Interviewer: Jacob Campbell

Affiliation: University of Arizona

Mr. Prosperie was referred by his friend Leland Crochet, who sat in on the interview and makes several comments through the course of it. We met at the Jolly Inn, a Cajun restaurant and dance hall owned by Mr. Prosperie. The dance hall is decorated with photos and artifacts from Houma’s early days – oilrigs and crews, hunting and fishing in the bayou, and the town itself. Retired from work in the oil field, he now runs the Jolly Inn and plays accordion in a local band. He spoke proudly of his career with Texaco and later in the “fish and tool” support industry.

Mr. Prosperie was born June 19, 1935 in a houseboat on the bayou south of Montague, Louisiana. He and his mother moved to Houma after his parents divorced when he was seven years old. He shined shoes and did street performances starting at this age, while his mother worked in a sugar refinery. At the age of 18, he began working in the oilfield which continued for 45 years, until his retirement in 2000.