The New York herald., 1922-04-09

tories and departments of a great
hundred men and women and engaged
in a highly specialized business which
sends its product into almost every corner
of the United States. 1t was bulletin that
employees as we'll as among the minor ON
cials and superintendents Of the company.
It was in form notification that new
general manager had been elected by the
directors of tho company and that here
after all executive orders and all changes
IN the routine Of the company's great
plants must be signed by her.
It was that one short word "her" that, Of
ment.
1t seemed wholly preposterous that a
woman should be put at the head Of one
OF the nations large businesses, having in
her hands the direction of specialized
force Of experts and directing business
which involved many millions of dollars
annually.
There was still deeper shock due those
who were interested in the bulletin. It
proved that the woman thus set apart to
control the destinies of the company was
not by any means as old as the least i'm
portant of the company's other and lesser
executive. 1t was soon discovered that she
was, in fact, but twenty-nine years old.
And she was neither stern nor freakish--
as might have been expected. She proved
to be a most simple, wholesome young
woman, exceedingly attractive, given to
smiles and frills and known to be deft at
all the more conservative dance steps,
Workers Are Amazed
BY GirPs Rapid Rise
And then, when other information came
along and percolated down through the
great mills, emanating, of course, from the
office boys at headquarters and passing
then through superintendents down to ap-
prentices it was further learned that the
new "a. M" had worked her way to the
top; that she had begun few years ago
as very young girl with the most humble
employees and had by the sheer forceful-
ness Of her determination forced her way
into the general managers chair.
The factory workers have since learned,
even in the few days that have passed,
that their new general manager typifes a
very human and altogether startling story
OF success.
Her name is Elsie Lempke. Her firm
fs the Aladdin Company, operators of great
humber and building mills, In which COM
plete houses are constructed for shipment
IN parts. 1t is business requiring the
most expert knowledge its volume amount
fng. as has been said above to many
millions every year.
SO far as is known Miss Lempke is the
only woman holding such position in the
United States. Others may be at the head
OF smaller businesses or may play impor.
tant parts in companies as large, but none
OF whom is there ready record as holding
such power in so great an organization and
one requiring of It's executive director as
much technical knowledge of its business
Miss Lempke was not college girl, un-
less short term. which she managed some
how TO pay for, in a small and humble
business college" might thus classify her.
Quitting her public school as soon as she
was old enough, she found way to have
a term or two in the business school,
where she learned shorthand and type
writing
81 remember" said Miss Lempke to her
business associates recently, that was
determined even then to get as much
money together as I could as soon as
I could. My particular reason is
rather vague now, but it was a good
one to me then. did not, however,
spend my avaricious thoughts on my
weekly salary as II was then doled out to
me- thought mostly OF getting ahead so
I could earn fabulous sums-I even
dreamed might. IL should work unusu-
ally hard, some day have my weekly en-
velope fattened to the extent OF fifteen
dollars each week There was an awe
inspiring tradition around the ONCE in
which first went to work that there once
had been young woman In that Office so
expert and efficient that she actually