The Waterbury Democrat., 1943-07-22

The sudden death of Richard Gull len Jeter at the Hyannis Hospital, Hyannis, Massachusetts, on Wednes- day, July 21st, takes from Water bury a man in the prime of life, rich in power and experience, richer yet in a zest for life and adventure that brought him every kind of chal- lenge of effort, fortitude, and stir ring personal association.
 The life circuit of his scant fifty years carried him from his Alabama birthplace to the Atlantic coast, then to the Great Lakes, finally to New England with three European trips to broaden his acquaintance with the foremost practices in mills and casting shops.
 He represented in his own person the meaning Of our tradition Of American opportunity. His develop ment at the Scovill Manufacturing Company was in the established course of ladder climbing, from helper on the melting line, to master worker on the line, then assistant foremen, casting superintendent, as- sistant superintendent, and later superintendent of all mills, to his final appointment in April of this year as assistant general manager in supervision of Casting Shop and Mills.
 Born January 14, 1894. at Opelika, Alabama, the son of an Episcopalian minister, he got his public school training in South Carolina, obtain ing his degree of Bachelor of Sci ence in Chemical Engineering and Metallurgy from the University of Michigan. He joined the Scoyill organization in 1916, travelled in Europe on technical research in 1926, 1885, and 1886, and was in charge of alloy handling at the Waterbury plant during it's installa- ton of tube extrusion and continu- ous casting. He developed a plan of future growth for his department which would have occupied his ener- gies for years ahead, and such individual foresight can never be fully replaced.
 Dick Jeter represented in his per- sona1ity and in his conscious pur- poses an effective solution of one of the most difficult and baffling problems of modern industrial man. agement. His span of service at Scovill, from 1916 to 1943, covered probably the most significant transi- tion that has occurred in brass cast ing and brass mill technique. When he came in, the first duty was to it himself to the old, yet his real undertaking was to know and pre- ipare himself and his department for the new. He not only served ns 8 far-sighted tactician in the transition, but he found his fullest powers and greatest achievement in the modern set-up that he so great ly adied to bring about.
 Not less challenging has been the human problem growing out of fac- tory evolution during this period. h. dustry everywhere is deploring the loss of personal contact that has come as & by-product of the huge growth, the high degree of tech- nicalization, and the inevitable speed-up of modern industrial prac- tice. Dick Jeter met this situation almost before 1t arose. It was a proud claim that at any time dur ing all his quarter century and more at Scov1ll, he personally knew From and Bill and Jerry". and they all knew Dick, whether they called him that or MT. Jeter.
 Though his days work might be- gin in conference at the Presi- dents office, there was, to those who knew him, no incongruity in the picture of him out at thte Mills or Casting Shop, sitting on a pile of metal and talking over the daily problems of home or work with anyone and everyone. from the fore man to the casters helper. The majority of his time was spent on the spot where the tonnage was dn process.
 It is small wonder that his sud- den and untimely passing has left his friends shocked and grieving in plant and out. "One of the company's ablest and most valuable men," says President John H. Goss; ''He was great man." And Vice President c. P. Goss, Jr., under whose tutelage he had ,raveled the long high road of his a. movement says of him: "He was one of my best friends" The sentiment can be echoed by many, hut by none with more warmth of understand ing and admiration.
 MT. Jeter is survive by his wife, Mrs. Martha Aston Jeter; two daughters: Miss Mary Zee Jeter ot