The Rochester I Know; 205; William Vaughn

Are. You. Saying. You. Didn't. Eastman Kodak was still ruled by its founder when Bill along came to work for the company. That was nineteen twenty eight. Over the next forty two years Von helped the company grow both here and abroad as its president and later Board Chairman. He brought Kodak firmly into the modern half of the 20th century. During those years Vaughan was also a leading voice in the city's arts and intellectual communities. Today Bill Pearce talks with Bild on

about the Rochester he knows. Bill it's great having you here today. Bill Brock thank you. I came to Rochester to WXXI in 1969. I think you retired in nineteen thousand nine hundred seventy seven. So I think I'm like a lot of folks in this community. I never got to know you very well I think we met once before but before you came to Rochester Bill you were where and where were you born. I was born in Kansas City and my father was practicing dentistry in that town and he met my mother who was from Harrisonville south of Kansas City and they fell in love in marriage. And then you are from Kansas City you when we moved back he moved back to nice which had been his formal home at the time. At that time I was about four or five years old so I really knew nice Well that is my home. Well that's where I grew up.

And we're talking about what the early 20th century now it is. Yes I was born in 900 too. And I think it was about one thousand six to seven that he moved back to Nashville and I grew up there and went to Vanderbilt and so on. He went to bed. Then you build as your father did and your grandfather my grandfather was a professor at Vanderbilt from 1882 until his death in 1912 he was a professor of mathematics and astronomy and stole my father from the age of 12 grew up in nice for himself. So our roots really well. My accent comes from there. Well we recognize it isn't it isn't the Rat's yester accent that we've all come to acquire. Obviously you've ever acquired the Rochester X that you've kept that is Southern white and I may have may have added a few edges but all I have to do is listen to a recording of me and I can tell that I'm not an original in Rochester and now you obviously you didn't come to

Rochester right away but could you trace for me how you finally got to Rochester and when was that. Get out of college and yeah. Well yes in a way it was I went to Vanderbilt and got my undergraduate be a degree there and when then went to Rice University in Houston Texas for two years and got a master's and what was that in that was in mathematics and physics and I tried out for the Rhodes scholarship in my eyes in my second year that rice. Applying from the state of Tennessee and being sponsored by Vanderbilt my university and I was lucky enough to win the Rhodes scholarship that I was 19 25 and spent the next three years at Oxford and it was while I was at Oxford that I could and I had taken with me three a Kodak. My father wanted me to take pictures when I was abroad of places I visited because he said your mother and I will never get to Europe so I want to see it

through your eyes and through their story a camera one so I got interested in photography because of that and happened to run into a distant cousin who knew somebody in Rochester which I did not know and she referred me to a name Mr. Frank Lovejoy who at that time was general manager of the company and I just wrote him a letter out of the blue. You wrote from England home in England. Yeah I had been in England three years never been home during that. Period. So he said we'll stop by and see us and we'll talk to you but I can't promise you. And that was the beginning unfortunately. They did offer me a job. How what year was this do when you first came to Rochester. It was in the fall of 1998. It was in September when I came and asked for consideration and they hired me and I started work in October. So of that year. First time ever in Rochester is the fall of 1928. What did you see when you came to Rochester.

Well course I got off at the unions at the at the railway station here and got a clean shirt out of my suitcase and did a shave in the men's room and I could see the Kodak office building from where I was released I was directed to it from the station I just walked over and walked in the front door. I don't know that I had any very distinct impressions except that it was a lovely Indian summer day in September and so it presented a very favorable aspect right from the start. I didn't know about the windows at that time. Who did you see and how did you get the job. Dr. Chapman he was an assistant general manager of the company and later became chairman Cohen's And Dr. Chapman was the name I was referred to by Mr. Lovejoy and he referred me to a department head was called mechanical development department and at that time that was also on of the direction of Dr. Mead's who was in charge of research for the

whole company so I was presented to Dr. Meaders during the course of that morning visit and he said to me he said well you come from England you have got an education over there on top of America and if we gave you some business experience would you be willing to go back to England and work for Kodak limited. Believe me I want to go to sleep no doubt all I want to draw. So I thought I'd be happy to sell. That's what happened eventually I did go back to them for two years. You obviously enjoyed your so have fun. You obviously enjoyed your work in England and enjoyed the USA or yes I did and it proved invaluable and as experience because I was assistant to the general manager of Kodak Ltd which at that time included not only the British Isles but all of Africa all of India except China and Japan and except Australia so it was it was a big operation at that time. So you started Eastman Kodak in one thousand twenty eight and then the same year you went back to England no

no I mean I didn't go on to 34 and 134 not between 19 I'm sorry late 1933 and I spent the two years 34 135 called academic and returned to Rochester in January 36. George Eastman died in 1932. So you were here when when he died. You obviously you must admit. George Eastman Well the funny thing is that that very first day that I came to the cum that kissed the lips of a job I told you that my that my future boss of the development apartment took me down the Kodak Park to meet Dr. meters because he was head of that department he overseeing that department. And at that time a new color process had just been announced that some on amateur color movie a process that must Eastman were very proud of. And when we got through the interview Dr. meis that would you like to go on building six and see the custom of films that are coming back on this kind of film. Oh sure of course we want to know

when where or when we and of this little small projection room which was dark of course and sat down in a couple of trailers down front and when the REAL was over and the lights went on Dr. Murray's turned around and said Oh hello mister is one that would be right. He was very interested in seeing what the customers were able to do with this new film. So I saw in the porch that I wouldnt write about I was not introduced. Well then what did you have any association with them later on. No except through my wife. How did that come about. Well Mr. Folsom at that time was an assistant to Mr. East by Mr. Folsom later became the treasurer of the company and was in an area in Falls Mary involving a lot of people w. Oh well he became very active in government work and polluting the under-secretary of the of the Treasury and then Secretary of Health Education and Welfare and his

wife and his wife were both from Georgia and his wife was very kind to my wife when we first marriage here in Rochester and took her around introduced of people and sort of sponsored her in an informal way and were very very kind to us and had a sober social in a good gun a few times and that sort of thing and a little of both had spent the past four years in Germany studying Oregon and so she was anxious to get a job here and finally did get one in the tricks that they had been a change in the plan. So she got a job playing Emanuel Baptist Church and there is Folsom said one day you know you ought to be playing for Mrs. Eastman. And of course live with the brain attention now this time. George Eastman had someone playing the organ and Joe had Mr Gleason Yeah who was originally hired for that purpose but in the meantime the Eastman School had been gone and Lisa was head of the department. A very busy man and so he was most happy to

give up just a little every show so he said at any rate he was very kind about it and a little Mrs. Folsom invited us to their home for dinner and Mr. Eastman was invited at the same time and she made a pitch at Mr. Eastman right there that evening. This is your wife Elizabeth. Yes Mrs. Fulsom said Miss Eastman said Miss Desmond you know you would rather have this lovely blonde girl Tiger always done without O'Hara. What the saw the shawl here it I had it. Well mysterious moon then about a month or two later invited the same people over to dinner and use one house and. He asked Mr. Vaughan after don't know if he would like to try the organ and of course he was glad to do so. And just played a few things that you know that evening and shortly thereafter NYC received the invitation to come full time full time every morning every morning at breakfast had breakfast and any other time.

Well yes. Mr. Eastman. Enjoyed the Society for young matron's and town Mrs. Folsom. Mrs. Gleason Mrs. Baines Jones whose husband was a professor at the university and Mr. Whipple whose husband was dean of the medical school those four ladies came to lunch every Saturday when Miss decent was in town and Elizabeth played at that time too. Maisie Now you were obviously invited if your wife was there from time to well yes he had he had evening musicals all stroll you know at least my house usually a string quartet some ground with piano sometime and Mr. Gleason was played the piano all they all going to call for on those occasions. But years live was a string group from the Eastman School and they were often on Sunday but sometime in the mid week also and we were invited on several occasions to the old musical.

But that's the only contact I had with him at that time course everyone I'm sure that you 1000 times over the years what were your impression of George Eastman and what kind of a person was he from from your point of view. Well of course he was not the energetic driving entrepreneur that one reads about in his biography when I knew him he was obviously he was 76 at this time his health was beginning to fail him. If you could detect it in his gait as a ward his mind was not as sharp as it had been your memory would need to be jogged sometimes but he was a very pleasant and not an outgoing person but a very warm person in what contacts I had with him that is he was he was interested in talking about some of his safaris in Africa for example are my mom want me. And so he was. There's one little incident that not very important but on one of the

occasions we were there for a musical evening a little bit of war a very striking blue dress I call it electric blue I'm not very good all colors but it was a very culture and music caught misstatements I used and Mildred Vaughn I wish you would bring that dress tomorrow morning when you come to play the organ and have your own because I want to photograph it in this new quarter color process so we figure out in the side yard there and proceeded to aim the camera around is there now back up where they found you I need that dollar away. Has she got as far as the pound and I can back up. Well you know it's just one of those things but it showed his interest in the more than a business here of course. Obviously the House and the garden manifest that for anybody you know. Your wife Elizabeth played the organ for each morning. Was she playing the morning that he died.

No that was the one exception. She He's not his housekeeper he didn't come downstairs that morning. And he sent his housekeeper downstairs Mrs. Chauvelin to tell Liz a book that he would not be coming down for breakfast and he would she would not be required to play that morning but he would appreciate it if he would come up to see him and see when she was taken up by Mr. Bill led to his room and he was fully dressed at this point of course and he said Mrs. Vaughn I just want to tell you that I won't be coming down today and. She had asked if if a music teacher of hers and Leipzig who was giving of an organ recital in Rochester at one of the churches might come in and look at the organ on see if she had asked him several days previously on this last morning he said. I'm sorry I will not be able to see your music teacher will you please tell him however how much I have enjoyed your playing and he said

and then he took my hands and he kissed her on both cheeks and that this was much more demonstrative and he did. Ever been before he was a very formal person really and she didn't think anything of it particular except that he was indisposed so she left the premises and went up town to do some shopping and the extras were on the street while she was uptown in the city. What now what kind of a affected that have on the community. Do you recall it was stunning and you know it was a shock. Well he was an institution himself in a way to have that. Just the rift of the head of the community a rift of that figurehead and that figure was really shocking. Who was the head of Eastman Kodak at that time. I'm not absolutely positive but I think it was probably missed the studio missed a Double Gs

too but he was present when I came in 28. And at some point in the in the 20 is no in the 30 years. He was succeeded by Mr lodge. Missed a lot of Joe and I can remember just one that was so one of the two was present at that time. The debt that event George Eastman's death caused any changes in the company. Not really not really. The management of the company had been in the hands of Mr. Lovejoy for some time prior to that. Mr Eastman still was very interested in things that were going on. I witnessed this new color process that I spoke of. And he would come to the office only Kazan and particularly down the Kodak Park which he loved to roam around there but as far as directing the company you know he had given that up and Mr. Lovejoy it was had really been running the company for a number of years before that. Now Bill Vaughn we meet on that very auspicious day here I'm not sure when this.

Taped program will be presented but today May 8th I believe 1991 and Kodak is having Eastman Kodak company is having its annual meeting today in Chicago. And the company has changed I imagine considerably since you were the president and chairman of the company. Could you compare it to your regime. If I could call it that then to today how has the company changed in your view. Well obviously I have not. Have not had a direct contact to the inner workings of the company since I left. I not only thought it was proper but it was my taste that I should not in any way intrude or try to intrude on the affairs of the company so I am not privy to the inside workings of the company nor have I been for these last twenty six years. But I follow the course of the counter with great interest to be

sure. I would say that we were more exclusively directed towards the photographic markets in those days for one reason color photography was fairly new and it still had not developed in the foreign markets to the extent that it had in the United States nor had it completed in its development in the in this country. So that I would say that the direction of our management and the product. Group that we had were more confined to the photographic side whereas later as you know the company ventured out into satellite operation making batteries and things of this sort which we never dreamed of in those days. Well some of these things have proved successful and some not so successful as I observe it from the outside but I feel that there's still the dynamism in the company and I feel that the. Emphasis on quality. And their emphasis

on devotion and loyalty of the company is the same as it was when I was there. And for that I'm very thankful and very grateful. Well Billboard You do have a reputation whether it's for not having kicked over the traces a little bit when maybe more than a little bit when you came to head Eastman Kodak company you would weren't in the same mold as the your your predecessors. Well I mean what's the basis for that. Did you what. Could you do that with. I don't different I don't know of any basis for that I've never tried to kick over any traces of deliberately at any rate. I will say the one thing that. I did that had not been done to any great extent and I was urged by a public relations people to present the company to the investment analysts of the United States more widely than had been done and in recent years. And so I ventured to get out more and talk to a

company up to investment analysts and others who would listen in this country and particularly and I don't think we have or did any of it abroad at that time but at least in this country we have ventured to sell or sell Kodak if you like to the investment analysts you made the company a little more well-known. Yes I have. Well for example I was interviewed by foreman magazine and my picture was on the front cover of it on one of the issues back in those days. Well this this was not quite the way things had happened before except in Mr. Eastman's time of course he was publicized sort of breaks down for many reasons his industrial relations policy and so on but the CEO of the company was always rather low key. Yes. Until you came along I would say that was true. So well I don't think it went to the heights with me but something with some development in that direction not exactly Ted Turner you know you. You and you met your

wife here in Rochester did you know she was from Nashville also so I had known her before I. Went to a Rice University and of course as I said she was she came to Germany to study music for four years that would be from. From 1920. Fourteen thousand nine hundred twenty eight. And so she had just come back from from Germany at the time I came back from Oxford and we married here in Russia that Asbury Methodist Church. We were married here in December of that year and I think the same as Barry church. It's on well ave now it was down it was down in the block just east of exile Alexander Street became a Jewish synagogue after as brain left to go out on the stabbing. And then it became a health care operation I believe. What is in that mid block there.

Now you have one two three children two two two daughters. So your wife and children and you all spent quite a bit of time in Russia what did you do in your in your spare time and when you first came here and you didn't work all the time and despite all this war. Well I just lived a normal life I I didn't I didn't do anything very astounding at all I. I got interested in some of the community affairs including the City Club which was very active at that time this was a speakers forum you might say with a membership. Anybody who wanted to join except women when it first. And he would bring speakers in from out of town and before television when people didn't have closeup views of these prominent people. Well Norman Thomas who ran many many times as a socialist candidate for president of United States you know everybody knew about Norman Thomas but we got to the City Club where they could go and see him initially and now that I think Club was a weekly forum a weekly on

Saturday during the fall winter and spring months not during the summer but it was originally at the old powers hotel and women were permitted to come and sit in the balcony and listen. Then it got to be both popular and it moved to the big hall in the chamber of commerce where the meetings were and I I was interested in that in that forum and I I got into the chain of progression and became chairman of that in nineteen forty eight. Soliman which I work on program quite a lot together so Solow very last Chris Rock to stare in who left here the bigger things. Will he with Kodak at that time know who later he was Iraq. I was recalled He was Iraq. He and Joe Wilson are the ones that put Xerox to you know what he did he was recently with Hello it. Perhaps I'm not sure whether he was he was a lawyer trained to Cornell

and he was in the Harris Beach office for quite a few years and he practiced law here but it was during that period that he became acquainted with Joe and Joe had him come in and work on the patents for example the patent protection course Salis written this up in a book it's a very vacillating and I enjoyed reading it. But I worked with him on City Club and then then when the United Nations Association started right after the war. You see Mrs. Sibley and. When had I been among the delegates who. Were in San Francisco when the when the United Nations were formed and sold they were a nucleus here around which I already knew in was Bill and it was at one time and may still be the largest chapter of the United Nations Association in the country I'm not sure about the Presidents Bill Braun you've done so much for this community and unfortunately we're almost done here but I do want to do one thing and

that is to tell you how much you know this community in all of us here WXXI appreciate what you did when you were the head of Eastman Kodak because Harold hacker was one of the founders of WXXI and tomahawks went to you first to see if they could get some financial support to start WXXI in September of 1966 and this September 1991 is the twenty fifth anniversary so this is I congratulate you on the on the waterfall the great record that you have done here on this POS billboard. Thank you for being with us. Thank you for being with us our guest today is the billboard. Former head of Eastman Kodak. Thank you. For a VHS copy of those programs and 1995 plus three dollars and fifty cents shipping and

handling to the Rochester on no table for Post Office Box 21 Rochester New York 1 4 6 0 1. Include a note with the name of our guest and the program number shown at the bottom of the screen.