How was it possible?

I look back and wonder how 'Dickie Boy' went as far as he did in today's world with a minimum high school education, consisting of agriculture, shop, minimum basic courses with no college prep. classes. My father finished 8th grade, and I'm not sure about my mother, but I know it wasn't more than the upper elementary level. Probably compared to today, this would be like a high school education. My father had beautiful penmanship and a real mind for math. He worked a lot with me on mine. I came out of high school with good grades but a poor system. My plus was that I could see, read, do and remember. Dad taught me as a child to do electrical installation and repair (which was always with hot wire). As a boy growing up we built two small homes, a shop building and remodeled numerous houses. I drove a farm tractor at home and for hire at 14. I worked construction for nine years - every type of building or project you can think of and then I became a California Highway Patrol traffic officer.

I think this was my greatest help, It showed me organization, policy, manuals and being on your own 98% of the time, making your own decisions and realizing that you could do it. It built confidence in ones ability and made one unafraid to tackle anything.

After the patrol, I took employment as a salesman for a chemical store. We sold wax, cleansers, paper products and power equipment. While I was there we took on a line of swimming pool supplies and I was called in on all the problem pools and became the local expert. I dealt with schools, stores, shops, government buildings and motels and hotels. I got a good education on the housekeeping departments. I set up and trained the personnel in several new motels. I was guest speaker at a county training class for the school custodians in San Luis Obispo.

As a result of this job, I became very knowledgeable about the motel business and realized that all I needed to break into this field was bookkeeping and paperwork. I had the ability to build the motel, repair the motel, train and supervise the employees and deal with the public.

The Red Door Inn in Paso Robles (no longer in operation) was my launching stage. I was good friends with the managers (Will and Mokie Engleke) and had helped them set up and operate this new motel. I took a position of Asst. Manager and Night Auditor with them at $400 a month. Sue, Katrina and I rented an apartment next door. I started with them January 1st 1963.

The Red Door Inn was the 5th motel for the owners and we were in line to get our own motel when unfortunately the owner became seriously ill and subsequently passed away. Our bright future with them was obviously not to be. I began to look for other employment, checked out a couple or three locations and heard about a start-up company in Santa Barbara. Sue, Katrina and I went to meet with them. We seem to fit exactly what they wanted - a new comer to the industry like them, with knowledge of the business but not set in its ways. I think they saw that I was willing to roll with it as it developed and improvise as needed.

They had two motels in final stages of construction at the time and four more starting. One couple, a teacher and his wife, had already been hired and they managed one of the first two. They hired Sue and I on the spot and we were given the other motel which was in the business area of Santa Barbara, and next door to their existing office.

Sue and I opened this motel mid July 1963, and thus the Motel 6 chain was born......