Interviewer(s): D. Austin. Metairie, LA

Affiliation: University of Arizona

I met Beverly George at the Desk and Derrick Club meeting in New Orleans in March (see also DA036). She was one of the early members of Desk and Derrick and shared that she had been Doc Laborde's executive secretary. When I asked her if she would be willing to do an individual interview, she agreed and told me to contact her the next time I was in New Orleans. I called her in July and arranged to meet her at her house. We spent several hours talking about her history, went to dinner, and came back and talked some more. Parts of the interview were recorded, but parts she felt were too personal and shared with me just to give me a better idea of life in the days when she was working in the industry. She shared information about her own life and about working with Doc and ODECO in its formative years.

Beverly is from New Orleans. She started working as the secretary for a lawyer and then worked at Lever Brothers. She had an automobile accident and was out of work for about a year and was let go by Lever Brothers. She got a job working for the production manager of Southern Natural Gas in 1953. In that capacity she typed letters, kept regulatory records and permits, and did other secretarial work. She was the only female in an office with about six men. She joined Desk and Derrick during that period. In 1957, she went to work for Doc Laborde, the president of Ocean Drilling and Exploration Company (ODECO). There were about 13 people working in the office when she began; she stayed there until she was asked to retire in 1983. At that time there were over a thousand employees. Though she was one of the few females working for ODECO, she earned the respect of the men. She was given considerable responsibility and was the only woman involved in some of the company's confidential business dealings.