Arthur Hill Technical High School - Technician Yearbook (Saginaw, MI)

Page 42 text:

z 1 When the school opened in l9l3, pattern making was one of the five courses open to boys. At that time four years were required to complete the course, later, four semesters in two years. Today we have three semesters neces- sary for graduation from the Tech course and four semesters required for the Trade course. y The purpose of the course is to train the students in the proper use of the machinery and tools that they will use when they become pattern makers, and to develop their ability to visualize the design of a moldable pattern from a print. Before one becomes a iourneyman pattern maker, he must serve three or more years ldepending on the shop enteredl as an apprentice after his schooling. The apprentice pattern maker, with an Arthur Hill Tech background, is far ahead of the regular high school graduate. He has the background necessary for building toward successful iourneymanship. Cur pattern shop is well equipped with the same machines as found in a commercial pattern shop. Besides equipment for wood pattern making, metal work is carried on to the extent that we need the patterns for our school pro- duction. Success of our pattern graduates is evidenced by the fact that every iob shop in Saginaw is owned in whole or part by Trade boys. Corporation shops, too, are well served by former students as iourneymen, lead-off men, checkers, layout men, foremen, and supervisors. Here is a trade that is as old as the casting of metal and we know the Chinese were doing this three thousand years ago. Here also is a trade that will not die because of automation nor the atomic age. This kind of custom building is the very beginning of all mechanical experimentation and the even- tual production of the standard part. For the Tech student it is the one subiect that teaches the inter-relationship and dependency of one to another among the metal trades. The present teacher is Mr. Paul E. Jaquish. For one five year period, Mr. George H. Fern, who was later the Director of the State Board of Control for Vocational Education, was the instructor.