In the Age of Steel: Oral Histories from Bethlehem Pennsylvania -- Robert F. Silfies

Annotation Robert F. Silfies started with Bethlehem Steel in 1917 as a payroll clerk and later advanced to positions such as chief of payroll for the Bethlehem plant, supervisor of Social Security, and tax accountant. Prior to working at Bethlehem Steel he was a schoolteacher. In this interview Silfies discusses life as a schoolteacher prior to World War I, payroll procedures, implementing Social Security and tax withholding, working with the draft board representing the accounting department during World War II, salary increases, the company stock plan, and local sports. This interview is part of a series of interviews conducted by Lehigh University students and faculty from 1974 through 1977 focusing on retired Bethlehem Steel workers, business people, and the heirs of industrial magnates. The project was co-sponsored by Bethlehem Steel Corporation, who provided contact information for retired steel workers. An oral history interview is an act of memory and hence both highly selective and highly subjective. While it accurately reflects what a narrator remembers (or chooses to tell) of his or her experience and viewpoints, it may not accurately represent what actually transpired or what another person may have experienced. As such users should subject interviews to the same degree of critical scrutiny they would any other historical source.