Lawrence D. Miles Value Foundation
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Lawrence Delos Miles -- 1904-1985

The Early Years: Born: April 21, 1904 -- Harvard, Nebraska. Parents: Delos Daniel Miles, Superintendant of Harvard School, and Vinetta Conkle Miles, elementary school teacher. 1906-1918: Moved to Dorsey, NE. Completed elementary school in Dorsey in May 1918. 1918-1921: Moved to Lincoln, NE. Attended University Place High School and completed in three years instead of the usual four years. 1921-1925: Attended Nebraska Wesleyan University; received AB degree, majoring in education and minoring in business. 1925-1928: Served one year as a teacher and as the Principal of Winnebago High School. Served next year as an assistant cashier of First National Bank of Winnebago, NE. Served third year as teller at the Security National Bank, Creighton, NE.

Larry at home, circa 1980

1932-1938: Worked as a design engineer at GE under W.C. White, Manager of the Vacuum Tube Engineering Dept. In six years, he earned twelve patents for his new designs of vacuum tubes and related circuits.

1938-1944: Transferred to GE Purchasing Dept., working under Harry Erlicher, VP Purchasing. Worked with vendors to obtain lower costs, then with change of emphasis to procure adequate quantities for the war effort.

1944-1947: Transferred to Locke Insulator, Baltimore, MD, a subsidiary of GE, as manager of Purchasing. Saw first-hand both the productive and destructive force of human attitudes and practices, and their effect on appropriate designs and appropriate costs.

Fall 1947: Returned to Schenectady, NY to Mr. Erlicher's staff and was placed under William Sredenscheck who gave him full support to produce an approach for GE to improve cost and productivity.