I feel like a stranger in a strange world venturing into the blogosphere, but I hope that you
are enjoying Nuts About Southwest. I have been nuts about our wonderful Company for almost four decades, and I think it is great that our Employees and Customers have been able to share their own enthusiasm for Southwest through this blog.
On Saturday, June 17, we hold our annual Awards Banquet here in Dallas, and each year, we celebrate those Employees who have completed their Tenth, 20th, 25th, and 30th Anniversaries, along with those who are receiving our President's Awards for above and beyond service. This year is even more special as we celebrate our 35th Anniversary, and we will also celebrate the group of Original Employees who are completing 35 years of service. As those small-town newspapers like to say, "A grand time will be had by all"!
June 18 marks Southwest Airlines' 35th Anniversary. When we first took to the sky in 1971, our future was far from secure. Four years prior to that, our Cofounders, Rollin King and Herb Kelleher, met to discuss an idea for a new airline that would bring low fares and high frequencies to flights between Dallas, Houston, and San Antonio. The new airline, originally known as Air Southwest, would spend the next four years fighting continual court battles against the existing carriers just to win the right to operate.
The legal battles didn't stop on June 18, 1971, and for the rest of the decade we had to fight to expand, to remain at Love Field, and to extend our reach beyond Texas' borders. Besides the legal challenges, we faced many economic hardships, which gave birth to the Warrior Spirit that has provided the "wings" upon which Southwest could grow and thrive.
Today, we face different but equally challenging obstacles, yet the Warrior Spirit—hard work, courage, perseverance, and innovation—still soars at Southwest. But, the Warrior Spirit is only one part of the Southwest Way. Certainly, Warrior Spirit is our muscle, but our Servant's Heart that puts People first and our soul, a FUN-LUVing attitude, complete the Southwest Way. On our 35th Anniversary, we still have 17 Original Employees working with us, and they defined the Southwest Way for their Coworkers. They and those who followed helped Southwest grow from a Texas airline serving three cities with three airplanes to a coast-to-coast airline serving 62 cities in 31 states with almost 460 aircraft.
For this important occasion, I want to celebrate People, our Employees and you, our Customers, because without our Employees' LUV, hard work, and sacrifice and your own LUV, support, and loyalty through good times and bad, we never would have lasted, much less thrived, for 35 years. To me, the most exciting part of our history and our future, are the People of Southwest Airlines, and I am so grateful to have walked and worked among them. So, to each of you from all of us, we say Happy Birthday and let's celebrate!
-- Colleen Barrett
Blog
A Message From Our President: "Happy Birthday Southwest!"
By: Guest
Jun 14
2006
Trackback URL: http://www.blogsouthwest.com/2006/06/14/a-message-from-our-president-happy-birthday-southwest/trackback
Comments
Colleen -
Thanks for taking the time to blog! I am so grateful to be an Employee at Southwest Airlines.
Thank you for your hard work and dedication over the years. I look forward to many more!
See you at the Banquet!
We LUV you, Colleen!!!
Colleen and Company,
Southwest Airlines is a national icon. Southwest has given me the abiltity to fly home to see my family while serving in the
United States Navy. Your cheap fares and top notch employees will keep me coming back for another 35 years. I just recieved a
birthday card from you guys in the mail. Thanks for what you guys do. I hope to see you real soon.
Francisco
Dear Employees and Valued Customers:
I am in the group that is fondly known as "The Dinasours". That means that there are Employees out there who have
Employee #'s that are higher than mine, 1511, multiplied by 10. On June 6, I celebrated my 29th anniversary
with Southwest Airlines. Those of you who know Colleen also know that she shuns the computer. She doesn't even
have an email address. She prefers personal communicaton. So, for her to post a blog on this website is
certainly a milestone for her! You go girl!
Colleen, I have been proud to have walked and worked with YOU! From "Spreading LUV All Over Texas" to "Ding, You Are
Now Free to Move About the Country", you have been there for all of us. You have always been generous with your knowledge,
your support, and your LUV! So Happy Birthday to YOU! And here's to many, many more!
Luv, Noner
HAPPY BIRTHDAY SOUTHWEST AIRLINES!!! Boy, what a privlege to work for the most awesome Company and people,
like you Colleen, Herb, Gary, Dave (my Station Manager) and all the other Station Leaders and Employees!!! I have only been with the
Company only 6 years, but in a previous life I was in Human Resources and case studied Southwest Airlines!! I can remember going to seminars and the example was How Southwest Airlines treated their Employees and knew that their Customers were being treated the best of the best,The Southwest Way, How Southwest was doing it "Their Way" and succeeding! Then I was lucky enough to become a part of this wonderful organization. It is with pride that we go into our Birthday Week! We are here 35 years later due to the tenacity of Herb & Colleen and those very first Emploees! I thank you very much because of you I have a job!
LUV Patti
Dear Colleen:
Happy Birthday to SWA! I am currently waiting for an invitation for flight attendant class. I can't wait to join the SwWA family! As I researched SWA, I couldn't believe what a wonderful company it is! SWA's philosophies are my own. I have to tell you it brought tears to my eyes when reading of their commitment to organizations such as the Ronald McDonald Houses, etc. I also believe in having fun, working hard, and giving to others. I believe in volunteering and have been fortunate to work with American Lung Association as camp nurse for 7 years as well as volunteer with other organizations. I look forward to participating with SWA to help others.
SWA is an exceptional organization. 35 years young and counting!
Janet Holler
Happy Birthday Southwest! It seems like just yesterday I took a flight with Captain Linda on "Silver", your 25th Anniversary plane, but it was 10 years ago. Time flies...nearly as well as y'all do.
Hey Nona - are you going to the Dinasour party at the Landing after the
35th Anniversay Bash? If so, I'll look you up and say Hello.
Hope to see you there!
James
I am the very proud father of one of your 10th anniversary honorees at Saturday's banquet.
Congratulations Debra, and congratulations to SWA for 35 great years.
I can't come to the bash Sat., as it's my parents' wedding anniv. party. Will you drink a toast to my ten years at SWA?
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