Interview with Ruby Carol Raulston Smith, January 14, 2009

Partial Transcript: So when did you first start working at Jim Beam?

Segment Synopsis: Ruby Carol Raulston Smith talks about coming to work at Jim Beam in 1957 and what she had heard about it from people who worked there. She talks about the job she held while in high school at a drugstore before beginning to work for Jim Beam.

Keywords: Careers; Churches; Drugstores; Employees; Jim Beam Distillery; Jobs; Occupations; Social life; Treatment; Workers; Working conditions

Subjects: Distilleries--Kentucky; Employment--Kentucky; James B. Beam Distilling Company; Whiskey industry--Kentucky

Partial Transcript: So, um, when you first started working at Jim Beam, what were you doing at the plant?

Segment Synopsis: Smith says that when she first began working for Jim Beam, all of the women employees did line work. She talks about the wage gap between male and female employees. She talks about how the women were treated as workers and how their work changed after gender equality was enforced.

Keywords: Careers; Christmas packages; Dresses; Employees; Equal rights; Equality; Fairness; Gender; Interactions; Jim Beam Distillery; Jobs; Laid off; Layoffs; Line work; Married; Men; Occupations; Pay; Positions; Relationships; Skills; Talking; Treatment; Uniforms; Wage gap; Women; Work environment; Workers; Working conditions

Subjects: Discrimination in employment; Distilleries--Kentucky; Employment--Kentucky; Gender issues; James B. Beam Distilling Company; Sex discrimination against women; Sex role; Whiskey industry--Kentucky; Women in the whiskey industry

Partial Transcript: So did you like working at Jim Beam more after equal rights or less?

Segment Synopsis: Smith says she had not intended to work at Jim Beam for very long but her husband was diagnosed with a brain tumor and she became the breadwinner for her family. She talks about the medical treatment her husband received.

Keywords: Benefits; Brain tumors; Breadwinners; Cancer; Careers; Family; Husbands; Income; Insurance; Jim Beam Distillery; Jobs; Medical treatment; Occupations; Work

Subjects: Distilleries--Kentucky; Employment--Kentucky; Families.; James B. Beam Distilling Company; Medical care; Whiskey industry--Kentucky

Partial Transcript: Um, so, so tell me a little bit about--you mentioned the union a few times.

Segment Synopsis: Smith talks about the role of the union at the distillery and talks about some of the ways she was treated unfairly.

Keywords: Careers; Employees; Equality; Fairness; Foremen; Gender; Jim Beam Distillery; Jobs; Men; Occupations; Overtime; Racism; Sexism; Training; Treatment; Union dues; Women; Work environment; Workers; Working conditions

Subjects: Discrimination in employment; Distilleries--Kentucky; Employment--Kentucky; Gender issues; James B. Beam Distilling Company; Labor unions--Kentucky; Sex discrimination against women; Sex role; Whiskey industry--Kentucky; Women in the whiskey industry

Partial Transcript: So, um, for many years your job title was as Operator.

Segment Synopsis: Smith talks about becoming a distillery operator and describes the duties of the position. She describes the process of distilling. She talks more about how she was treated as an employee.

Keywords: Appreciation; Careers; Distillery operators; Employees; Fermenters; Ingredients; Instructions; Jim Beam Distillery; Job titles; Jobs; Laboratories; Labs; Mash cookers; Men; Occupations; Recipes; Responsibility; Samples; Sexism; Stills; Training; Treatment; Trust; Women; Work environment; Workers; Working conditions; Yeast

Subjects: Bourbon whiskey; Distillation.; Distilleries--Kentucky; Distillers.; Employment--Kentucky; James B. Beam Distilling Company; Whiskey industry--Kentucky

Partial Transcript: So who were your supervisors over the years?

Segment Synopsis: Smith lists some of the supervisors she worked under throughout her career. She talks about her relationships with her supervisors as well as relationships among coworkers.

Keywords: Baker Beam; Booker Noe (Frederick Booker Noe II); Careers; Coworkers; Employees; Experimentation; Experiments; Family; Foremen; Fred Noe (Frederick Booker Noe III); Interactions; Jim Beam Distillery; Jobs; Occupations; Positions; Relationships; Talking; Treatment; Women; Work environment; Workers; Working conditions

Subjects: Distilleries--Kentucky; Employment--Kentucky; Families.; James B. Beam Distilling Company; Whiskey industry--Kentucky

Partial Transcript: So, um, since you worked there for a long time, you must have seen a lot of changes in the way the bourbon was made.

Segment Synopsis: Smith discusses how distilling has changed over time, from most process being done by hand, to being done by machines, and now by computers. She talks about the job loss that occurred due to the mechanization of processes. She talks about how the employees adjusted to the new technology. She talks about the transition that occurred when the distillery was bought by National Distillers.

Keywords: "The Hill"; Adjustment; Automatic; By hand; Careers; Changes; Computers; Employees; Fermenters; Glass dumpers; Jim Beam Distillery; Job cuts; Job elimination; Job loss; Jobs; Labelling; Labels; Machines; National Distillers; Occupations; Positions; Speed; Technology; Tension; Transitions; Treatment; Unions; Work environment; Workers; Working conditions

Subjects: Bourbon whiskey; Distillation.; Distilleries--Kentucky; Distillers.; Employment--Kentucky; James B. Beam Distilling Company; Labor unions--Kentucky; Technological innovations; Whiskey industry--Kentucky

Partial Transcript: So when you retired from Jim Beam, um, would you s, would you say that percentage-wise there were more or less women working in the plant?

Segment Synopsis: Smith talks more about how women were treated as workers at the distillery. She talks about the level of education required to work at the distillery.

Keywords: "Man's world"; Acceptance; Attitudes; Careers; Classes; Computers; Elizabethtown (Ky.); Employees; Foremen; High school; Intimidated; Jim Beam Distillery; Jobs; Line work; Lines; Occupations; Positions; Relationships; Retirement; Standards; Talking; Training; Treatment; University of Kentucky; Women; Work environment; Workers; Working conditions

Subjects: Discrimination in employment; Distilleries--Kentucky; Education; Employment--Kentucky; Gender issues; James B. Beam Distilling Company; Sex discrimination against women; Sex role; Technological innovations; Whiskey industry--Kentucky; Women in the whiskey industry

Partial Transcript: So are you originally from Shepherdsville?

Segment Synopsis: Smith talks about some of the benefits to the community of Shepherdsville of having the Jim Beam distillery in their area, including more tax money to fund their schools. She talks about the reasons people may not like having the distillery in the area.

Keywords: Benefits; Careers; Churches; Companies; Cultures; Downsides; Drinking; Dry counties; Employees; Jim Beam Distillery; Jobs; Negatives; Occupations; Pride; Products; School systems; Shepherdsville (Ky.); Taxes; Workers

Subjects: Alcohol--Taxation--United States.; Bullitt County (Ky.); Distilleries--Kentucky; Education--Kentucky; Employment--Kentucky; James B. Beam Distilling Company; Religion; Whiskey industry--Kentucky

Partial Transcript: So from all of your time at Jim Beam, all forty-seven years, are there any stories or occasions that happened to you that stand out especially?

Segment Synopsis: Smith talks about the Christmas parties that were once held for the employees of the Jim Beam distillery. She talks more about relationships among coworkers.

Keywords: Bourbon whiskey; Christmas parties; Coworkers; Drinking; Employees; Family; Interactions; Jim Beam Distillery; Relationships; Talking; Treatment; Work environment; Workers; Working conditions

Subjects: Distilleries--Kentucky; Employment--Kentucky; Families.; James B. Beam Distilling Company; Whiskey industry--Kentucky

Partial Transcript: So if you were to sum everything all up, how would you describe the overall character of the Jim Beam company?

Segment Synopsis: Smith talks more about the work environment at Jim Beam and mentions some of the harder jobs at the distillery. She talks about videos that were made for the one millionth barrel and for the History Channel.

Keywords: Automatic; Barrels; Busy; Careers; Character; Computers; Coworkers; Documentaries; Duties; Employees; Family; History Channel; Interactions; Jim Beam Distillery; Jobs; Labor; Machines; Occupations; One million barrels; Positions; Relationships; Responsibilities; Technology; Treatment; Videos; Work environment; Workers; Working conditions

Subjects: Distilleries--Kentucky; Employment--Kentucky; Families.; James B. Beam Distilling Company; Technological innovations; Whiskey industry--Kentucky

Partial Transcript: So, you mentioned tourism. Um, when did tourists start coming to Jim Beam?

Segment Synopsis: Smith talks about the popularity of tourism at the Jim Beam distillery. The interview is concluded.

Keywords: Clean; Distance; Drinking; Experiences; International; Investments; Jim Beam Distillery; Popularity; Tourists; Tours

Subjects: Bourbon whiskey; Consumers.; Distillation.; Distilleries--Kentucky; James B. Beam Distilling Company; Product demonstrations; Tourism.; Whiskey industry--Kentucky