Interviewer: Jacob Campbell

Affiliation: University of Arizona

Mr. Rhodes contacted me after seeing the Courier article, stating that he would like to participate in the study. He said that he wanted to be sure I was getting people to “tell it to me straight” about the role of the oil industry in the area. He spent his entire career working in the industry, and wished to share his perspective. We met at his house in Houma. Mr. Rhodes was considerably more critical of the oil companies than most of his peers in the area. In addition to speaking about his experience working for an oilfield service company, he commented at length on the corruption at all levels of the industry in south Louisiana, and the mixed impact it has had on the people of the region.

Mr. Rhodes was born in Houma in 1933. His father was a fisherman and oysterman. Mr. Rhodes trawled for shrimp when he was younger. His two older brothers worked for McDermott, on derrick barges. Mr. Rhodes studied for two years at Nichols State, and then went to Korea with the 101st airborne division from 1957-59. Upon his return to Houma he was married, and began working for Dresser (later bought out by Halliburton). He began with the company as a rigger, running wire line and logging. The second half of his career was spent in sales and service, finally as an operations superintendent. He retired in 1991.