Gretchen Thal

TVA Retirement System Board of Directors

TREASURED HARD HAT

This designer hard hat was presented to me, with my name painted on the hat, during one of my follow up trips to the plant sites. I know it’s hard to believe, but most of the hats that were at the plant sites for visitors did not fit my head very well.

I made a number of trips throughout the valley to install the first spreadsheets on the plant sites mini computers, called PRIME’s. On subsequent trips, I brought additional terminals and conducted training in the use of an early spreadsheet called 20/20. At the time, the current mode of operating for the plant statistics was with ledger sheets and calculators.

Helping the people in the field get their job done easier and better has been important to me and jobs with the Plant Improvement Branch allowed me to begin pursueing this interest in the early 80’s. The idea that our people in the field could change a number and have that change tumble through rows and columns, and of numbers automatically recalculating, rather than having to punch the calculators over and over each time there were changes, was an exciting improvement that I enjoyed being a part of.

I have worn this hat with pleasure and good memories to the plant sites ever since it was presented to me in the early 80’s by the originating designer and painter.

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Copyright © 2002 Gretchen Thal
Last modified: July 31, 2002 10:27:48 PM