The Long and Quiet Road

The Natural Rubber Bureau Research Laboratory was a facility that conducted experiments in the 1950s to prove the viability of rubberized roads by embedding rubber in asphalt across the U.S. and Canada. The findings were published in the report “Stretching Highway Dollars with Rubber Roads” (1952). These studies demonstrated that such roads were longer-lasting, safer, slower to freeze, and less brittle below freezing than ordinary asphalt. The pavement provided better skid resistance and produced fewer cracks when compared to concrete, reducing maintenance costs for highway departments. 

The tests were part of a broader historical timeline of mixing rubber and asphalt dating back to the 1920s and earlier experiments in the Netherlands, confirming similar benefits. By 1954, the Bureau of Public Roads had also published laboratory studies evaluating various rubber powders, including those from scrap tires, styrene-butadiene rubber (SBR), and natural rubber, further validating the technology. 

Today, Rubberized Asphalt Concrete (RAC) is a noise-reducing pavement material that consists of regular asphalt concrete mixed with rubber made from recycled tires. It is currently used in many regions, though its use is not universal across America. While historically concentrated in warmer states like Arizona, California, Florida, Texas, and a couple of southeastern states, testing is expanding into northern regions of Washington, Colorado, and Missouri, with recent projects demonstrating improved durability and a quieter driving experience.

Note: Porous Elastic Road Surfaces are a type of low-noise pavement composed primarily of rubber granules, often from scrap tires, and mineral aggregates bound together with polyurethane resin rather than traditional asphalt. This composition creates a highly porous and elastic material that is even quieter, yet it faces challenges regarding durability and bonding.

Television Ratings: 1950s Part 4

A TOP 10 Nielsen ratings that charts changes over two seasons for selected popular shows of the 1950s. Check out my TOP 20 ratings charts (Parts 1-6) for the 1960s and (Parts 1-5) for the 1970s.

Wrapping up the 1950s, Westerns dominated the top 10 spots with the top three unwavering. Have Gun, Will Travel finished its run in top form. Wanted: Dead or Alive made its only appearance in its next-to-last season. The Danny Thomas Show remained solid among all the dusty gunplay, while the popular Father Knows Best finished its run with its highest rating.

Television Ratings: 1950s Part 3

A TOP 10 Nielsen ratings that charts changes over two seasons for selected popular shows of the 1950s. Check out my TOP 20 ratings charts (Parts 1-6) for the 1960s and (Parts 1-5) for the 1970s.

1956-58: I Love Lucy ended its run in the top spot, allowing Gunsmoke to shoot to number one. Two other long-running Westerns, Have Gun, Will Travel and The Life and Times of Wyatt Earp, were solid at mid-pack starting in 1957. I've Got A Secret was on an upward trajectory, offering the occasional format twists featuring host Garry Moore. December Bride remained solid until the end.

Television Ratings: 1950s Part 2

A TOP 10 Nielsen ratings that charts changes over two seasons for selected popular shows of the 1950s. Check out my TOP 20 ratings charts (Parts 1-6) for the 1960s and (Parts 1-5) for the 1970s.

1954-56: Some famous shows easily finished out the decade and beyond. I Love Lucy held the top spot, and its lead helped December Bride. Both The Jackie Gleason Show and Dragnet never returned to this ratings level. 

Television Ratings: 1950s Part 1

A TOP 10 Nielsen ratings that charts changes over two seasons for selected popular shows of the 1950s. Check out my TOP 20 ratings charts (Parts 1-6) for the 1960s and (Parts 1-5) for the 1970s.

1952-54: A few shows picked up steam in homes across America. I Love Lucy reigns as number one, and Arthur Godfrey's Talent Scouts makes a strong showing. While still enjoying radio success, Dragnet remains in top form since its debut in 1951, as has You Bet Your Life. The Colgate Comedy Hour finished its fifth of six seasons in respectable form.

Synopsis: Bewitched by Television

Some film actors found steady work and more exposure with the advent of television. 

Dick York (1928-1992)

For those who remember actor Dick York, he has been pigeon-holed as Darrin Stephens, the mortal, suffering husband of Samantha on the fantasy-comedy series, Bewitched (1964-69). His comedic double-takes, being frequently frustrated, and often angry with the physical transformations thrust upon him by his ungrateful mother-in-law, were classic trademarks of the character. Without his perfect comedic timing, the series would not have been the hit that it was. But there was much more to the versatile actor.

Born in Fort Wayne, Indiana, and growing up in Chicago, Dick York eventually handled drama and comedy with equal ease. After a stint in radio, his movie roles gained momentum by 1950, and four years later, he was cast as a teenager in the classic science fiction film, Them!. He co-starred in three famous movie productions in the Fifties and Sixties, notably They Came to Cordura (1959) with Gary Cooper, The Last Blitzkrieg that same year with Van Johnson, and a visible role as a teacher for Inherit the Wind a year later.

By far, his television work brought the most notoriety, however. He performed on the most popular series of the era. There were multiple appearances on the Kraft Television Theatre, Studio One, Playhouse 90, The Twilight Zone, and six episodes for Alfred Hitchcock Presents that provided some comedic and dramatic stand-outs. 1959 was a pivotal year for York. While filming the Cooper film above, he completely severed his right lower back muscles during a physical scene. An injury that would plague him the rest of his life, and eventually force him to bow out of Bewitched in 1969.

Note: Before television dominated the airwaves, radio reigned supreme. The above inset is a capture of fifteen-year-old Dick York in the situation comedy, “That Brewster Boy” (1941-45). York was the third Joey Brewster, following in Eddie Firestone Jr. and Arnold Stang's footsteps. To his right is co-star Jane Webb.

Your Rental Needs May Vary

Avis Airlines Rent-A-Car System was founded in 1946 by Warren Avis (1915-2007), an owner of an automobile dealership in Detroit. He had the idea of providing car-rental services at airports, astutely believing air travel would quickly become more popular than rail travel. They were the first car rental business to be located at an airport, opening two locations at Willow Run Airport near Detroit and at Miami Airport in Florida. He established branch operations across the United States over the next few years and became the second-largest car rental company in the country by 1953. 

In 1962, their corporate slogan, "We're only No. 2. We try harder," was a positive campaign to compete with the number one competitor, Hertz. Today, Avis is a provider to the commercial segment, serving business travelers at major airports internationally, and to leisure travelers at off-airport locations. Avis featured General Motors vehicles during the late 1970s, but Ford vehicles were showcased prior, as the above 1958 advertisement proves. Other popular brands comprise their fleet today. Avis has been owned by a number of other companies, along with several periods of being a public company.

Executive Leasing Company and its fleet of seven vehicles were founded eleven years after Avis by Jack Crawford Taylor (1922-2016) in St. Louis, Missouri.   Taylor was a naval aviator during World War II, serving on the USS Enterprise. In 1969, he would rename the company Enterprise Rent-A-Car to honor the aircraft carrier and reflect his personal values and leadership philosophy. The company focused on city-based rentals rather than competing with airport-centric rental firms for persons needing a rental while their own was being repaired. A wise strategy that helped the business grow steadily.

Their iconic "e" highway logo was introduced early on, but went through a few color and design changes before settling on their classic green and black color scheme. In the early 1970s, the "We'll pick you up" tagline was introduced, a unique service that became a trademark of their customer-centric approach. This service, along with partnerships with auto repair shops, helped Enterprise build a strong city-based "neighborhood" network. The leadership has been passed down through generations of the Taylor family. Enterprise eventually embraced Avis's airport innovation in the early years of the twenty-first century after acquiring the Vanguard Car Rental Group, National Car Rental, and Alamo Rent-A-Car brands to its portfolio.