BACKGROUND RJR’s Vice President of Human Resources was dedicated to the tobacco business – its employees, its culture, and its profitability. He was not a fan of the board members because he believed that many of them did not appreciate tobacco. Over a coffee before work one morning, he said, “A man named Sam Jones has contributed more profit here than all the directors combined.” I had never heard of Sam Jones.
Gene, love your stories and history. My father tried to sign up for military service in WWII and was told he had TB. After about a year of time resting and in the local TB Sanatorium he worked for awhile at RJR. Mr. Whitaker put him and another local boy to work and one of their jobs was the recycling project with spilled or lost tobacco. Sounds like it might have been a pet project of Mr. Whitaker.
Around 1962/3 I served in the National Guard with a unit which met in Greensboro. Among the members was a young man who held some position at P Lorrilard Tob Co. He put me down for working for a co, (RJR) which used processed tobacco. I requested from him one of his cigarettes, Tore it apart and showed him the reconstituted prod in his cigs. He was chagrined. I grinned! Now I find out his co. was paying RJR to learn how to do it. Good post, I remember well the introduction of “puffed” Tob. There was some controversy concerning using any of these products in”our product” among the purists who had spent 20 or 30 years working there.
Who knew all the processing it took to get a cigarette made. Great knowledge Gene, thanks.
Gene, love your stories and history. My father tried to sign up for military service in WWII and was told he had TB. After about a year of time resting and in the local TB Sanatorium he worked for awhile at RJR. Mr. Whitaker put him and another local boy to work and one of their jobs was the recycling project with spilled or lost tobacco. Sounds like it might have been a pet project of Mr. Whitaker.
Great story. Thanks
Around 1962/3 I served in the National Guard with a unit which met in Greensboro. Among the members was a young man who held some position at P Lorrilard Tob Co. He put me down for working for a co, (RJR) which used processed tobacco. I requested from him one of his cigarettes, Tore it apart and showed him the reconstituted prod in his cigs. He was chagrined. I grinned! Now I find out his co. was paying RJR to learn how to do it. Good post, I remember well the introduction of “puffed” Tob. There was some controversy concerning using any of these products in”our product” among the purists who had spent 20 or 30 years working there.