As a tribute to Women’s History Month, this story was provided by the Sherman Room of the Mansfield/Richland County Public Library and originally published by the Mansfield News on March 12, 1922 on Page 9 of the Social Section. Those interested in more history should check out the Sherman Room at the Mansfield/Richland Public Library or visit this link.
MANSFIELD — Many a man points with pride and remembers vividly the little red school house where he learned his first money and planted the seeds of character that later harvested such a splendid crop of success.
It is equally true that many of the country’s successful woman can look back to the time when as a young girl graduate they taught their first group of thirty or forty youngsters. There is a certain amount of self-control and efficiency learned in being a “school-marm” that augurs well for later success.
It was so in the case of Miss Lena M. Colgan, who is acting assistant treasurer of the Westinghouse Electric Products Company, for it was while teaching, that she dreamed of some day being a private secretary. Today that dream has been realized and work of even more responsible nature has been added to it.
Miss Colgan’s interest in her work does not limit itself to office routine but she takes pride in the fact that she is working for an organization that is world-wide in its influence and selling power.
“Probably no one in Mansfield,” said Miss Colgan, “realizes the tremendous scope of our power. We have interests in Shanghai, in Japan and in all parts of the world. While we in Mansfield are only a small part of the company, yet I like to think that back of us in East Pittsburg there is a mammoth concern.”
Miss Colgan was first connected with the Westinghouse company in the west, where she went after she stopped her teaching career. She then came to Mansfield and was employed with several manufacturing concerns before the Westinghouse company moved to this city. It was then that she again began to work for them as private secretary to E.M. Olin, manager.
Part of her work includes the signing of checks, keeping tab on the collections and doing the secretarial duties for the manager. She also issues passes for all employe[e]s and visitors. During the time when all industrial concerns were doing a booming business, Miss Colgan was cashier for the restaurant, which was then under the control of the Westinghouse company, but which is now managed privately.
During her day’s work Miss Colgan comes in contact with many people, both employees and others, so that she knows personally, practically everyone in the plant.
When asked as to just how to approach people, she thought for a few moments then said, “Well, I don’t think I have any set ideas or method. It depends entirely on the person you are dealing with. I always try to work with people. One can’t treat men and women like you would a school child.
“I like people and think they are very interesting. In making collections, for instance, different concerns and people take different treatment. If a concern owes us money and I know they are capable of paying, the attitude I take is entirely different than toward the company which is struggling to get along.”
Miss Colgan gives one the impression of never hurrying, of never making a wrong decision. I asked her if she had ever come up against a situation that rather “stumped” her, but she answered as if those kind of occurences [sic] were the most natural things in the world.
“Of course,” she said, “there are some things that come up that take a great deal more thinking than others and sometimes I can decide instantly.”
A woman who has a regular man-sized job would naturally be supposed to have an interesting viewpoint on the situation in industry. And I was not disappointed. Her opinion from a woman’s standpoint was original.
“While I think the depression was inevitable after such abnormal condition, and I of course, regret it, yet for our concern, in a way, it was a good thing. We grew suddenly, mushroom-like, and there were many ways in which we made mistakes. But while our employees numbered 1,200 and production was speeded up, we had not much chance to right those mistakes.
“Now, since the decrease in production we have had time to think, and correct the things we did wrongly, so that we are practically starting over again and building much more solidly than we did before.”
Which is a very wise way to look at things and surely a broad way.
Do not gather the impression from the above that Miss Colgan is all business and never thinks of anything else. She is interested in a great many things. When asked as to the things she enjoyed, she put it rather uniquely:
“When I go to a moviei I enjoy that and when I go to a party I enjoy that. I like to do a great many things. My hobbies vary with the season. Now that summer is coming, I would like to have a flower garden, and I have always envied those who could drive a car. I amagine [sic; imagine] that would be an interesting hobby.”
She also likes to read and particularly likes mystery stories.
“I try to read all the good novels, I don’t care much for just indiscriminate reading. In fact, I sometimes forget time and sit up half the night reading,” she said.
This habit of forgetting business after office hours, and being interested in such a number of things perhaps account for Miss Colgan’s efficient handling of her work when she is in her office, which, by the way compares favorably in efficiency with the work she does.
