Interviewer(s): J. Sell. Bourg, LA

Affiliation: University of Arizona

Wilbert Rhodes is the brother of Percy Rhodes whom I had interviewed previously. Like Percy, Wilbert was contacted by Diana Edmonson of the Council on Aging. Wilbert and his wife, Geri, live in Bourg, not far from the field where he worked. Geri is a retired teacher. We spent a fair amount of time going through the photo book.

Wilbert Rhodes' father was a trapper, carpenter, and boat builder (he developed a V-bottom boat which was successful for inshore work) who worked as a contractor for the oil fields, mostly Texaco. He attended McNeese College for two years (1953-54), but went to work when he was married. He worked on one of his father's boats until 1958, when he went to work for Texaco as a galley hand. Then he worked as a production clerk for Texaco for 8 years. In 1966 he went to work for Unocal as production clerk. In 1972 he shifted to personnel and safety. In 1985, he was promoted to district industrial relations supervisor and manager of the Houma office. He retired in 1991.