Interviewer(s): Dorothee Sauter

Project: University of Houston

During my (Dorothee Sauter) visit Mr. Attwell started to talk easily and introduced me to some major circumstances in his life. I told him my interest in interviewing him is to get some insights about daily life for individuals and for different organizations in the Third Ward before and after desegregation. I also brought up some information about my life.

At the day of the interview, November 12, 2004, six kittens were waiting in the front of his two story family home, built in the sixties. Mr. Attwell had been to the doctor earlier in the morning. He has diabetes, an acute problem with his leg and very short eye sight. To warm his sitting area inside, where the coffee table and a part of the sofa was overloaded in a lose way with newspapers, cutout articles, brochures and planning documents., Ernie Attwell had a little electric heater running.

Mr. Attwell with a great sense of humor and in a warm hearted way welcomed me in two languages. He started the interview in a very organized way and precisely remembered my area of interest which I had outlined on my introductory visit. During the interview he was willing to talk, he also allowed laughter and side stories. Toward the end of the interview Ernie Attwell changed to a slower pace and his concentration became a little loose.

Ernie Attwell left me two news paper articles and two plans of the City of Houston, Department of Planning and Development, looking at the Third Ward. He also let me copy two photos, one portraying his mother, the second a portrait of himself.