Scope and Contents Interviewer(s): S. Wiltz. New Iberia, LAAffiliation: University of Louisiana at LafayetteEd Lucas was born and raised in Texas. His father worked as a pump station operator for the Texas Pipeline. In 1943, at the age of 18, he was working as a welder in Houston when he went to work for Texas Pipeline in south Louisiana. They moved around the New Orleans area quite a bit, before settling in New Iberia in 1957. During his career with the Texas Pipeline he was...

Scope and Contents Interviewer(s): J. P. Theriot. Houston, TXAffiliation: University of Houston/History InternationalCaptain Alistair Macnab is from Scotland and begin his maritime career with a Scottish Steamship Company. He spent 29 years in the international shipping/trade business, spending most of his later years working from the USA, including serving as company port captain in New Orleans in the late '60s. With the emergence of containerized cargo, his Scottish shipline left the...

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Interviewer(s): J. P. Theriot. Houston, TX

Affiliation: University of Houston/History International

Jim Manzilillo, a native of Pennsylvania and U.S. WWII Merchant Marine Veteran, is the founder of the Houston Maritime Museum. He owned and operated a ship building company for the Mexican Government and for the United Nations. He is a naval architect and world traveler.

Scope and Contents Interviewer(s): D. DiTucci and S. Wiltz. New Iberia, LAAffiliation: University of Louisiana at LafayetteRufus Marin was born in New Iberia, Louisiana, in 1921. His father worked as a ticket agent for the railroad before owning a grocery store and working as a salesman. His first job in the oil industry was in the Red Fox Machine and Supply Company office, where he worked for about a year; his sister also went to work there and was the assistant to the boss for 44...

Scope and Contents Interviewer(s): E. Bernier. Theriot, LAAffiliation: University of ArizonaI was put in touch with Mr. R. H. Marmande through Phillip Fanguy and Billy Coyle. They knew him from being a successful business owner and tool inventor in the oil field. He owned 2 tool companies at different times during his oil career. He was extremely knowledgeable about the history of offshore commissions and mineral rights. He was also very matter of fact about the damage that has been...

Scope and Contents Interviewer(s): S. Wiltz. Lafayette, LAAffiliation: University of Louisiana at LafayetteMr. Earl Marquardt was born in western Kansas in the late 1920s and was raised in a family of six on a cattle farm. Facing few job opportunities, he went to work in the newly developed Hugoton oil and gas field in Kansas. In the late 1950s or early 1960s he was transferred to Lafayette. He was a district superintendent for General American and was charged with overseeing the whole...

Scope and Contents Interviewer(s): T. McGuire. Galliano, LAAffiliation: University of ArizonaI was referred to Jimmie Martin by Ronald Callais, Weber Callais, and Wilbert Collins, all during the same week, after not hearing of him before in the project. I called the office; his secretary located him on a cell phone and she immediately called by back to set up the interview for the next morning. We talked in his office, one filled with a marvelous collection of duck carvings, a large...

Scope and Contents Interviewer(s): E. Bernier. Houma, LAAffiliation: University of ArizonaI met Roy Masters at the Halliburton breakfast in Houma. He had interesting stories about what it was like to work in the swamps after he had been used to dry land for so long. Roy was born in 1932 and began working in the oilfield in 1951. He is from Texas and worked there for 13 years before being transferred to Houma in 1968. He worked his way up to supervisor before retiring...

Scope and Contents Interviewer(s): E. Bernier. Bourg, LAAffiliation: University of ArizonaI got F.J. Matherne's name from his niece, Sue Olin. Sue is a friend of Corine Paulk's and active in Indian Education. F.J. has turned out to be my best contact and a friend as well. I was at his house doing the second interview the morning of September 11. He and his wife, Mavis, were extremely helpful, kind and supportive on an extremely difficult day. Sue Olin had informed me that F.J. was...

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Interviewer(s): S. Wiltz. Lafayette, LA

Affiliation: University of Louisiana at Lafayette

Larry Mattei was born in 1939 in New Orleans and raised in Houma, LA. Mattei earned a degree in Engineering from Southwestern Louisiana Institute in Lafayette. He discusses employment with Texaco, Magcobar, and Superior Oil who was bought by Mobil in 1985. His work often interfered with family life, but he ultimately enjoyed working with the oil industry.

Scope and Contents Interviewer(s) J. Christy. Morgan City, LAAffiliation: University of Houston/History InternationalTerry Mayon is from Morgan City, Louisiana. His grandfather went to work for The Texas Company in 1925, and his father went to work for Texaco in 1945 and then for Kerr-McGee. Mr. Mayon worked for Kerr McGee for 22 years. He was also an air-traffic controller for many years. Mr. Mayon specialized in safety at Kerr-McGee and discusses World War II veterans in the oil...

Scope and Contents Interviewer(s): S. Wiltz. Lafayette, LAAffiliation: University of Louisiana at LafayetteJack McCord was born in Austin, Texas, and spent part of his youth in Houston. Beginning in 1949 in Houston he worked for Tidewater Oil Company, for Tennessee Gas as a geological draftsman, and for an independent oil operator. He moved to Lafayette in 1962 to go to work for his wife's father, who owned Gulf Coast Rental Tools. However, when his father-in-law died six months later,...

Scope and Contents Interviewer(S): Emily Bernier; Andrew Gardner. Des Allemands, LAAffiliation: University of ArizonaJack McCully signed up to be interviewed at the Exxon retirees meeting in Houma that R.J. Cheramie invited Emily Bernier and Andrew Gardner to attend. Andrew gave a short 3 minute talk about the project and then asked for volunteers. Jack is a tall man with a firm handshake and a broad smile. He told us that he had pictures that we might want to look at. Andrew called and...

Scope and Contents Interviewer(s): T. McGuire. Larose, LAAffiliation: University of ArizonaL.D. McQuaid was referred to me by Butch Renois (their friendship seems to come through the Masonic Lodge, more than through oil-related jobs). At one point in the interview, we broke so that he could show me his gun collection - he still does some upland hunting and works in his wood-working shop in back of the house. After the interview, his wife Meredith cooked biscuits and made coffee. A...

Scope and Contents Interviewer(s): A. Anand. Point-Aux-Chenes, LAAffiliation: University of ArizonaMr. Murphy Melancon was referred to me by Lucy and "Dee" DeHart and Joyce and Frank Naquin. I interviewed him at a camp off the main road at Point-Aux-Chenes. The location was difficult to find, and I arrived about 15 minutes late. Murphy, his wife Marie, and her sister and brother-in-law had gathered for an evening of cards. Marie Melancon was very warm and friendly, ushered me in,...