Interviewer(s): D. Austin. Morgan City, LA

Affiliation: University of Arizona

I was referred to Earl Hebert by Steve Shirley. Earl worked in the offshore oil and gas industry for more than 30 years and also held several civic positions such as Justice of the Peace, Port Commission and Hospital Board. We met at his office at Diamond Services in Amelia where he is still working as an office manager. Although he was uncertain that he would have much to offer, he provided important information and insights about the industry and its effects on the communities of Morgan City, Berwick, and Amelia.

Earl was born in Berwick in 1932 and has lived there all his life. He went to work for Diamond Services in 1969. The company was started in 1962 by Wallace Carline. Earl was the office manager and responsible for a wide range of tasks including personnel and purchasing a building. He was with the company when it went public in the early 1970s and again when Mr. Carline took it back seven years later to operate privately.