Frank Carter and Howard Ward oral history interview, August 22, 1995

Item — othertype: Oral History

Identifier: CarterFandWardH_L1995-12_06

Staff Only

Frank Carter and Howard Ward oral history interview

Go to file

Scope and Contents

Interviewed by Christine Lutz: Carter and Ward are, respectively, owner and employee of Superior Printing Company.They have a cooperative and mutually respectful relationship that is remarked upon admiringly by other interviewees in this series. Frank Carter went to work in the printing industry at a young age. He worked for Williams Printing Company in 1923, and later bought a small business owned by Williams, called Superior Leather Service. This business later became Superior Printing Company. Ward describes the process of going from apprentice to journeyman printer. He provides much information about the history of the printing industry as one of the first industries to offer health insurance and pension plans to its employees. He discusses how the technology of printing has changed from the days of hand-set type to the age of computers. Carter speaks about the essential nature of the printing industry: “It should be with us forever. Just imagine walking into a grocery store without any labels on the cans…You stop the presses and you stop time.” Unions Represented: Carter: Superior Printing; Ward: Graphic Communications International Union

Dates

Creation: August 22, 1995

Creator

From the Collection: Georgia State University. Southern Labor Archives (Organization)
From the Collection: Lutz, Chris (Interviewer, Person)
From the Collection: LaPorte, Philip A. (Interviewer, Person)
From the Collection: Kata, Lauren (Interviewer, Person)
From the Collection: Reisinger, Andrew James, 1977- (Interviewer, Person)
From the Collection: Fishman, Marcia (Interviewer, Person)
From the Collection: Slawsky, Norman J., 1949- (Interviewer, Person)
From the Collection: Quest, Matthew (Interviewer, Person)

Restrictions on Access

Oral history available for research.

Biographical Note

Frank Carter was born on October 23, 1903 in Tampa, Florida. Much of his life was dominated by his involvement in the printing industry. He became owner of Superior Printing Company in 1937 and thereafter was influential in his company and the industry in general. Affiliations include the Printing Industry Association of Georgia (PIAG), International Brotherhood of Bookbinders (IBB), the International Printing Pressman and Assistants Union (IPPAU). Carter’s organizational positions include election as President of the PIAG from 1960 to 1961. Mr. Carter passed away in January 1997.; Howard Ward was born February 12, 1924 in Harlan, Kentucky. He began working at Superior Printing in 1952. He has been a member of the International Printing Pressman and Assistants Union (IPPAU) and after the merger of printing and graphics unions, the Graphic Communications International Union (GCIU).