Historical Photo of the Month - June 2007

The ERC, 1951
Photograph Number JB-1003

In 1951 one rather small (500 square foot) building was shared by the JPL Fire Department, First Aid, and the JPL Employees Recreation Club (ERC). The August issue of Lab-Oratory identified the man standing in the doorway as JPL Fire Chief Jack Lawless. He "... is shown guarding his portals - lest he be completely crowded out by the fast increasing JPL employee activities."

The ERC was very active at JPL, beginning around 1950. At one point, the ERC Council had 27 members. Each year the ERC sponsored 2 dances, a picnic, a children's Christmas party, sports activities (baseball, basketball, volleyball, golf, bowling, tennis, badminton) and clubs (motorsports, rod & gun, chess, lapidary, stamp, short wave, etc.) During the lunch hour, it provided horseshoes, playing cards, and games for employee use. It sent flowers and cards to employees in the event of illness or death, and gifts for marriages and births. It lobbied for improved benefits and compiled a list of local merchants offering JPL discounts. Nearly half of JPL's 1,000 employees were members of the ERC by 1953. Many of these activities are still going on at JPL today, but are now handled by Human Resources and the JPL Store.

Building 104 no longer exists. It was located on the south side of Explorer Road, where JPL buses and other vehicles are now parked.

[Archival sources: Photo albums and indexes, History Collection document 3-850, various issues of Lab-Oratory, JPL maps, and JPL telephone directories.] For more detailed information about the history of JPL, contact the JPL Archives for assistance.