Recollections of Former (and Present) Employee's
Ernie Bousquet
AO Employee from 1956-1993 (37 years)
On February 21, 1956 I got a job at AO in the Zyl working
for Armand LaCross as a backorder clerk. One of the things I enjoyed most
about the Zyl was when I met Billy Duhamel a ping-pong player of many years.
We talked for hours and hours about ping- pong. Then I was transferred
to Lensdale working for Jim Tanzy inspecting disk from there I got a job
clearing 58 rounds under Eddy Lungstrum. Then we had a cutback and I went
upstairs in prescription, building 2L working for George Nealy. Things
started to pick up in the economy and I went back downstairs working for
Walt Siegmund in the meniscus inspecting section and then with Leo Dumas
and Frank Fose in the toric section. Later I went back to clearing
and at that time everyone was getting a better job. I had a chance
to go work in research under Colin Yates. From 1961 to 1972 I worked
for Colin. Later I worked in the fiber optics working for Don Drogue,
Henry Cole, Walter Seigmund. In 1973 I left fiber optics and went
back to AO working for John
Winthrop and Dave Lamarre to set up a new optical shop until my retirement
in 1993. Then I worked part-time for Laser Inc. until the present
time (2002). I met a lot of wonderful people, especially people who played
ping-pong, like Armand Matt, Chuck DePaula, Loniel Lavoie, George Bard
and many others. I remember working mostly for Colin Yates, teaching
me more than I ever thought I would learn.
AO Fiber optics 1970's photo; George
Carpenter holding the scope, with Ernie Bousqet in the grey coat