What Dad told him made sense to him

What Dad told him made sense to him. He wrote it up and submitted it. Management reacted. York Compressors (the manufacturer) was called in and lectured. They agreed to the source of the problem. York and Mobil engaged in a joint effort to reengineer the compressor.

Dad made several trips to York during this process. The young engineer was set up for rapid advancement (Early Identified Staff in Shell Oil Speak). No one recognized that Dad had pointed out this problem and its solution several years earlier.

The result of this kerfuffle changed my dad’s attitude toward Mobil. He was less enthusiastic. He cut back from going the extra two miles to just one mile. He began buying Gulf and Shell and Conoco products.

I saw this non-degree/degree barrier at work in other oil companies. It seems to be considerably less of a problem in many high tech companies. The fact is that good ideas are not the exclusive domain of college educated people.