Business screen magazine (1946)

a-v man William W. Walton. Manager of Audiovisual. CCTVVTR and Reproduction Services, at IBM Corporate Headquarters, IS Business Screen's A-V Man in this continuing series of profiles of leaders in the industrial audio-visual world. Anyone who had gone to the fights at the old Philadelphia Arena back before the war might have seen a little kid scrambling into the ring between the rounds holding up a huge numbered card to show what round was coming up next. That was little Bill Walton, already embarked on an audio-visual career as a topflight visual presentation man. He lettered the cards himself and his pay was the opportunity of getting in free. The same Bill Walton is now charged with the management of audio-visual, C'rT\'-VTR and reproduction services at IBM Corporate Headquarters in Armonk, N.Y. In between, he's had enough jobs to fill the resumes of a dozen guys and has picked up solid expertise in almost ever\' form of visual communications known to man. Walton is a native of Philadelphia, and comes from a long line of Ihreemasicd schooner skippers. One direct ancestor was George Walton, a signer of the Declaration of Independence. But by the time Bill was ready for school it was Hard Knocks Prep all the way. He majored in commercial art at the High School of Commerce in New York's Hell's Kitchen, later went on to Walter Hcrvcy Junior College. Hunter College and New York University. 28 May/June. 1973— BUSINESS SCREEN During this time, he started on his first real job — again making posters — at "The l.umbs". the famous theatrical club in New York. Prior to becoming a Navy "swab jockey" in World War II, Walton worked as art director of "Aero Notes", an aircraft workers' publication, and was cited by the UAW-CIO as one of the best labor cartoonists on the east coast. In a remarkable reversal of its usual form, the Navy put Bill Walton to work at something he knew something about: art direction and cartooning. He did both for "South Atlantic News'", published by the Navy in Brazil, but Bill's regular cartoon strips, "Salty" and "Joe Glulz' were also picked up by Navy papers in Canada, the Pacific and Europe. He later drew, for United States Army Forces, South America, a strip called "Shadrack O'Shannon". South Atlantic's equivalent of "Sad Sack". After the war, Walton freelanced as a cartoonist, doing "Captain Marvel". "Captain American", "Human Torch". "Blonde Phantom', and "Brenda Starr, Repwrter" by Dale Mcs,sick for the Chicago Tribune. But developing an acute anxiety neurosis as a result of the crusade against comics by Mother's Clubs and even the U.S. Congress, he turned to storyboards. which was a natural transition and a lucrative one. He became art director at the old Caravel Films in New York and later bounced over to Transfilm, Dcpicto and Tomlin Film Productions. He liked this work. "No school could ever teach what I learned from Joe Dunford now head of Pelican Films, and Carl and Fred Tomlin. of Tomlin Film Productions." he says. But Walton's best opportunity came in 1957 when he joined IBM. working in corporate communications, product display and as art director of a company publication, "Business Machines". Now, as Manager of Audio-Visual. CCTV-VTR and Reproduction Services at IBM-Armonk. Bill Walton wears three hats. His responsibilities include the direction, planning and development of effective audio-visual presentations using CCTV, video tapes and other A-V media. He negotiates and coordinates the purchase and rental of motion pictures, slides, audio and video tape recording and related electronic equipment. He reviews and evaluates all A-V and reproduction equipment purchases for IBM's corporate division. He operates a photo sludio that supports F\eculive Development. Internal Publications and Personnel Department requirements. coordinates production of all reproduction processes and provides professional guidance for special projects and selection of media. In fact, if it's printed or projected at IBM headquarters, Walton's department handles it. Walton has been active for many years in several associations of professionals in his specializations. He is a past president of the National Visual Presentation Association and of the Industrial Audio-Visual Association, maintains active memberships in the American Institute of Graphic Arts and the In-Plant Printing Managers Association. His work has won awards for excellence from the NVPA and lAVA. as well as Financial World Magazine, and the Printing Industries Association of Metropolitan New York. Outside of office hours. Bill Walton lives in Ridgefield. Conn., with his wife Elli. daughter Wendy, son Scott and dog Charlie. He is a Sunday painter, a Little League father, a photo enthusiast and a sometime auto mechanic. He is active in community affairs, recently participated in a drug use task force representing Ridgefield church groups by contributing his own cartoons, posters and signs (see cut). 'fOOP FOR TMOOHHt' Bill Walton's cartoons work for his com nuinity church groups. Talking to a group of fellow businessmen recently about the position of audio-visual in business today, Walton said. "In today's dynamic and competitive economy, never before have so many business men been called upon to communicate the corporate I policies, strategies and long range ' planning of management. Progressive thinking executives have capitalized on the persuasiveness of audio-visuals. continued on pane 55 1