Organizers of Jobs Inc. honored with street names
Published 12:00 am Sunday, February 8, 2004
By Ed Shannon, Looking Back
There are two Albert Lea streets which have been named to honor city citizens who were the leaders in the formation of Jobs, Inc. 60 years ago.
One of those streets is Myers Road on the city’s southeast side which is a part of the Jobs Inc. Industrial Park. It was named for Charles E, &uot;Charley&uot; Myers.
The other street is on the city’s north side. This is Sykes Street, located between the Northbridge Mall and the HyVee store. It’s named for William H. &uot;Bill&uot; Sykes.
Myers was born on a farm near Thornton, Iowa, in 1899. The family moved to Bloomington, Wis., where he graduated from high school. He attended the University of Wisconsin at Madison, and as a student joined the U.S. Navy in September 1918 in an officers’ training program. He was discharged in February 1919 and joined the newly organized American Legion in his hometown of Bloomington a few months later.
In June 1889, Myers was honored by the national headquarters of the American Legion for his 70 years of continuous membership.
After his discharge from military service, Myers and several partners purchased the Bloomington Light and Power Company. When this firm was purchased by Interstate Power Company in 1924, he became the district manager at Lancaster, Wis., then Oelwein, Iowa. He came to Albert Lea in 1937 as the district manager.
The 1988 Freeborn County Heritage Book describes a part of his contribution to the community this way: “In 1943 he was chairman of the Albert Lea/Freeborn County Postwar Planning Committee which, in cooperation with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, published ‘A Procedure for Community Postwar Planning’ which received national and international publicity. In 1944, he and 97 businessmen of Freeborn County developed Jobs, Incorporated, an economic development corporation. Myers was elected its first president and served in that position until 1960. He served as the chairman of the board from 1960 to 1974, and (continued) to serve as a special consultant to the board.”
Myers retired as Interstate’s district manager in 1964, then served as a consultant to the firm for five more years.
Myers served as president of the Kiwanis Club, was a life member of the Masonic Lodge, and was a member of Leo Carey Post 56 of the American Legion, and the Elks Club.
His nephew (the son of his wife’s sister) is Chief Justice William Rehnquist of the U.S. Supreme Court.
Myers died in June 1991.
Sykes was born during 1903 in Ida Grove, He attended school at Ida Grove and Northwestern University in Chicago. After college he returned to Ida Grove to work in his father’s bank.
Sykes worked in banking in Iowa from 1926 to 1935, when he began his career in Chamber of Commerce work. Most of his business life was spent serving as manager of Chambers of Commerce at Dickinson, N.D., and Estherville, Iowa, before coming to Albert Lea in December 1943 to serve as manager of the Chamber of Commerce. In previous years this organization had been operated as a part-time activity. During Sykes quarter century with the local Chamber of Commerce, there was a steady expansion of services to both the membership and community.
In early 1944, Sykes became closely associated with Myers in the formation of Jobs Incorporated. This local group of promoters, which gained national attention, was formed to provide economic development and expanded employment opportunities for the city and county in the years following World War II. Thus, he also became the secretary of the Jobs organization.
Sykes served in his dual capacities with the Chamber on a full-time basis, and Jobs, Inc. from its founding in 1944 until 1980. He retired from his position as manager of the Albert Lea Chamber of Commerce on Sept. 30, 1968, and resigned as secretary of Jobs, Inc. at the same time. He continued to serve Jobs, Inc. on a part-time basis until May 1980.
Sykes died in February 1993.
The concept of Jobs, Inc. (sometimes referred to as Jobs Ink) was developed during 1943, right in the middle of World War II. However, the actual date for its organization is Jan. 14, 1944. A Tribune article confirmed this with the following report:
&uot;Officers for Jobs, Incorporated, were elected Sunday at a meeting of the board of directors of that organization. C. E. Myers was elected president, Myron K. Pederson, vice-president, and William H. Sykes, secretary-treasurer. Mr. Sykes Is also executive secretary of the Albert Lea Chamber of Commerce.
&uot;The incorporators of Jobs, Incorporated, are Homer B. Chase, Elmer R. Peterson, Helmer Myre, Myron K. Pederson, H. P. Danielson, H.C. Bisgaard, Lyle H. Ostrander, Wm. H. Sykes, Roy W. Delaney, Harald Gulbrandson, Dr. C. F. Palmer, Charles E. Myers, L.R. Westcott, S.P. Hughes, T.M. Stewart, and Bennett 0. Knudson.
&uot;The board of directors of Jobs Incorporated, are Charles E. Myers, Roy W. Delaney, Homer B. Chase, Elmer R. Peterson, Bennett 0. Knudson, Edgar L. Hayek, Myron K. Pederson, Albert M. Skinner and Walter Stieler.&uot;
(Contact Ed Shannon at ed.shannon@albertleatribune.com, or call 379-3434.)