The Oil Capital Air NEWSLETTER of the NORTHEASTERN OKLAHOMA CHAPTER of the AMERICAN SOCIETY of HEATING, REFRIGERATING and AIR-CONDITIONING ENGINEERS, INC. VOLUME XLIII TULSA, OKLAHOMA FEBRUARY 2002 No. 6 CONTENTS: DID YOU KNOW · · · ·? · President’s Message The February meeting will be special for The following story was sent “anonymously” to the · Did You Know · · · ·? a number of reasons. Not only is it newsletter editor. · February Meeting Spouse’s Night, but it also happens to · January Meeting Review land on the 14th,St. Valentine’s Day. · January Tech Session Review Along with the obligatory candy and · History Recall – Red Bud Filter · Student Activities flowers, you can treat your “sweetie” to · Research Promotion a romantic evening at ASHRAE. · Membership Promotion Anyone wishing to bring a friend or · TEGA associate is more than welcome. Social · Nominating Committee Hour begins at 5:30pm and dinner is at · Minutes of January Meeting 6:30. · Minutes of January BOG Meeting FEBRUARY CHAPTER MEETING: Oklahoma’s First Lady, Cathy Keating February 14, 2002 (THURSDAY) was to be our program speaker for SPOUSES’ NIGHT – ENGINEER February. Politics being what it is, we RECOGNITION NIGHT were dropped from her schedule after Ron Spencer Tulsa Marriott Southern Hills the election. Thanks to some st st A HISTORY OF THE HISTORIAN 71 & Lewis (On 71 west of Lewis) brainstorming at the Board of Governors 5:30 Hospitality meeting, Nancy Clowdus has arranged Cold blew the wind on that February (no Tech Session) th a very special program by a member of 20 ; a foreboding sign of what was to 6:30 Dinner and Business come. It was 1938 in Konawa, 7:00 Program the Oklahoma Historical Society. It Cost: $20.00 should be an entertaining and Oklahoma. The nation was emerging informative evening. (See Nancy’s from the Great Depression, the dust article on page two.) bowl was ending, and the world was on the verge of entering the World War II. This month is also Consulting Engineers But on that day in 1938 a gust that has Recognition Night. This is our chance to never stopped blowing entered the show these members that we world. His name was Ron Spencer. As appreciate their contributions as leaders he will tell you, ask him the time and in the HVAC&R industry. he’ll tell you how to build a watch. Over his nearly 64 years he has amassed a Although it seems like a long way off, it fortune in knowledge that few of us in is not too early to start making plans to the air conditioning industry will ever attend this year’s CRC April 25th-27th. know. Since Little Rock is the host chapter the commute will be easier than in most By degree he became a chemical PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE years. The Arkansas Chapter CRC engineer, by profession a recognized By Bill Hanlon committee has been working hard to put expert in the field of refrigeration. What better place for a man of his stature to We had an excellent turnout for the together a first class conference. start his career than working for a January chapter meeting, including a mortician in the small town of Konawa. large number of guests and prospective My lovely young bride and I look forward But this lasted only a while. As he tells it, new members. The panel discussion on to visiting with you and your guests on when working for a small town mortician legionella was well received. I would like Valentine’s Day. See you at the you’re either looking for work or burying to thank Mike Gulizio, Keith Browne and Marriott. your friends. After attending East Jon Liechti, all members of our chapter, Bill Hanlon can be reached at 622-1500 Central College in Ada, Oklahoma, with for sharing their time and expertise with several chemistry courses under his the rest of us. One of the main reasons belt, Ron moved on to work for an our chapter is among the best in Atomic Energy Commission sub- ASHRAE is that we have many contractor in Grants, New Mexico in knowledgeable people willing to Accept 1957. (Yes, he got a security the Challenge to help the chapter grow. The Oil Capital Air FEBRUARY 2002 Page 2 clearance!) But atomic bombs were not learned something I had not known Mike lives and breathes history. Before his calling, so he entered Oklahoma before. retiring and going to work for the University in 1959 where he received his Oklahoma Historical Society, he taught Chemical Engineering degree in 1963. There are many testimonies to Ron’s American History and Sociology in the love of passing his knowledge on to Moore Public School system for 20+ Ron signed up with the Trane Company others. He worked with a young man years. He was honored as Oklahoma’s after graduation and (if you can believe who was starting his own residential Teacher of the Year in 1989. this) requested an assignment in refrigeration business and guided him Oklahoma City, but instead was through the theory that one has to know Mr. Adkins specializes in “living history” assigned to the Dallas office. After two to make it all work. He has spoken at and “reenactment.” This involves years of Texas he decided Oklahoma numerous seminars and taught training dressing in authentic costume and was still home and requested a transfer. classes for newcomers and old-timers in acting out the lives of characters from Opportunity knocked in Tulsa. From the business. Even Arkansas history. Mr. Adkins incorporated this rookie sales engineer in 1963 to part recognized his ability when he was into his teaching and did it as a hobby in owner of the Tulsa office in 1981, he called to speak on fan laws at an NEBB many movies and documentaries before developed into the most knowledgeable training class. going into it full time. He has appeared refrigeration expert that the in reenactment scenes in the hit movies Northeastern Oklahoma Chapter of Within the NEOK chapter, Ron has “Geronimo” and “Far and Away,” and ASHRAE, and likely Region VIII, has faithfully contributed at board meetings the TV miniseries “North and South.” ever known. Never at a loss for words, and chapter meetings throughout the Ron could not only answer any years. His knowledge is so extensive; For our program, he will take us through refrigeration question one had, he could he can speak on any HVAC&R subject. the life of a civil war soldier and field diagram it on a Mollier Chart, give you I recall one chapter meeting when the questions from the audience. Mr. the theory behind it, and design it for Tech Session speaker failed to show Adkins taught yours truly in high school you. up, and Ron was asked to fill in on a and I can say that we are all in for a big moment’s notice. He immediately treat this month. He has served the NEOK chapter in agreed and spoke for 45 minutes Nancy Clowdus can also be reached at (918) 491- every capacity, including president in straight from the cuff. No one had any 6600 or [email protected] 1978, and has served Region VIII as idea this was completely ad lib. JANUARY TECH SESSION RVC in Refrigeration. One of his many REVIEW accomplishments is receiving the As deep as Ron’s knowledge runs, he By Pam Dunlap, Tech Session Chair Region VIII Regional Award of Merit. often claims to have Alzheimer’s Along the way he raised three children disease. But don’t let him fool you; he and put them through college while never forgets a debt. He relates the starting his own business in 1986. He story of a friend who borrowed five resurrected what had become a defunct dollars in high school and never paid it York presence in Tulsa as he started back. Now, 45 years later, after his Optimum Systems and Service (OSS). friend is dead, Ron is still trying to figure While making great personal sacrifice to out how to get his five dollars back, plus keep this new fledging business going, interest. Ron, that’s called selective he never missed a payroll for his Alzheimer’s. employees. Ron eventually sold OSS to Airetech Corporation and is now the For the past several years Ron has branch manager in Tulsa. served the NEOK chapter as historian. Bill Leizear of LAKOS There could not be a more fitting person The technical session began an evening But the real story behind Ron Spencer for the job. Ron is a walking history. of eye-opening, meaningful information is his unfailing loyalty to what is right. I’ve heard that he was present when ice that amazed many members. Bill He is a vanishing breed. As he will tell was first used to refrigerate food. (Of Leizear with LAKOS shared a Power you, there is no gray; everything is black course the food was chicken.) Ron, for Point presentation of bacterial growth in and white. Ron would rather lose a sale all the years of service and dedication to cooling towers. He began with a brief than to sell a job that has a the NEOK chapter members, a heart discussion of what may happen when misapplication of equipment or felt thanks from all of us. cooling tower mismanagement occurs. technology. And he has the knack to Tune in next month to see if the author of the above article “fesses-up”. The regular program for the evening foresee this before it is built. Instead, he would be going into more depth so he will help solve a problem on a job, which continued by explaining the methods of he originally declined to bid, because it controlling bacterial growth.