Orin Osborn v. Boeing Airplane Company

BROWNING, Circuit Judge.

Appellant, an employee of Boeing Airplane Company, brought this action to recover compensation for the use of an idea he had submitted for improvement of Boeing’s production methods. 1 The District Court granted Boeing’s motion for summary judgment. We reverse, finding material factual issues to be tried.

The parties had agreed to a pretrial order, which, under the heading “Admitted Facts,” described a “Suggestion System” through which Boeing solicited and paid for useful ideas. The pretrial order stated that appellant had submitted his idea to Boeing in December 1955…