In the Age of Steel: Oral Histories from Bethlehem Pennsylvania -- Women of Bethlehem Steel - Mary Morykon

Annotation Mary Morykon was born in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania and her father emigrated from Ukraine. During World War II she worked as a machine operator at Bethlehem Steel. Prior to this she worked at the R.K. Laris silk mill and subsequent to her position at Bethlehem Steel she worked as a floor lady at a bathing suit factory for 25 years. In this interview she discusses her work at Bethlehem Steel including work environment, hiring process, safety, work processes, work relationships with foremen and matrons, reasons for working, the ethnic mix of workers in the plant, her parent's attitude towards her work, and attending night school to learn how to operate metal-working machinery. She also discusses her regrets of not furthering her education, early discrimination, her father's work at Bethlehem Steel, details of her work as a floor lady, working as a waitress, and her views on feminism. 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.