Interviewer(s): E. Bernier. Houma, LA

Affiliation: University of Arizona

Mr. Dennis Dupre lives with his wife at Terrebonne House Nursing Home in Houma, LA. The Terrebonne House's manager, Gail Wink, was wonderful in trying to get the stories of the people who live there. She went through the files and found out that Dennis worked in oil for years and then introduced me. Dennis and his wife were sitting watching TV coverage of the September 11th attacks. Dennis is in a wheelchair due to arthritis but says that he and his wife still work out 3 times a week. Dennis was extremely congenial during the interview and continued to add in bits and pieces of information as he remembered them. He remarked several times that it was amazing that he hadn't thought of his oil career since retiring back in 1973. Dennis said that he would be willing to talk with me again if I had any more questions. He also promised to think more about his time in the oilfield to see if he could remember anything new.

Dennis Dupre was born in 1911 to a farmer. His family lost everything during the Depression and moved to New Orleans. Dennis began working in the city at age 14 and eventually returned to the country to work at a sugarhouse for $1 a day. In 1935, he began working for Texaco in the oil industry building steel derricks because he could make more money. He stayed in construction until 1960 and retired from Texaco in 1973 at age 62.