Interviewer(s): T. McGuire. Grand Isle, LA

Affiliation: University of Arizona

Pat Landry was "volunteered" to our project by his wife, Jean, whom I had met briefly on an earlier project while she was working in the Chamber of Commerce office in Cut Off. She is now running the Nature Conservancy operation on Grand Isle and has provided us with a list of local contacts. The Landrys operate a bed and breakfast on the island, in the compound where Pat grew up.

Pat Landry is 64 years old; his grandchildren are the 7th generation of Landrys on Grand Isle. His father and grandfather were oystermen; his great grandfather was a farmer. After graduating from high school, Pat went to work for the Texas A & M Foundation's research project on the island and adjacent Grand Terre, studying the effects of oil activities on oysters and the coastal environment. "Project 9" generally absolved the oil companies of blame for oyster mortalities, and in the process, discovered "Dermo," a viral fungus affecting oysters. The researchers wanted Landry to pursue a degree in marine biology, but he opted to go into the oil business. He retired in 1996 as Conoco's Grand Isle base manager.