HISTORY MATTERS

The Newsletter Publication of NWA History Centre, Inc.
8101 – 34 th Ave., So. – Bloomington, MN 55425
(952) 997-8000 – Ext. 8-6102       www.NWAHistory.org
H.V. “Pete” Patzke, Editor

Vol. 5 - No. 2                                                                                         June, 2007

NEW DIRECT PHONE NUMBER – (952) 698-4478 (HIST)

Never Again - We Hope!

We owe an apology to those Associate Members who receive their copies of our newsletter by e-mail When we sent our March issue somehow (probably by using a fat thumb on the keyboard) a preparatory markup copy of the newsletter was e-mailed rather then the full issue. When we heard from a couple members that something was fouled up we repeated our error and sent out the marked up copy again. Hopefully it will never happen again.

But, if it does – our newsletters can be seen (complete) on our web site at www.NWAHistory.org.

Remembering the Old G.O.

It was surprising to get several comments about the old St. Paul, University Ave. General Office after our article in the last History Matters. Surprising, as the airline vacated that facility over 45 years ago. Even more surprising was that many of the comments were from individuals who visited it when they were kids when it was occupied by Krank Shaving Cream Co, and that was at least sixty-five years ago.

Felix Perry recalls stopping at the Krank factory with his mother a couple times a year to pick up supplies for her beauty shop in Minneapolis. Bob Johnson recalls going there with an uncle who had a West St. Paul barbershop and who supplemented his income by selling Krank products to other shops. Another told of picking stuff up at the factory with his father who was a salesman for a major drug company. He had a territory in western Minnesota and the Dakotas and supplemented his depression days income by moonlighting Krank products throughout his area. Allegedly his extra income put the kids through college.

Them there was an e-mail from “Skip” White, “Now I understand why Sales Manager Jack Keillor always called the place the Old Soap Factory. My pre-employment interview and testing took place at that building in March 1959. Doc Brown conducted his sales rep Charm School there after we were hired. We commuted from the Minneapolis YMCA for his classes.”

Another e-mail from a retired pilot who spent a few years on the ALPA Negotiating Committee; “We spent a lot of time in the old conference room, most of the time was educational and enjoyable, but I would have rather been flying.”