User:JamesASimmons

James A. Simmons is a computer scientist who began his scientific career fairly late in life.


 * Born 1948 in Southport, North Carolina to O'Dessar Herring Simmons and Rothwell Bisby Simmons, Sr.
 * His mother, O'Dessar Herring Simmons was a designer by trade.
 * His father, Rothwell Bisby Simmons, Sr. (nicknames "Rat", "Rockie", "Rothie") was a boxer in the Golden Gloves in his younger days, along with three of his brothers (unnamed here). His boxing earned him the nickname "Rat". Rothwell (Rothie, Rockie, Rat) Simmons was a commercial fisherman in the Gulf of Mexico, who reached legendary status in that industry within his own lifetime.
 * Sister June Rae (Simmons) Malpass.
 * Brother Rothewell Bisby (T., T.T., or Rock) Simmons.
 * James had a varied working life, mostly in the industrial construction industry, in his earlier years, as an Electrician apprentice, Journeyman Electrician, Pipefitter helper, Journeyman Pipefitter, Instrumentation helper, Journeyman Instrumentation Specialist (certified in "Q" level instrumentation installation {Daniel International}), Welder's helper, and carpenter's helper.
 * In the housing industry, James was well known as a Certified {Viking Corporation} carpet tailer. One of his best-known installations was the North Carolina State Ports Authority automated sorting room in Wilmington, NC, where he installed carpeting on the walls, floor, and ceiling for soundproofing.
 * In his later years, he returned to college for his degree at Piedmont Technical College, Greenwood, SC.
 * After graduation, James was employed by NCR Corporation (pre-AT&T) for 12 1/2 years as a Computer Technician/Analyst, steadily advancing for the first 4 years, through the ranks at the rate of 2 formal levels per year, until halted by the NCR Corporate Office in Dayton, Ohio. James was, unfortunately, the cause of the formation of the NCR Corporate policy on advancement of 1984, which restricted employee advancement world-wide to only one level every two years.
 * After the AT&T hostile takeover of NCR, all the best and brightest of the NCR staff were laid-off, including James.

(to be continued)