Bethlehem Steel research culture (Tom's early career)

Things like the finite element analysis — I learned finite element analysis when I worked at Bethlehem Steel. They put me in a course. It was the mid-70s, it was sort of a new technology then. I was all excited, I was going to go and solve this spot-welding problem using the finite element analysis. I went to my boss and I said I want to do this project. He says, no, we don't think that's worthwhile. This is in the research department of the second largest steel company in the world. I said, well, I'll do it on my own time because I was interested from an academic point of view. No. I said, well I'll do it on Saturdays. No. I said all I need is an account number to use the mainframe computer — we didn't have personal computers in the 70s. Nope, they wouldn't allow me to do it.