St. Paul recorder. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1934-2000, 1957-09-06
Trans World Airlines
Appoints Negro To
High Exec. Position

line industry, Trans-world Air
lines last week named James O.,
Punton, former airforce pilot, as
executive assistant 20 the director
Of personnel and industrial rela-
lions.
The t3-year old Negro flyer
businessman thus became the
first OF his race TO be named to
an executive post with a major
American passenger airline lie
is assigned to Trans Worlds home
office here.
Appointment A Trail Blazer
His hiring marked the first big
break in the fight OF various or
CARNATIONS TO break down the
race taboo long standing in the in
dustry against the hiring OF Ne
groes TO certain front line Jobs.
II presages the possibility OF Ne
groes breaking into such jobs In
the flights field as pilots, flight
engineers, stewardesses and stew
ards.
Immediately after Plinton's app
pointment was announced, spokes-
men for two organization which
have been fighting to break down
discrimination in the industry,
joined in praising the move. Said
Edward s. Lewis. executive al.
rector OF the Urban League:
Urban League Official
Lands Action
1T Is our expectation that
Trans World and the nations
other great airlines viii now fol
low up this appointment by end
ing the industry-wide ban on IN,
hiring of Negroes for flight posi-
tioas. such as pilot, flight engin
eer, stewardess and steward
Lewis lauded TwA for having
broken through the color barrier
in hiring for policy-maltlng execu
tive positions"
Herbert Hill, labor secretary
Of the NAACP. while saying that
his organization was graft.
fled with the appointment,
added:
This desirable appointment In
no way changes the fact the TWA
has practiced the deliberate and
systematic policy Of racial dis.
elimination In the employment OF
Negroes for flight personnel &C,
equations
The NAACP has been involved
with the state Commission A.
gainst Discrimination In the pro,
cessing Of cases against TWA and
several other major airlines that
have categorically refused 10 EN-
ploy qualified Negroes for flight
positions"
A spokesman for the state com
mission declined 10 comment on
PHnton's appointment.
"A Significant Step"
But in Washington, Vice Presi-
dent Nixon was quick and frank
in discussing the sirlines action.
He called II "a significant first
step. in the adoption Of nondis-
criminatory hiring policies in the
airline industry"
PHnton has considerable expert
ence in the flight field. A flyer
and flight instructor in the fam
ed Goth Fighter Squadron at Tus-
kegee, Ala, he helped organize
Latin-Amirtcan Always, Inc, and
developed "Quisqueya," a local
air service between Kingston,
Jamaica, and the Grand Turks
- Ts-s... TgT.vI-
He Is married and father Of a
three-year-old son.
Former Haiti Businessman
II was In Haiti. however, that
Captain Jimmy Pnnton had one
Of the most constructive phases
OF his venturesome and spectacu-
lar career. He flew TO Haiti look
ing for business opportunities and
decided since there was no ade-
quate dry cleaning facilities in
that tropical area that dry
cleaning plant would be his field.
Returning 10 the United States,
he bought dry cleaning equip
ment, set out 20 train native la
Dor and in five years built up a
thriving business and became one
Of the best known persons In
Haiti.
Three years ago he built new
plant. added a laundry with every
modern facility and only the re-
cent political disturbances shift
ed him from that base where in
the early days he used a small
plane 10 ny cleaned clothes from
Port-au-Prince 10 distant areas
for quick delivery.