Geraldine L'Hullier, Murray Corporation of America

View of Geraldine L'Hullier assembling washers on rivets, at the Murray Corporation of America factory. Article on back: "Geraldine L'Hullier of Dept. 242 won highest award given by the War Production Board, a citation for her suggestion, a tool to facilitate assembling washers on rivets. Ideas they have suggested through the bulletin board suggestion boxes have brought national recognition to two Murray workers, both of them girls. For their alertness and the simplicity with which they solved the problems facing them, the War Production Board has singled them out from all Murray workers to receive WPB awards. Their awards will be the first of their type to be awarded any Murray worker. They are Geraldine L'Hullier, of 242 Department, and Jessie Conley, of 37 Department. Suggested new tool. Miss L'Hullier won a certificate for suggesting a new tool to pick up small washers so that they could be easily applied over rivets to hold on Dzus fasteners in aircraft parts manufacture. The old method consisted of picking up the washer with the fingers, and applying it to the end of the rivet. This was a difficult job because the part is so small. Now girls can do the operation without any trouble. Miss L'Hullier's idea eases a tedious and time-consuming job. Altogether 18 hours are saved daily, and production is increased by 120 pieces per hour. A new method of assembling rivets in two small stampings and gasket was suggested by Miss Conely. Under the old way, there were three steps: (1) picking up three pieces, one of which was a flexible gasket, (2) lining up the rivet holes, and (3) sticking in the rivets. Devised fixture. She devised an assembly fixture whereby the rivets are inserted in one of the three pieces, and then placed on the fixture. The gasket is next applied over the rivets and finally the third piece is put in. Her idea eliminates awkward assembly procedures, and increases production more than 45 per cent. Miss L'Hullier, who has been at Murray since March of 1942, is working on her first factory job. Before coming to Murray, she was a nurse's assistant at the Harper Hospital. Womanlike, she objected to breaking her nails and making her hands unsightly by her work. As a result she tried to figure out an easier way to do her [missing text]." Includes portrait. Stamped on back: "Photographic Department. Authorized print no. 725-1, date 11-1-43. Murray Corporation, Detroit." Handwritten on back: "Women workers."