't fit with Tom Watson's approach to human relations—especially for the salesmen in the trenches.
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His anger is understandable, and Watson was known for expressing his outrage to those he could "supposedly" trust around him. If an executive can't openly express themselves around their selected, closest advisors, they need a different team around them.
For a certainty, his concept of “Democracy in Business” that he had preached since the early 1900's was not being observed in his own company—a company, into which, he was gradually integrating women. [Read this link to understand his concept of Democracy in Business. It had nothing to do with a "right to vote" but a belief in eliminating prejudice and class struggle within a business.]
Sometimes a chief executive officer needs to make changes with flair and determination; otherwise, a fundamental organizational and cultural change may never happen. He or she needs to convey that "resistance is futile." Integrating women into the automation workplace was a change Watson believed was necessary and ethical. When he made such decisions, they usually happened.
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And I believe he found a way—and, maybe, this was one of his mistakes that all human beings make, but it is a definite fact that he did not fire the "entire" class with "only a few being saved" as Birkenstock claims.
The press printed a list of the men who were in IBM Sales School #125. Of the 64 men in the class (Kevin Maney wrote that there were 67, but the press headline proclaimed 68 while listing only 64 names), this author has documented that 35 of these men were still with the company years later. What about the other 29? Their histories will probably be found as we accumulate more IBM Business Machines Newspapers. How ever Tom Watson handled this issue, IBM was a better place because of his drive to integrate women into the automation workplace. |
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Maybe one day the full story behind IBM Sales School Class No. 125 will be told.
[If you have any IBM Business Machines Newspapers, please contact us. We need them to keep our articles complete, accurate, and as up-to-date as possible. This update was possible because of the donation of several of these IBM newspapers. If you don't want to part with them, we will scan them in, make them searchable and return the printed material to you.]
[If you have any IBM Business Machines Newspapers, please contact us. We need them to keep our articles complete, accurate, and as up-to-date as possible. This update was possible because of the donation of several of these IBM newspapers. If you don't want to part with them, we will scan them in, make them searchable and return the printed material to you.]
Looking Back on this 1935 Business Decision from 1940
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In April 1940, F. W. Nichol, Vice President and General Manager of IBM with Tom Watson at his side testified before Congress. He stated, "In January 1935, as an incentive for quality rather than quantity production, piecework was abolished and a minimum rate of 55 cents per hour established for all qualified workers, which rate has since been raised to 65 cents an hour, without differentiating between male and female labor [emphasis added]."
It was Tom Watson's intent that at IBM, "The young women will have neither a handicap nor an advantage over young men. Men and women will do the same kind of work for equal pay. They will have the same treatment, the same responsibilities and the same opportunities for advancement. I anticipate that the success of the young women will open a large new field of employment for women." These were significant changes made at IBM in 1935.
It was just the beginning. |
A 1935 articulation of "equal pay for equal work."
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1938: IBM Quarter-Century Club Glass Ceiling Shattered—Twice, and First Female Instructor
First woman enters the Quarter Century Club in February 1938.
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These pictures exemplify some of the early promotions and significant attainments of the women of IBM. They are from IBM Business Machines, the company's internal newspaper (referred to as a house organ in the day) and The Binghamton Press which, if IBM sneezed, this paper recorded it for posterity.
An excellent book to read that I highly recommend is Among Equals: A Memoir of Ruth Leach Amonette by IBM's first female Vice President and at the time, only one of five IBM Vice Presidents. You can read my review here: [Among Equals]. To say it is a "breath of fresh air" in an overly male-dominated genre of IBM books would be an understatement. If you want to understand the value of diversity read this book and several of the others by male executives.
You can read an excerpt from the book here: [A Student Pajama Party]. It is a charming story of an IBM Pajama Party thrown for Thomas J. Watson Sr.
You can read an excerpt from the book here: [A Student Pajama Party]. It is a charming story of an IBM Pajama Party thrown for Thomas J. Watson Sr.
1941: Promotions of Four IBM Women Makes Headlines
On October 30, 1941 Tom Watson announced four women being promoted to new IBM positions: New York Personnel Manager, Women's Secretary of Education, IBM Secretary of Education, and Manager of a New Department to focus on the medical profession.
1943: First Female IBM Vice President
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Watson Sr., pointing out that the company now employed 5,000 women in the United States alone, stated:
"The election of a woman to corporate office is recognition by IBM of the increasingly important part which women are playing in its operations. We are adding women to our executive staff, through promotions, in order to make sure that the women in every department and branch of IBM receive maximum assistance in carrying on the important work which they are doing. "This step will also aid our women in developing their individual opportunities for advancement and, in other ways, contributing to promote their welfare. "It will enable us to bring about greater coordination of activities of the men and women in our organization." |
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1943: First Female Guards at Endicott (and Poughkeepsie)
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On February 25, 1943, The Binghamton Press covered the first two women guards at the Endicott Plant with this in print.
First Two Women Guards Take Posts in IBM Plant
"Another field heretofore believed to be restricted to the male of the species fell to women today as International Business Machines placed two women guards on duty to augment the regular guard organization. ...
"The women guards will wear uniforms styled to correspond with those worn by the men guards, with the exception that they will wear caps of the overseas type instead of the visored caps worn by their male counterparts. The shirt, tie and coat are identical. They will wear badges on the coat and cap."
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1943: Moving Women from Managing Women Personnel to Managing All Personnel
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In November 1942, Helen Marie Dunn was promoted to director of the "women's division" of the personnel department of the plant.
On April 7, 1943, The Poughkeepsie Journal announces the promotion of Helen Marie Dunn to "personnel director of the South road plant of IBM." This was the further integration of women into the corporation and placing them in positions of responsibility along side the men. The article noted that "Miss Dunn's advancement to the top personnel division post in the IBM organization placed her in an outstanding position among Poughkeepsie women who have taken important positions since Pearl Harbor." In June 1943, Frederick W. Nichol, IBM Vice President and General Manager delivered the commencement address at Stephens College in Columbia, Missouri. At this women's college he presented on the topic, "The Logistics of Living."
The sidebar, provides a few highlights from that speech. As can be seen in these articles the corporation was trying to live up to a high standard set by its top executives. In July 1943, The Binghamton Press would note the start of Systems Service School #561, a sixteen-week course with eighty-five women ... which was "once only open to men." This new class was the "largest school of its type" ever held in Endicott. All the school instructors noted in the article were female.
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In August 1943, The Binghamton Press notes that for the first time in the history of the company's fifteen-year, suggestion program a woman has taken the top prize. She had only been with the company for four months. The article stated, "Her prize winning, precedent-making suggestion increases the efficiency of one IBM job by fifty percent." By August 1944, women had doubled the number of suggestions. It was noted in the press that "from January through July 1943, there were 55 winning suggestions ... submitted by women. In the same period this year [1944] there were more than 100. ... It was pointed out, the number of women employees had remained constant."
On September 12, 1943, the Poughkeepsie press noted that one woman "obtained a position as guard" at the Rudco [Poughkeepsie] plant of the International Business Machines corporation. It was not called a first for the Poughkeepsie site but is worthy of note ... and, similar to the women guards at Endicott noted above, it probably was a "Poughkeepsie" first.
1943: First Female "Customer Engineering" Class
Customer Engineering Class #576 composed of 102 women opened on October 4, 1943 and was the largest Customer Engineering class on record (men or women). Tom Watson and F. W. Nichol congratulated them on being the first class of women to take this course—prior training of women being in the Systems Service Organization.
The following excerpt suggests that IBM branch offices put women to work in the field as customer engineers (individuals who worked on the physical "machinery" rather than the "programming") before the "first class" picture above. It seems that Tom Watson might have been following the lead of his branch managers who were taught to "think and act." IBM branch offices were always known to do the "right thing" to get something done. Branch managers usually used the oft quoted phrase to defend such a decision as "it is easier to ask for forgiveness than permission."
Paraphrased from: St. Louis Globe Democrat, September 4, 1943
"An urge to fix things coupled with practice in repairing irons, vacuum cleaners, and radios at home has put five women to work in another "man's" field as repairwomen for IBM. ... Customers who place repair calls [for typewriters or electric accounting machines] are slightly amazed when the young women walk into their offices, tool kits in hand, ready to go to work.
"In fact, at first, men employees in various offices using the company's machines were skeptical, ... until they were shown."
"In fact, at first, men employees in various offices using the company's machines were skeptical, ... until they were shown."
This author's comment: "You go, girl!"
1944: First Female Plant Foreman and Trained Engineers
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In January of 1944, IBM appointed its first woman to hold the title of IBM Foreman in an IBM Plant. The IBM Business Machines newspaper in January 1944 wrote of her qualifications:
"Mrs. Marguerite L. Rounds, newly appointed Foreman of the Alphabetic Counter Assembly Department, at Plant No. 1 here, is setting a precedent for the women of the IBM. Mrs. Rounds came to IBM in November 1937, in the Magnet Coil Winding Department, and later was transferred to the Pierce Accounting Plates Department.
"While working in both of these departments she had extra nursing duties." |
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On July 19, 1944, Tom Watson handed out diplomas to a graduating class of trained engineers. These classes included the first "seventeen trained women engineers" in the history of the company. In his greetings, Vice-President Charles A Kirk declared that "these women had an 'outstanding opportunity' in the business world. The company, he said, would expect just as much from them as from men on the engineering staff."
The Binghamton Press, "Three Classes of Engineers Are Graduated," July 20, 1944
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On August 11 1944, The Binghamton Press would again carry the picture of two women moving into new positions taking over two new organizations that had just been created: The United States Department of Applications and the International [World Trade] Department of Applications.
With the coming end of the war, the company leadership new that it needed new "solutions" or "applications" in both the United States and overseas to drive sales of its hardware. After all, a piece of hardware without an application that solves a unique customer problem … is just so much … hardware. It isn't worth much. So, two women, who had been given an opportunity at IBM, found promotions into more influential and impactful positions within the corporation. This information was not only covered in the Binghamton Press but was also headline-making news in the IBM Business Machines Newspaper. |
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What happened to these women's jobs when the war ended?
After the war ended, many married women were displaced without and within IBM as the male veterans of war returned home. This is discussed in Ruth Leach Amonette's book: "Among Equals." The topic needs to be evaluated within its historical context. Peter E. Greulich was going to write his perspective on this question with his knowledge of what Tom Watson faced during the Great Depression and his experiences learned from the "Share-the-Work Organization."
While reading the press articles of the day, though, Peter E. found put into words by a Binghamton Press Staff Writer what he would have written of IBM's—Tom Watson's—policy at the time. Although, the excerpt we are using below is not attributed to Tom Watson or anyone on the IBM staff, we believe it would have reflected the company's and the man's perspective at the time it was written: just before the end of World War II.
While reading the press articles of the day, though, Peter E. found put into words by a Binghamton Press Staff Writer what he would have written of IBM's—Tom Watson's—policy at the time. Although, the excerpt we are using below is not attributed to Tom Watson or anyone on the IBM staff, we believe it would have reflected the company's and the man's perspective at the time it was written: just before the end of World War II.
It took a while for this IBM—Tom Watson—policy to evolve, because of the chief executive's experience in the downturn after the previous world war which brought about the IBM Crisis of 1920-21, and his experience during the Great Depression. During the Great Depression, Tom Watson was part of and committed to a "Share-the-Work Organization." This was an attempt by the major industrialists of the day to alleviate family starvation and hunger through higher "family" employment rates. One of its major tenets (among many to alleviate family poverty) was that "no family deserved two incomes until all families had at least one." Therefore, they distributed jobs to ensure that as many "families" as possible had one major source of income. The Share-the-Work Program did much to dampen the negative effects of the Great Depression in the localities where it was implemented.
Tom Watson was seventy years old in 1944. He probably remembered all too well the suffering and starving children. He needed to be prepared to ensure that as much as possible his company could provide for as many "families" and "returning veterans' families" as possible.
These were not easy decisions, and I believe this excerpt mirrors what would have been Tom Watson's thoughts.
Tom Watson was seventy years old in 1944. He probably remembered all too well the suffering and starving children. He needed to be prepared to ensure that as much as possible his company could provide for as many "families" and "returning veterans' families" as possible.
These were not easy decisions, and I believe this excerpt mirrors what would have been Tom Watson's thoughts.
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From the Binghamton Press:
Considerable agitation has been started to "reward" women who have helped in the war effort by guaranteeing them jobs after the war. … At least one woman labor organizer has been active in the Triple Cities in an endeavor to make certain members of her union would be kept on payrolls after the war. … |
This full article is available w/subscription on newspspers.com
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"We … expect to return to our original policy, which was in effect before the war, of employing only single females. During the last three years we have employed married women and dependents of our men going into the armed forces, with the understanding they would voluntarily leave their jobs on the return of their husbands to gainful occupations. We also have hired on a duration basis other married women outside of our organization whose husbands are in the armed forces.
"Our policy will enable us to make a post-war adjustment of employment on a recognized basis with a complete understanding on the part of each individual as to their employment status. We adopted this policy knowing that our first obligation is to the men in the armed forces and to the breadwinners of each … family.
"Most certainly it is my opinion that the industrial policy of the future should be to protect the family as a unit, and in pursuing such a policy I feel that it is the obligation of industry to see to it that there is at least one fully qualified wage earner in every family unit earning a sufficient amount of money to maintain the family on a good standard of living."
An excellent article worth reading by George W. Tetherly, Binghamton Press Staff Writer, August 24, 1944