Spotlight on June Schaefer

By Adrienne Tange

For almost 50 years, June Schaefer, an East Bay STC member, has worked off and on as a technical communicator. During this time, she has witnessed the birth of computers and the Internet.

In 1952, June graduated from H. Sophie Newcomb Memorial College, the women's division of Tulane University of Louisiana, as a chemistry major. Shell Development Company, a large research lab in Emeryville, was searching for female chemistry graduates to work in the Technical Information Department. Shell needed someone to read, index, and abstract its research reports. Because she wanted to return to California, June accepted the job.

June worked as a Chemical Abstractor for about six years, and then took a hiatus to raise a family. During the early 1970s, June worked at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory as a secretary in the Theoretical Physics Department. She also began attending STC meetings in hopes of getting a technical editor position.

Becoming a Technical Writer

In February 1978, M. B. Associates in San Ramon hired June as a Technical Writer to write a final report on a coal-mining vehicle. The technical writing process back then was laborious. June wrote the entire report in longhand and then passed it to a secretary to type. June would then proof that draft and return it back for corrections.

Later June accepted a contract with Science Applications in Pleasanton. However, the contract June was working on—a contract with the Shah of Iran for chaff dispenser training manuals—was abruptly cancelled when the Shah's government was overthrown by the revolution in Iran. So June's job was cancelled as well.

Landing THE Job

June then turned to Coralyn McGregor, who was the Pacifica Chapter's Employment Manager at the time. Back then, the Employment Manager collected letters from headhunters, clipped ads from newspapers, and then distributed this packet to members requesting job information. June sent her resume to one of the headhunters, and got an interview with Dalmo Victor in Belmont, a division of Textron.

June accepted the position at Dalmo Victor to document their threat warning system for military aircraft. She worked there for 10 years.

June has been very active in STC. She has held the positions of Treasurer and Arrangements Manager. Because she wanted to document sources of technical writing courses or training for technical communicators, she created the position of Education Chairman and held that position in the chapter for several years.

In 1992, she organized the Northern California Chapters Dr. Kenneth M. Gordon Memorial Scholarship program. The program continues today and is funded from proceeds from the yearly Northern California Technical Communications Competition. June chaired the scholarship fund committee for three years and then served as Treasurer for three years. June currently is the chapter's History/Archives Project Manager.

The Devil Mountain Views -- Jan/Feb 2002
(ebstc.org/newsletter/front.html)
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