Claude Driskill
Rohr Aircraft Memories
a website for Rohr Retirees and Former Employees
home | Arkadelphia | Arlington | Auburn | Brown Field | Cape May | Cerritos | Chula Vista | Clark | Delaware | Edgemont | Europe | Evergreen
Fairhope | Foley | Fresno | Fullerton | Garland | Hagerstown | Hamburg | Heber Springs | Huntsville | Irvine
Los Angeles | Loudonville | Mexico | Millersburg | Mira Loma | Moreno Valley
Paris | Richmond | Riverside | Rockville | San Diego | San Marcos | Scotland | Sheridan | Singapore | Toulouse | Washington D.C. | Watts | Winder
Administration | Advanced | Aerospace | Aircraft | Antenna/Marine | Communications | Computer | Construction | Industrial | Material | Postal | Rail & Transit | Space
Bibliography | Guest Book | Looking For... | Memorabilia | People | Credit Union | Rohr Manor | Rohr Motel | Timeline
AeROHRcrafter | Rohr Magazine | Rohr News | Skylines | Talking Points | Weekly News | News Clippings
Rohr Riverside, Chula Vista and Arkadelphia
Claude graduated from the old Poly High School (now RCC) in 1957. According to Claude, "My single favorite memory is how welcome I was made to feel by my new classmates when I first came to Poly as a junior. Everyone was so friendly and my initial uneasiness of beginning at a new school disappeared almost immediately." Claude was involved in the National Forensic League (Speech and debate) and Tennis. Claude said "I went to Boy's State as a junior. As a senior, I was elected to represent Southern California (and Poly) in the National Student Congress in Lexington Kentucky (p. 67).
In 1956, Claude's brother Joe began working at Rohr and later became a Foreman (p. 73).
In 1959, Claude "took a job at Rohr as an aircraft assembler trainee, earning $1.65 per hour" while going to college at night. After almost a year Claude left Rohr to focus on his job at the Arthur Murray dance studio becoming the Dance Director at the Riverside studio. Claude returned to Rohr and was hired as an Assembler before transferring to Production Control as a Dispatcher. He was laid off in 1962 as manufacturing requirements slowed down (p. 71, 73, 76).
Claude then worked at an aluminum siding company, also sold insurance and was a promotional salesman for a major tobacco company. These jobs were constant reminders about the benefits of education (p. 76).
Claude "received an associate degree in English and History from Riverside Community College in 1970." He also attended UC Riverside and Cal State Fullerton taking engineering courses.
By 1982, Claude was "manager of Industrial Engineer and Facilities at Rohr" (p. 86). Prior to retiring, Claude "had been working as an Improvement Specialist, helping the company implement the "Toyota Lean Manufacturing System"." Claude then became a consultant and worked at Goodrich (formerly Rohr) in Arkadelphi, Arkansas and then took an assignment in Chula Vista (p. 101). Claude finally retired in 2000 (p. 102).
In his retirement, Claude stated "I'm very busy as a retiree and don't know how I ever time for work. I now travel with my wife having visited Italy, Canada, Alaska, Hawaii and the east coast of America in recent years. I am an oil and watercolor artist ... and enjoy spending time with my wife, children, and grandchildren."
References:
Driskill, Claude. Memories. April 2002. Riverside, California.