Interviewer(s): A. Gardner. Metairie, LA

Affiliation: University of Arizona

I was referred to Jimmy Gibbens by Jerry Shea in New Iberia. Between the time Jerry recommended an interview with Jimmy and the day of the actual interview, I bumped into quite a few Texaco hands who knew Jimmy, and not a single one of them had a bad word to say. Jimmy used to work for Jerry's grandfather back in the 30's, and their families have been friends ever since. Jimmy and his wife have a nice house in Metairie, a few blocks from the lake. He is by far the most senior oilman I interviewed over the summer, and this is a fine interview on several fronts. There are quite a few valuable sections in this interview, as well as some clear chronologies of oilfield activity.

Jimmy was born in Hopeville, LA. He comes from an agricultural family and got into the oilfield in 1934 after a storm damaged a lot of Texaco installations. The company hired people to make repairs, and Jimmy worked his way up from roustabout to vice president before retiring in 1980. He knows the equipment of the field, the history of Texaco's exploits in the region, and many of the men who made it all happen. Most of the men I talked to had fond memories of Jimmy arriving in one of the Mallard planes and talking with the men on the rigs and platforms.