Interviewer(s): R. Higgins. Morgan City, LA

Affiliation: University of Arizona

Garver Watkins told me that Lester Fryou had worked at McDermott most of his life and was one of the people hired on in the 1950s. He also told me that Lester would likely be interested in participating in the project. Lester and his wife live in a small home in Morgan City. When I showed up, Lester was the only one home, but his wife showed up part way through the interview. Lester offered me a Coke, and we sat at the kitchen table and started the interview. During the interview, Lester referenced a few of the old pictures that he had, so after the interview, we went into one of the bedrooms and took a look. An entire wall is devoted to various framed pictures of platforms, cranes, and workers, and there are also a few framed certificates indicating some of the awards that Lester has received from McDermott over the years.

Lester was born in 1932 and moved to Bayou Chene as a young child. He went to work for McDermott in 1951 at the age of 18. He began as a general laborer on a dredge barge and transferred to fabrication in 1956 when the company opened its fabrication yard in Amelia. He worked as a crane operator until the 1980's when he was promoted to rigger leaderman, foreman and finally superintendent.