The RCA Bloomington Plant

by Gib Apple, Alexandra Lynch

Overview

The history of the RCA Plant in Bloomington, Indiana, is a fascinating story of American manufacturing of innovative products. Starting in 1940, the plant produced radios. Black and white TVs followed, then the plant became a pioneer in color TV. The plant opened in 1940 and was closed in 1998. The Monroe County History Center in Bloomington has an archive of 550 items related to the plant - mostly photos. Thanks to that wonderful collection this book is an illustrated history of the RCA Bloomington Plant.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781666296181
Publisher:	Barnes & Noble Press
Publication date:	06/17/2021
Pages:	98
Sales rank:	593,265
Product dimensions:	8.50(w) x 11.00(h) x 0.25(d)

About the Author

Gib Apple was born in Bloomington, graduating from Bloomington High School in 1954. He joined the U.S. Army and received training in Radio Direction Finding. He later trained others in this skill. After his service in 1957, he moved to California to work for Martin Marietta on the Titan Missile Silo Launch activation program at Vandenberg Air Force Base, during the Cuban Missile Crisis. President Kennedy visited there. Luckily no missiles were launched. Gib then returned to Bloomington to work at Westinghouse briefly and subsequently began his career at the RCA Bloomington Plant as a material planner. He advanced through numerous engineering and manufacturing management positions, culminating in becoming Plant Manager. He retired in 1992 after 32 years at the plant. His collection of RCA Bloomington mementos, photos and documents is huge. His 35-page timeline is a detailed history of the plant and the basis of this book. His wife, Sandy, edited this book. Alexandra “Sandy” Lynch worked in Personnel at the RCA Bloomington Plant from 1977 to 1983. As editor of the weekly employee newsletter, she got to know the plant and the people quite well. She enjoyed her time there and relishes the memories of that experience. After RCA, she worked at the Ford plant in Bedford for 23 years, then at Indiana University Facility Operations, where she produced a quarterly employee magazine. Sandy has been a writer all her life, thanks to her mother, a great writer. One of her favorite writing jobs was a seven-year stint with Homes and Lifestyles magazine, writing about people and their homes. Sandy lives in Bloomington, Indiana with husband, Jack Shelton.