Patrick Keene was recommended to me by a lifelong Pascagoula resident as someone who would be particularly knowledgeable about the history of shipbuilding in Pascagoula. We met at his house on Beach Blvd. It's actually a double wide trailer, the house was destroyed in the storm. The garage is still standing, but is damaged. We settled in the living room with our glasses of ice water and Patrick asked a number of questions about the study before I began. The interview was mostly recorded except for a couple of parts at the end.

Patrick Keene grew up in South Georgia where his father worked in the paper industry. None of his family had any maritime background, but Patrick eventually became a well-respected nuclear submarine engineer. He attended Georgia Tech for chemical engineering while working at the same paper company as his father, but with hopes to see the world he transferred to the Merchant Marine Academy at King’s Point where he received a marine engineering degree. After he graduated in 1962 he sailed all over the world for four years with a steamship company where he became a chief engineer. Patrick eventually went to work for Ingalls Shipbuilding Company as a nuclear engineer working on nuclear submarines. His dedication and passion for engineering allowed him to quickly climb the corporate ladder, and he was eventually the VP of production and engineering. He became the president in 1999 and remained in that position until he retired in 2001. Simultaneous with his work at the shipyard, Keene taught for a year at Jackson County Junior College. At one point Ingalls sent him to Los Angeles and Philadelphia in 1972 for two years to design a gas turbine prototype. During his 36 years with Ingalls Patrick accumulated great knowledge surrounding the shipbuilding industry and the Navy’s use of nuclear power. He discussed the mergers, labor market and unions, decline of the industry, effects of Katrina, and the history of the Ingalls family and the company.

Mr. Keene began working for Ingalls in 1966 and became president of the Ingalls Shipbuilding Division of Litton Industries in 1999. He talks in some depth about the company’s decision to diversify into building cruise ships in the early 2000s and how this related to the end of Cold War. Later he discusses the competition that exists within the repair or overhaul market. He said his biggest challenge as president was keeping the company moving and getting and keeping a good labor base. Maintaining a workforce is a big challenge requiring lots of investments in recruiting and training (particularly since changes in informal and formal education), and flexibility. He describes the company’s structure and systems to ensure workplace safety and notes that safety is part of everyone’s duty. He also talks about the company’s different departments and how they work independently of one another. Finally, he discusses the change in corporate culture in terms of management over time and particularly in terms of workforce diversity when Northrop Grumman took over the shipyard.