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Atlantic Richfield Company Trio Activate Real "Participation" Philosophy.

"Participation" is a tough word at Atlantic Richfield Company. It's a concept...a philosophy...a goal. And a real commitment. 

It's the word that tells you why ARCO, the youngest giant in the oil industry, believes in being a real, active member of the community—in all its communities, from Philadelphia to Los Angeles to Anchorage, Alaska.

Just as Ed Bell, or Myrlie Evers, or Harry Tolliver.

Bell and Evers both carry the title of director of community affairs for Atlantic Richfield Company. And both are charged with activating the company's social responsibility philosophy into practical participation. Tolliver's direct action comes from managing the company's Minority Purchasing Program.

Bell has been in action at Atlantic Richfield for 15 years. Back in the early '60's he decided that his sharp playground athletes he saw every day "ought to be made to feel like champions." So with ARCO behind him, the annual Jesse Owens Junior Track Classic was off and running.

Track Classic

The program is essentially for playground-level boys and girls, 10 to 15 years old. More than 500,000 have already entered, competed and had an enriching experience.

Tony, 13, of Baltimore, puts it this way. "Everybody on the field has a good chance of winning. If I weren't here I'd be out on the streets somewhere probably running around the neighborhood."

Each year, in cities and suburbs across the country, city meets are held in running, jumping and throwing, with kids competing within age groupings. These meets are funded entirely by Atlantic Richfield Company and co-sponsored by local parks and recreation departments.

Thirty-six champs from each city are flown by ARCO to the big national championships, where they meet and compete against each other.

Jesse Owens, the living legend of track, participates in all city-meet finals and the grand championship.

Participation in Action

"This program is one of the finest examples of what Atlantic Richfield Company means by participation," emphasizes Bell, who travels close to 100,000 miles every year and spends most of his time, talent and effort promoting his brain child.

"Not only is Atlantic Richfield Company participating, contributing time, money and people to the most important asset of our communities—kids—but we're fostering a fuller sense of community participation and self pride within the kids, too."

There's another side benefit, also. Some track champs get their start this way. "It's the strangest thing," marvels Bell. "We gear the program deliberately for beginners. And we turn around, and here they come, the undiscovered champions."

New to the Corporation

Myrlie Evers is a newcomer to Atlantic Richfield Company, but hardly new to the ideals of social responsibility and participation.

Ms. Evers has actively supported and involved herself in community activities for several years.

On the 16th floor of ARCO's Los Angeles world headquarters building, Evers is now concentrating her efforts on developing programs primarily of interest to women. These programs will be national in scope, with special emphasis in cities like Houston, New York, Philadelphia, Dallas and Anchorage.

[[images - black & white photographs of Ed Bell, Myrlie Evers, and Harry Tolliver]]