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Singleton, Rose (audio interview #2 of 3)
INTERVIEW DESCRIPTION - This is the second of three interviews with Rose Singleton conducted in her home in Compton. Due to technical problems, the sound level on the second side of the tape is very low and it is often difficult to understand Singleton, particularly after the first eight minutes of the interview. 8/29/1980
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- 2021-08-11
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- *** File: rrrrsingleton4.mp3 Audio Segments and Topics: (0:00-2:29)... Singleton and her husband married in 1944. At that time, she had quit working for Douglas Aircraft and was employed with the County Registrar of Voters. She moved to South Carolina with her husband until he was transferred to Ohio. He died when his airplane crashed because of technical problems. At that time, she returned to California and finished her college education. She started teaching in 1951. (2:29-6:22)... Singleton answered an advertisement for a "procurement inspector" at Douglas. She took an examination for the position at USC and went to an employment office in downtown Los Angeles to interview for the position. The person at the employment office was surprised to find out that she was Black. He told her that many of the employees at Douglas were southerners and were refuse to work under a Black woman. Instead of being offered the inspector position, Singleton was hired to do production work. (6:22-9:12)... Singleton started working at the Santa Monica plant soon after she was hired at Douglas. She was assigned to work with another woman who trained her for production work. Singleton had no previous experience with the types of machinery or tools being used in defense work. (9:12-10:44)... Douglas provided the tools and equipment she used to complete her riveting tasks. She was required to wear pants and low-heeled shoes. The women had to wear their hair tied back. (10:44-12:15)... Singleton expected that her job would be a temporary position and she did not plan to make it a career of it. Her starting wage was $1 an hour, which she believes was a universal wage for both men and women new to Douglas. Prior to working at Douglas, her only jobs were baby sitting and helping an elderly woman clean her home. (12:15-14:20)... She started out riveting panels. Soon after her leadman realized that she was having difficulty holding a rivet gun, he switched her to bucking. She also operated a drill press. (14:20-16:25)... Singleton discusses her first impression of the plant and the physical characteristics of the plant. (16:25-17:45)... When she started working at Douglas, the majority of her co-workers were men; however, more and more women started getting hired as the war progressed. (17:45-18:59)... Note: there is an interruption in the interview during this segment. Singleton thinks that the men at Douglas appreciated the work that women were doing to help the war effort. Overall, women did a better job and worked harder than the men. (18:59-21:33)... When Singleton's mother asked her what she did on her first day of work, Singleton told her "nothing." Over time, however, it became obvious that she was doing something and that her work was taking a toll on her body. She was tired a lot and began to experience more problems with her tonsils. However, she enjoyed her work even if it was strenuous. She digresses regarding the leadman in her department. (21:33-24:38)... Singleton spent all of her time at work with four women who worked near her. This group of women included a Mexican and a White woman from the South. They ate lunch together and did not associate with too many other co-workers in their immediate area. On one occasion, they went to the beach together; however, most of their interaction took place at work. Singleton did not frequent the social club across the street from the plant or shop at the company store. (24:38-25:45)... Singleton did not have any problems learning how to use the equipment at Douglas. She was not "gung ho" about defense work, mainly because she was not interested in making it a permanent career. (25:45-28:17)... Singleton discusses her mother's experience with racial discrimination while employed at a nickel-plating company in West Los Angeles. Singleton did not experience similar problems with racism while employed at Douglas. She limited her contact with people at the plant to her four female co-workers. (28:17-29:31)... Aside from bucking rivets, Singleton was responsible for installing bomb site reflectors. She felt that this was extremely boring compared to riveting. She comments on the noise levels at the plant. End of tape. *** File: rrrrsingleton5.mp3 (0:00-0:59)... Plant inspectors constantly checked the work produced at the plant. Singleton and her partner very seldom had complaints about their work. (0:59-2:15)... Employees had to wear an identification badge when they entered the plant. Passes were required for employees who went into different sections of the plant. (2:15-3:04)... Singleton did not work very much overtime while employed at Douglas. She was attending school and needed time off to attend classes and study. (3:04-6:03)... Outside of work, she attended USO dances with a group of women. They were chaperoned by an older woman, which was the way that Singleton's mother allowed her to go to these types of activities. However, she did not have a lot of spare time for social activities because of her school commitments. She talks about her coursework and academic performance. (6:03-7:15)... Singleton's household chores while she worked at Douglas included cleaning the bathroom and her bedroom. Her mother did not ask her to do anything else around the house because of her busy schedule. (7:15-8:03)... Singleton was not involved in company social activities and events because she did not have time to participate in these activities. (8:03-10:19)... Note: the audio quality in this segment is poor and it is difficult to understand Singleton Singleton heard that men and women flirted with each other at the plant. (10:19-12:57)... Note: the audio quality in this segment is poor and it is difficult to understand Singleton . Plant managers encouraged competition among shifts to increase production levels. (12:57-14:59)... Note: the audio quality in this segment is poor and it is difficult to understand Singleton. Employees received a ten-minute break and a lunch break during their shift. (14:59-15:58)... Note: the audio quality in this segment is poor and it is difficult to understand Singleton The minimum hiring age at Douglas was eighteen. Singleton was not aware what the maximum age was, but remembers that her mother-in-law worked at Douglas and she was in her fifties. (15:58-17:15)... Note: the audio quality in this segment is poor and it is difficult to understand Singleton When Singleton got sick, the company asked her if she wanted to talk to "someone," which suggests that there were company services available for employees at Douglas. However, she did not take advantage of these services during her employment at the plant. (17:15-18:54)... Note: the audio quality in this segment is poor and it is difficult to understand Singleton Signs were posted at the plant to ensure that proper safety measures were taken when operating machinery. The employees were taught how to operate their equipment property to avoid accidents. (18:54-20:36)... Note: the audio quality in this segment is poor and it is difficult to understand Singleton Singleton does not recall if there were transportation services or safety provisions available for employees who worked the swing and graveyard shifts. A lot of people walked to the bus stations or parking lots together. (20:36-22:13)... Note: the audio quality in this segment is poor and it is difficult to understand Singleton Singleton believes that there was a union at Douglas, but no union representative ever approached her. (22:13-25:32)... Note: the audio quality in this segment is poor and it is difficult to understand Singleton Singleton discusses her experiences with food shortages and rationing during WWII. She occasionally had to stand in lines to get certain food products. She shared shopping responsibilities with her mother and grandmother. (25:32-26:38)... Singleton was not aware of any child care facilities for mothers who worked during the war. Some of the women she worked with had children. She assumed they had relatives who took care of their children when they were at work. (26:38-29:43)... Singleton discusses her activities with the USO during WWII. The members of the USO were segregated, as were the events organized by the group. (29:43-30:31)... Singleton did not start dating until she was eighteen. She always went on group dates and if men came to her home, they had to leave at nightfall. End of tape. *** File: rrrrsingleton6.mp3 (0:00-0:19)... Singleton discusses group dating. (0:19-2:42)... Before she could leave Douglas, she had to obtain a work release signed by her medical doctor. She was admitted into the hospital for a tonsillectomy. When she was released, her doctor prescribed bed rest for ten days. After she left Douglas, she did not collect unemployment. She used her savings to pay for her hospital bill. (2:42-7:02)... When Singleton stopped working at Douglas, she decided to go into a field of work that was cleaner and allowed her to wear nice clothes. She went to work for the Voter's Registrar Office. She quit working when she married. After living in South Carolina and Ohio with her husband, she returned to California and finished college. She obtained a teaching credential and began working as schoolteacher for grades one through six. (7:02-11:08)... Singleton married her husband in a small ceremony at home. She refused to include the word "obey" in her marriage vows. She knew that she did not want to be a housekeeper and her husband accepted the fact that she wanted to work after she married. Her husband also accepted her "my way or the highway " philosophy. (11:08-15:38)... After she married, she moved around for a couple of months before settling in Ohio, where her husband was stationed. When her husband died, she returned to California. Her husband was stationed with the 99th squadron. She refused to join the Officers Wives Club because she did not think the women were doing anything constructive. She preferred socializing with women in the NCO Club because they were working in the community. (15:38-17:48)... Singleton gave birth to her first child in 1946 and a second child thirteen years later when she was married to her second husband. She describes her pregnancies. When she went back to work, she paid her mother to care for her children. (17:48-19:25)... When she moved back to California, she lived with her mother until she got a job and was able to afford to move out on her own. (19:25-25:01)... Singleton discusses the day she found out her first husband died. Her husband's regiment packed her belongings and shipped them to California. The air force paid for funeral services at base in Ohio and for her husband's body to be shipped to California. She digresses regarding her friends from the air force. End of tape.
- SUBJECT BIO - Rose Biffle Singleton was a student at Santa Monica City College and new to the work force when she got her job at Douglas Aircraft in 1942. Born in Colorado, the second of three children, Singleton moved to Los Angeles with her family in 1939, where she attended high school. She remained in the aircraft industry for three years, working the night shift and continuing with her college work during the day. In 1944, she married an army pilot in the 99th squadron and moved to Ohio when her husband was stationed there. She returned to California with her 3 year old son, following her husband's death in a plane crash, and took up her career as a math teacher. She eventually remarried and had another son in 1959, and continued to teach until her retirement in 1978. Three interviews were conducted with Singleton in her somewhat spacious home in an older, integrated neighborhood in Compton, California. Although Singleton was a willing participant, there was a certain tension in the interview process, largely due to Cleary's uneasiness and cautious concern about offending Singleton. Unfortunately, the sound level on the tapes is very low as a result of technical problems. TOPICS - marriage; application process at Douglas; racism in hiring; training; job expectations; work clothing; job responsibilities; job skills; wages; plant environment; working conditions; work force demographics; men'sinspections; security measures; work schedule; social activities and USO; segregation; household chores; gender relations; production expectations; work breaks; safety measures; unionism; food shortages and rationiwork release procedures at Douglas; health problems; teaching; wedding and marriage expectations; NCO and the Officers' Wives Club; pregnancy; childcare; husband's death and funeral; and living arrangements;
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