Crissey
Frances Willson Thompson Library
Genesee Historical Collections Center
Name of the collection: Orlo L. Crissey
Inclusive dates: 1944-1975
Size of the collection: 2 linear ft.
Acquisition: The collection (donor no. 089) was deposited with the Genesee Historical Collections Center in February, 1985.
Access: There are no restrictions on access.
Photographs: Six photographs were removed and cataloged separately.
Processed by: Darwin C. Matthews, November, 1985.
BIOGRAPHY
Dr. Orlo L. Crissey was born in Norfolk, Nebraska, on December 29, 1904. He received his doctorate from the State University of Iowa and in 1937 was named the director of the Flint Child Guidance Center. In 1942, he began working at AC Spark Plug Division of General Motors Corporation in Flint as the Educational Director and Industrial Psychologist. From 1948 until his retirement in 1970, he worked at General Motors Institute as Director of Personnel Evaluation Services and as a special assistant to the President of GMI. After retiring, Dr. Crissey continued working as a consultant for various American industrial enterprises.
Dr. Crissey's principal research interests while at AC concerned methods of selecting employees for specific jobs and helping returning veterans adjust to civilian life and employment. Under Crissey's direction, over 14,000 men and women participated in AC's vocational guidance program. At GMI he was involved in programs that focused on improving the quality of the work environment through recognition of the importance of people, their potential for development, and the need for activities and programs to develop that potential.
Dr. Crissey was active in state and national professional organizations, especially the American Psychological Association, serving as president of the A.P.A.'s Division of Business and Industrial Psychology and being named a fellow of the A.P.A.'s Division of Industrial, Consulting, and Clinical Psychology. He also served as President of the Committee on Certification of the Michigan Psychological Association. He served as a board member on the Flint Council of Social Agencies, the Flint Community Chest, and the Kiwanis Club.
He had three children from his marriage to Jennie Crissey. In 1966 he married Marie Skodak. He died September 4, 1993.
SCOPE AND CONTENT
The Orlo L. Crissey Papers are arranged into six major subgroups. These include the Flint Guidance Center, the Michigan Industrial Training Council, AC Spark Plug Division of General Motors, General Motors Institute, consulting activities, and the Flint Kiwanis Club. The largest amount of materials deals with Dr. Crissey's activities at AC and GMI. The reports, speeches, and studies in these files reflect Dr. Crissey's pioneering activities in the field of industrial psychology. The Flint Kiwanis Club papers include materials concerning the Kiwanis Health Camp and board correspondence.
FOLDER LIST
BOX 1
FLINT GUIDANCE CENTER, 1944
MICHIGAN INDUSTRIAL TRAINING, 1943-1948
Constitution
Correspondence
Membership lists
Memoranda, reports, speeches
(1 of 2)
(2 of 2)
Newsletter
AC SPARK PLUG DIVISION OF GENERAL MOTORS CORPORATION, 1942-1948
Correspondence
Reports and tests
"The Use of Tests in Industry: Basic Principles," by Orlo L. Crissey, 1947
"Psychological Tests as an Aid to the Interview," by Wilma T. Donahue, 1945
"Personnel Test Inventory," by W. J. Thompson, 1948
"Basic Philosophies Underlying the Thinking of Our Manufacturing Supervision in Their Relations with Their Employees," AC Spark Plug
Division, no date
"Working with Individuals: A Course Summary," AC Spark Plug Division Educational Department
S. A. I. Conference "Duties of the General Foreman, Departmental Foreman, Foreman, and Jobsetter," 1944-1945
Topical files
Civil Service Commission
Engineering education
Flint Industrial Executives' Club
Follow-up study of deaf employees at AC
Gasoline rations
General Motors Institute - Course design
Hanman, Bert - Correspondence
Institute for Community Research
Midwestern Psychological Association - "Problems and Trends in Industrial Psychology as a Profession"
Problems of civilian handicapped
Process engineering
Psychological Corporation
Purdue University
(1 of 2)
(2 of 2)
United States Rubber Company
Wayne University. School of Occupational Health
GENERAL MOTORS INSTITUTE, 1948-1969
Correspondence
Reports and projects
General Motors Institute presentation to the Employee Relations Policy Committee
Hints on interviewing
Improving the quality of our product
Long-range managerial development
Managerial development
Nervous fatigue and boredom
Outline of planned performance approach
Personnel evaluation services
Picture of research activity
A planned performance evaluation and improvement program for management
Psychologists in Industry group
Research team basic statement
Suggested questions for interviewing
Techniques of employment interviewing
Topical files, 1948-1969
Affirmative action program
Benefits of the job evaluation performance of the Harrison Radiator Division
Correspondence
Division 14, American Psychological Association
Hess Oil and Chemical Company
National Safety Congress
President's Conference on Industrial Safety
Purdue University
Wrangler's Club
CONSULTING ACTIVITIES, NO-NAME GROUP, 1972-1976
(1 of 2)
(2 of 2)
KIWANIS CLUB OF FLINT
Kiwanis Club Health Camp
Board correspondence
Miscellaneous