Interviewer(s): D. Austin; T. McGuire. Cut Off, LA

Affiliation: University of Arizona

I have known Loulan and his wife, Emelia, since 1996 when Tom and I were first in southern Louisiana on the baseline study for the MMS. Loulan, Emelia, and I hit it off in our first meeting, and we have stayed in touch since then. Both are astute observers of local life as well as generally interesting characters. I try to visit when I am in Lafourche. Loulan is an avid reader and researcher in his own right. He has questioned oil and gas activity since it began in southern Louisiana and has extensive files and documents on many local events. He was one of the first locals, for example, to raise questions about the oilfield waste facility at Grand Bois, long before the 1994 event that coalesced resident concern.

The Pitres have four sons, the oldest of which, Loulan, Jr., is the attorney for Port Fourchon and now a state legislator. Loulan is very open about the areas on which he and his son disagree. Another son, Glen, is the local movie producer who made "Belizaire the Cajun" and others. His recent movie about the German U-boats in the Gulf of Mexico during WWII was completed during the summer of 2001. They are waiting to release it, however, due to the economy and the September 11 attack.

Loulan Pitre served in the Marines and after World War II he went to work for Jerry McDermott building derricks and stayed 7 years. He also spent some time shrimping with his own boat and eventually got his ocean operator's license to run big boats offshore. He retired at age 65 in 1990. He and his wife Emelia have questioned oil and gas activity since it began in southern Louisiana and has extensive files and documents on many local events. They were some of the first locals, for example, to raise questions about the oilfield waste facility at Grand Bois, long before the 1994 event that coalesced resident concern.