Arthur Young and Winnetka

At the time, one of the big accounting and auditing firms,
Arthur Young and Company in Chicago, was looking to
Beef up their consulting services to audit clients,
And were substantially behind their competitors in doing so.

One of their offerings was called Clerical Cost Controls,
Which had an industrial engineering flavor,
Hence their recruitment via newspapers ads
And subsequent interviews in Cincinnati and Chicago.

Moving to the Chicago area had its attractions.
His father had died in late 1960,
And his mother was staying with them temporarily,
To relocate also near Chicago, her origin.

Fortunately, he never did get involved in clerical efficiency,
But instead was able to provide advice and guidance
To small manufacturers in a variety of industrial systems, such as
Inventory management, production control, and product costing.

Living in Winnetka was a joy.
The progressive schools provided an excellent education.
They joined fashionable Christ Episcopal Church, where he
Became a lay minister and conducted the church school services.

She became a close friend with the lady next door,
The two families were intertwined thereafter.
She had the car all to herself, did volunteer work
For the church and the junior Woman's Club.

When she was nearing thirty-five, and would have to
Fly up to the senior Winnetka Woman's Club,
She, like several of her friends in the same situation,
Produced their fourth child, another daughter.

But his travels throughout the Midwest proved to be a burden,
Taking him away from home during illness and stressful periods.
The old house that they bought, after renting for a few years,
Needed work that they could not afford and he could not do himself.

Meanwhile, the Arthur Young audit partners were becoming nervous
About the scope of consulting engagements the group was tackling.
They were afraid that the difficulties of implementing recommendations
Of their consultants, would jeopardize the bread and butter of the firm.

Some of the large accounting firms created separate consulting entities.
Arthur Young and Company chose to restrict the nature of
The work that their consultants were pursuing, thus causing
A wholesale departure of their ambitious and capable personnel.