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[The Story Teller]

April 5
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Small Wins Can Mean Big Success
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“For every disciplined effort there is a multiple reward.”
—Jim Pohn
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Sometimes we expect our American Dream to come true in the form of a million-dollar lottery win or an unexpected inheritance. But if we wait for that big event to occur, it is likely that we will never see our ship come in. Success generally arrives after a series of small steps, or “wins,” says Tom Peters in Organizational Dynamics. It is only on rare occasions that success comes suddenly and unexpectedly. Success usually comes one step at a time, and some of those steps can be so small that they may not be readily evident. NASA’s goal to put a man on the moon by 1969 did not happen as the result of a single space shot. It was the culmination of countless thousands of small advances in space technology, many failures, and a series of successes.

Wins come from spending a lot of time working toward a goal and persisting when others would give up. Participation by other people is usually necessary, and you must reward those individuals with appreciation and recognition. Many times success only comes after a tremendous number of attempts, so you must try many options. When an idea doesn’t work out well, learn from the error and try another path. You must be a positive spokesman for the task, explaining progress to those participating so they will know something important is being accomplished. Each element may be small, but small wins are what lead to a big finish.

Consider This: Expect good things to take time. Because the best tends to take time, many people give up too soon. Keep going and make those little steps of progress toward your goals.

Submitted by Richard

 

[The Story Teller]

April 6
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Steven Spielberg
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“To him that is determined it remains only to act.”
—Italian proverb
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What and how we think has a lot to do with how much we can accomplish. If we believe we will succeed, our chances of success are great. If we cannot see ourselves as being successful, we will likely never experience our dreams. William James was a noted American psychologist. He wanted to discover the human factors that gave certain people the ability to succeed. One of the principles that James uncovered was the “As if” technique. Using “As if” means to act as if that which you desire is already in hand.

By the time he was thirteen years old, Steven Spielberg knew he wanted to be a movie director. When he was seventeen, he visited Universal Studios as a tourist. It was too much for him. He sneaked away from the tour and into the sound stage where a real movie was being made. Finding the head of the editorial department, young Steven talked to him about making films. The next day, Steven put on a suit, borrowed his father’s briefcase, and walked onto the studio lot as if he belonged. He found an abandoned trailer and painted “Steven Spielberg, Director” on the door. He spent his summer “working” on the lot and learning everything he could about the movie-making business. In time, Spielberg became a studio regular, produced a short film, and was eventually offered a seven-year contract. Today, he is one of the world’s most renowned film directors.

Consider This: Know what you want to be. Dream your goals. Learn everything you can about what you want to become. Associate with those who can take you where you want to go. Step out with confidence and begin working.

Submitted by Richard

 

[The Story Teller]

April 7
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American by Choice
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“Be honest, work hard, and don’t be afraid to take a chance.”
—Sam Ziady’s father
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America has long benefitted from the energy and ideas brought by immigrant dreamers with pioneering spirits and can-do attitudes. One such dreamer was Sam Ziady from Beirut, Lebanon. In 1950, when he was nineteen, Sam’s father gave him enough money to begin studies at South Carolina’s Columbia Bible College. To continue his studies, Sam sold Bibles and dictionaries door-to-door during the summer. As he worked his way though college and then a master’s program at the University of South Carolina, he expanded his business by hiring other students. When Chase Manhattan offered Sam an executive position, he was on the verge of realizing his dream of a banking career.

“Why do you want to work for Chase Manhattan Bank for $7,200?” asked his father when Sam returned to Beirut for a visit. “Security,” said Sam. “How much did you make last summer with your door-to-door business?” asked his father. “Seventeen thousand dollars,” said Sam. “Why do you need security? You have a master’s degree, you are young, and you speak three languages,” said his father, who encouraged Sam to expand his success in book selling. Sam took his father’s advice, returned to America, and started the National Book Company. When he became a U.S. citizen, he changed his name to Sam Moore. His book business grew, and in 1968 Sam bought the American division of Thomas Nelson Publishers, one of the world’s oldest publishing companies. His biography is called American By Choice because, he says, “Only in America would a Lebanese immigrant have the opportunity to become one of the nation’s leading publishers.”

Consider This: You are what you are by choice. To achieve success, you must choose your dreams carefully and work smart and hard to bring them to fruition.

Submitted by Richard

 

[The Story Teller]

April 8
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William Danforth at Purina
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“When we do the best that we can, we never know what miracle is wrought in our life, or in the life of another.”
—Helen Keller
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William H. Danforth was such a sickly child that a teacher once dared him to become “the healthiest boy in the class.” Danforth responded by daring himself not only to become physically fit, but also to excel in all areas of his life. He graduated from Washington University in 1892 and got a seasonal job in the brick business. Observing that “animals must eat year-round,” he and a partner began selling formula feeds for animals. Instead of packaging his feeds in plain bags like his competitors, Danforth recognized the value of a distinctive trademark. He based the distinctive red-and-white checkerboard pattern that became synonymous with his Purina company on a family in his hometown that had always dressed in checkered clothing.

Danforth devoted much of his life to the development of young people. He organized the American Youth Foundation in 1924 for the purpose of training young people in Christian leadership principles. His book, I Dare You, has gone through thirty printings and has been used to inspire both youngsters and business executives to lead balanced physical, mental, social, and religious lives. Danforth and his wife established the Danforth Foundation in 1927 as a national educational philanthropy. Although he died in 1955, the message of the man who led Purina for sixty years remains relevant today: “Aspire nobly, adventure daringly, serve humbly.”

Consider This: What we get out of life has everything to do with how we respond to the call upon ourselves to be the best that we can be, while helping others to become the best that they can be.

Submitted by Richard

 

[The Story Teller]

April 9
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Jolt Cola
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“To be a success in business, be daring, be first, be different.”
—Henry Marchant
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Some people make their living looking for trends and then following them. Others see the same trends and realize that there may be a niche available for something a little different. C. J. Rapp was a beverage distributor in New York when he noticed that “every day they were taking something out of soft drinks.” Companies were advertising their products as “sugar free,” “no caffeine,” “low salt,” “no-this,” and “no-that.” Rapp saw the opportunity to bring back a full-bodied soft drink reminiscent of “the good old days.”

Rapp quit his job, raised $100,000, and introduced Jolt Cola, which contained all the sugar and twice the caffeine of regular colas. His lightning-bolt logo and posters featuring wide-eyed Jolt drinkers took the soft-drink industry by surprise. Jolt began receiving media attention, which was essential to make the product stand out from Coca-Cola, Pepsi, and other soft drinks that were spending millions of dollars on advertising. Stories about Jolt appeared in magazine after magazine. The beverage even made the cover of a popular computer-programmer’s magazine and may be destined to become the cola of preference for those late-night hackers who need something to keep them awake. Following its debut in New York, Jolt Cola was soon available in several eastern states and was then marketed throughout the country. After the element of surprise had worn off, Rapp found that people actually liked his drink, and he is confident that his product has found a lasting niche in the soft-drink market.

Consider This: If everyone is looking one way, maybe it’s worth looking the other way to see what is being left behind.

Submitted by Richard

 

[NewSong]

SO KEEP THE SINGING DOWN, OK?

A Sunday school teacher asked her little children, as they were on the way to church service, And why is it necessary to be quiet in church?
One bright little girl replied, Because people are sleeping.

 

[NewSong]

“I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. This is to my Father's glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples. ”- John 15:5 and 8

 

[NewSong]

ACCEPTANCE

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[font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][size=-1]"To the praise of the glory of His grace, which He freely bestowed on us in the Beloved."
Ephesians 1:6[/size][/font]
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[font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][size=-1]"Therefore also we have as our ambition, whether at home or absent, to be pleasing to Him." [/size][/font][font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][size=-1]
2 Corinthians 5:9[/size][/font]

[font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][size=-1]"You did not choose me, but I chose you, and appointed you that you would go and bear fruit, and that your fruit would remain, so that whatever you ask of the Father in My name He may give to you." [/size][/font][font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][size=-1]
John 15:16[/size][/font]
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[font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][size=-1]"Just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before Him, In love He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will."
[/size][/font][font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][size=-1]Ephesians 1:5[/size][/font]
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[font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][size=-1]"Also we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to His purpose who works all things after the counsel of His will."
[/size][/font][font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][size=-1]Ephesians 1:11[/size][/font]
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[font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][size=-1]"But in every nation he that feareth him, and worketh righteousness, is accepted with him."
[/size][/font][font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][size=-1]Acts 10:35[/size][/font]
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[font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][size=-1]"Wherefore, accept one another, just as Christ also accepted us to the glory of God."
[/size][/font][font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][size=-1]Romans 15:7 [/size][/font]

[font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][size=-1]"But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh not of the will of man, but of God."
[/size][/font][font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][size=-1]John 1:12 [/size][/font]
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[font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][size=-1]"Now He who establishes us with you in Christ and anointed us is God, who also sealed us and gave us the Spirit in our hearts as a pledge."
[/size][/font][font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][size=-1]2 Corinthians 1:21 [/size][/font]
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[font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][size=-1]God is faithful, through whom you were called into fellowship with His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord."
[/size][/font][font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][size=-1]1 Corinthians 1:9 [/size][/font]
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[font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][size=-1]"Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. "
[/size][/font][font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][size=-1]Matthew 11:28 [/size][/font]

[font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][size=-1]"Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus."
[/size][/font][font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][size=-1]Romans 8:1[/size][/font]
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[font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][size=-1]"And you have been given fullness in Christ, who is the head over every power and authority."
[/size][/font][font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][size=-1]Colossians 2:10[/size][/font]
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[font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][size=-1]"For He rescued us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kindgdom of His beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins."
[/size][/font][font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][size=-1]Colossians 1:14[/size][/font]
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[The Story Teller]

April 11
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Ueberroth Responds to the Cause
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“People can do, but don’t do, without motives to keep going.”
—David Laird
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Peter Ueberroth had a massive job ahead of him. The XXIII Olympic Games were to be held during an era of terrorism, skyrocketing budgets, and boycotts. To Ueberroth, it was precisely those problems that made the plan for the Los Angeles games even more exciting. In a Time magazine article, Robert Ajemian wrote that Ueberroth “has a way of turning whatever he touches into a cause. To be involved in difficult problems with difficult goals lifts him up.” To sell his Olympic cause, Ueberroth inspired his workers again and again with stories of climbing up “a majestic mountain.”

When one employee asked for a raise, Ueberroth (a volunteer himself) responded, “You shouldn’t be working here if you don’t understand what we are trying to do.” He was saying, “Either buy into this great idea or get out.” Great causes have no place for slackers. By motivating and inspiring the entire team of Olympic workers, Ueberroth managed to pull off the Los Angeles Games with little disruption and in the unheard-of financial position with money left over. People responded to the impossible. Ueberroth motivated them with encouragement, helping them visualize in their minds the great thing they were about to accomplish. Everyone wants to be a part of the team that wins, and Ueberroth inspired his team all the way to the gold medal.

Consider This: It is no secret, people from the beginning of time have given themselves, even their lives, for a cause when the leader could articulate a great purpose and inspire the soul.

Submitted by Richard

 

[staceyvonne]

Hello.

 

[The Story Teller]

Hello.

Hi staceyvonne, Welcome to the Message Board.

 

[The Story Teller]

April 12
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Elmer Andersen of H. B. Fuller
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“All of us encounter, at least once in our life, some individual who utters words that make us think forever.”
—Benjamin Disraeli
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When Elmer Andersen took over the H. B. Fuller company, it was on the verge of selling out to its competitor. Although it had survived for fifty years in the adhesive business, the company had only a small portion of the market, and its leadership was getting old and tired. Andersen was a thirty-three-year-old sales manager when he took the helm at H. B. Fuller. He had a dream that the company one day would be great, and toward that end, Andersen instituted broad incentive plans for salesmen, executives, and employees. Fifty years later, H. B. Fuller was a Fortune 500 company with over $425 million in sales.

One visionary leader had pulled the company from smallness to greatness. On the occasion of H. B. Fuller’s 100th anniversary, Andersen reflected on the influences in his life. He recalled his Christian parents, who had died when he was just fourteen but had instilled in him the joy of work. He also recalled a grade school teacher who taught him to keep his mind open because “some day an even greater truth may come.” Andersen also cited another instructor who had introduced him to the Robert Browning quotation “A man’s reach should exceed his grasp or what is heaven for.” These and other influences led Anderson to develop H. B. Fuller into a business whose goals were “to do as well as it could in providing services to its customers and to share the fruits of its rewards with its employees.”

Consider This: A leader must care about people, must have vision, and must desire to share with others the gifts of insight.

Submitted by Richard

 

[The Story Teller]

April 13
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Enthusiasm Makes the Difference
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“A man can succeed at almost anything for which he has unlimited enthusiasm.”
—Charles Schwab
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Enthusiasm is rarely taught as a course in college or included in an MBA curriculum. Yet most businesspeople will agree that enthusiasm is a critical factor in the success of most enterprises. Why it escapes discussion in the classroom is probably a function of our culture. Since it cannot be accurately measured, enthusiasm is not a good topic for scientific research. Cynics see enthusiasm as something that only motivational speakers preach to make money. Yet, biographies of people who have made a difference in the world almost unanimously reveal a single-mindedness, a determination, and an enthusiasm to make an idea work.

In his book Enthusiasm Makes the Difference, Norman Vincent Peale tells of the Scottish physicist who helped make worldwide broadcasting possible and won a Nobel Prize. The secret of the physicist’s amazing achievement? According to Peale, “It was enthusiasm. I rate enthusiasm even above professional skill.” Without enthusiasm, one would hardly be motivated to endure the endless toil and self-discipline that is required to make something great happen. Enthusiasm is a powerful force that keeps people moving toward their goal.

Consider This: Business is more than the figures printed in a financial statement or technological advances. Business depends on some factors that escape measurement—an underlying flow of enthusiasm that makes everything come together and work.

Submitted by Richard

 

[The Story Teller]

April 14
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Clarence Birdseye
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“Take time to deliberate, but when the time for action arrives, stop thinking and go in.”
—Andrew Jackson
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Clarence Birdseye was sure he would make something of himself. He was the son of a New York Supreme Court judge and the grandson of a successful inventor. However, by the age of forty, Clarence had not yet managed to find a successful career. In 1923 he began evaluating his talents and knowledge in the hope of discovering something he could do well. The idea he settled on was inspired by a practice he had seen some ten years earlier in Labrador. The Eskimos there placed their freshly caught fish on the sub-zero snow and froze them instantly. Months later, when the fish were cooked, they still tasted fresh.

Birdseye did some extensive research and discovered that the reason the Eskimos’ fish tasted fresh after lengthy storage was that they had been frozen so quickly. He consulted nutritionists and was told, “You’ve got a great idea.” Birdseye worked on a technique to freeze fish quickly and by 1924 had perfected a device called a “belt froster.” He received preliminary financial backing and built a freezer forty feet long. The enterprise he formed became known as General Foods Company. Although the quick-freezing idea had considerable merit and made sense for long-term food storage, Clarence Birdseye spent many years experimenting with various marketing approaches before frozen foods became commonplace in grocery stores.

Consider This: Have you ever stopped to think what ideas you have had in the past may be worth a second look?

Submitted by Richard

 

[The Story Teller]

April 15
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Silly Putty
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“He that waits upon fortune is never sure of a dinner.”
—Benjamin Franklin
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Japan’s invasion of rubber-producing countries at the beginning of World War II cut off the world’s supply of natural rubber. America responded with research as companies began working to create synthetic rubber. One promising idea involved the “rubberization” of silicon. It was felt that, since silicon is derived from sand, rubber made from silicon would be cheap and abundant. Researchers experimented with a number of compounds in their quest to produce synthetic rubber. One of those experiments involved combining mineral oil with boric oxide. The result was a “bouncing putty,” which became a hit among scientists. Its fame circled the globe as a number of researchers tried to find a good use for the material; however, it primarily became an unusual conversation piece at cocktail parties.

In 1949 the bouncing putty appeared at a party attended by catalog toy retailer Ruth Falgatter. Ruth showed the new plaything to her catalog designer, Peter Hodgson, who put it in Falgatter’s next catalog on the same page as a spaghetti-making machine. The bouncing putty outsold everything in the catalog except Crayola crayons. When Falgatter decided not to include the new toy in her next catalog, Hodgson took it as his own product. He named it “Silly Putty,” copyrighted the name, packed it in colorful plastic eggs, and slowly convinced retailers to carry it. When an article about Silly Putty appeared in a New York magazine, it became an overnight sensation. Within three days of the article’s appearance, Hodgson received orders for over 750,000 Silly Putty eggs.

Consider This: Keep your eyes open. Find a popular new product and make it your own. Market it with enthusiasm until it catches on. Then, be prepared for success.

Submitted by Richard

 

[The Story Teller]

April 16
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Oprah Winfrey
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“I have been driven many times to my knees by the overwhelming conviction that I had nowhere else to go.”
—Abraham Lincoln
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Oprah Winfrey’s experiences as a child may account for her compassion for those in need and for her sensitive understanding of life’s struggles. Born in a small Mississippi town in 1954, Oprah found little stability in her early homelife. She moved back and forth between separated parents and her grandmother, and eventually rebelled against life. However, even in the midst of uncertainty, Oprah found strength in faith, education, and the performing arts. While still in high school, she was hired by a local radio station to read the news. As a sophomore at Tennessee State University, she was picked as a reporter for a local television station. From there, Oprah became co-anchor of a news program in Baltimore and in 1984 was given a chance to revive a dying half-hour talk show called A.M. Chicago. Her emotional and honest style soon made the show a hit, and when its ratings surpassed the popular Donahue Show, it was renamed The Oprah Winfrey Show and expanded to one hour.

In 1985 Oprah appeared in the film The Color Purple, was nominated for an Academy Award, and was well on her way to stardom. Even with all her success, she remembers her spiritual roots. Her grandmother taught Oprah the importance of Bible study and prayer, and those lessons continue to be important in her life today. True to the message of the Bible, Oprah Winfrey shares her wealth with others, speaks up for those who are downtrodden, and challenges those who continue to live in bigotry.

Consider This: Even when your beginnings are rough, you will do well to look forward to the future and to leave the troubles of the past behind.

Submitted by Richard

 

[The Story Teller]

April 17
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Frederick Weyerhaeuser
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“Necessity is the mother of invention.”
—Plato
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The life of Frederick Weyerhaeuser is an example of how American Dreams can come true. Immigrants from Germany, Weyerhaeuser’s family had heard of the opportunities in America and had left the village that had been the ancestral home for 300 years. Arriving in Pennsylvania at age eighteen, Frederick found work as a brewer’s assistant, a farmhand, and then as a laborer at a sawmill. He was a good worker and was rewarded. “My wages were raised from time to time,” he recalled later. “The secret of this lay simply in my readiness to work. I never counted the hours or knocked off until I had finished what I had in hand.” Within a few years Frederick joined with his brother-in-law to run his own sawmill in Rock Island, Illinois.

During a severe economic depression, Weyerhaeuser had to resort to barter, trading lumber for eggs, meat, and grain, and then trading the food to men bringing logs down the river. At that time, northern Wisconsin and Minnesota were covered with forests, and the trees were being discarded as people cleared the land. Weyerhaeuser had the foresight to see that the timber was not worthless and that other parts of the country would soon need it for their growing cities. He bought all of the timberland he could afford, taking on lumbermen as partners. Weyerhaeuser gained the confidence and respect of many in the lumber trade. He spoke the language of the lumberjacks, was known for his honesty in business, and made decisions with “intelligent courage.” Weyerhaeuser became the wealthiest American of his time.

Consider This: What resource are people overlooking that will someday be worth much more than it is worth today?

Submitted by Richard

 

[The Story Teller]

April 18
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Ken Cooper’s Aerobics
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“Exercise is the chief source of improvement in our faculties.”
—Hugh Blair
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During his thirteen years of service in the United States Air Force, Dr. Kenneth Cooper developed a method for keeping score of aerobic exercise and published the book Aerobics in 1968. Cooper’s book and his evangelistic promotion of aerobics were major contributors to the emergence of the jogging boom. As a result of the increased emphasis on exercise throughout the country, Americans experienced a 14 percent reduction in heart disease during the 1970s. Cooper’s message has been carried around the world. “Have you done your Cooper today?” is a frequently asked question in Brazil, and around the globe in Japan, a new 750-acre Cooper’s Aerobic Center has been constructed.

Aerobics has caught on because it saves lives and helps people manage stress. With the cost of health care soaring, wellness programs save businesses money and also save employees’ lives. While the drudgery of work has vanished for many people, the mental stresses of modern life can exact a heavy toll on the body. Exercise relieves stress, helps to eliminate depression, and builds stamina. By now, it should be apparent to everyone that jogging and exercise are not simply fads. They have become a familiar part of many people’s daily routines, particularly those who want to make the best of their lives.

Consider This: What good is it to become wealthy, successful, or famous when you cannot enjoy life because of depression, or if you die early because of poor health? Good health must be a high priority in your life.

Submitted by Richard

 

[The Story Teller]

April 19
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John F. Queeny and Monsanto
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“Determination and gumption will carry a man far.”
—E. F. Girard
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John F. Queeny worked hard to see his dreams pay off. After the Chicago fire of 1871, Queeny dropped out of the sixth grade to earn money for his family. He got a job as an office boy in a pharmaceutical firm and slowly worked his way up to buyer. In 1896 he married Olga Mendez Monsanto and moved to St. Louis to become a buyer for Meyer Brothers Drug Company. Queeny saved his money and in 1899 opened a sulfur refinery on the side. It promptly burned down, costing him $6,000. It took Queeny two more years to save $1,500 in hopes of beginning a chemical shop. As a drug buyer, he was aware of the growing popularity of saccharin, which was purchased from Germany. Needing $5,000 to launch his enterprise, Queeny convinced a saccharine buyer to loan him $3,500 and give him a contract to purchase a five-year supply of saccharin.

In 1901 Queeny opened his new company, naming it Monsanto. Since chemists were hard to come by, especially those who knew how to make saccharin, Queeny imported three Ph.D. chemists from Switzerland. Due to a tight budget, most of the factory was outfitted with used equipment. It was a month before the first small batch of saccharin was made, and when Queeny tasted it, and it was not sweet. Something was wrong! However, he had promised a victory dinner, and when Queeny arrived at the restaurant, the waiter tasted the substance. “This is so sweet!” he exclaimed. Realizing that their taste buds had been deadened by constant exposure to the saccharin dust, Queeny and his chemists leapt to their feet and did a victory dance around the table.

Consider This: What you want may not come out right the first time. Those who make it are those who keep trying.

Submitted by Richard

 

[The Story Teller]

April 20
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The Phillips 66 Name
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“Attention is the stuff that memory is made of, and memory is accumulated genius.”
—J. R. Lowell
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Most companies want to have a catchy name and a trademark people will notice. However, some trademarks come about in strange ways. Take Phillips 66, for example. Over the years, Phillips Petroleum has been deluged with inquiries about its choice of “66.” Some believed that one of the company’s founders was sixty-six years old (he was really forty-four). Another fable alleges that co-founders Frank and L. E. Phillips had just $66 in their pockets when they first struck oil. One lady even protested that the “66” referred to the number of books in the Bible, which in her opinion was “bad taste commercialism.”

With all of the erroneous stories floating around, surely there must be a logical reason the company chose “66.” The truth is that Phillips was seeking a trademark for its first gasoline, which was to go on sale November 19, 1927. Like all businesses, the company wanted something catchy and descriptive, something that would arouse curiosity. Some of the scientists suggested “66” because that was the specific gravity of the new fuel. However, this was rejected since future gasolines might have different specific gravities. Then someone mentioned that Phillips’ first refinery was located on Highway 66. But that seemed to limit the gasoline to a regional area. On the evening of the meeting to select a trademark, a Phillips official hurrying to arrive on time exclaimed to the driver of his speeding vehicle, “This car goes like sixty on our new gas!” “Sixty, nothing,” answered the driver, “we’re doing sixty-six!” “Where did this happen?” he was asked at the meeting. “On Highway 66.” That settled it. The trademark became “Phillips 66.”

Consider This: If you’re looking for a catchy phrase, see what catches on.

Submitted by Richard

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