Scope and Contents Interviewer(s): T. McGuire. Golden Meadow, LAAffiliation: University of ArizonaMacNeely ("Mac") Rome was Texaco's production supervisor for the Golden Meadow and Leeville fields, going back to the 1950s. He reported to Bruce Pagliughi, who is Mac's neighbor in Golden Meadow. I interviewed Mac at his Golden Meadow home, but he lives mostly in a house in Galliano, with his wife. Mac is active in the lower Lafourche Texaco retirees' club, and we met him again when we...

Scope and Contents Interviewer(s): E. Bernier. Morgan City, LAAffiliation: University of ArizonaBurt Ross is a member of the Old Salts Club, as they have dubbed themselves. I met him through Rylan Higgins in Morgan City one early morning at Shoney's. Rylan's contact to the group is Mr. Jimmy Jett. All members of the Old Salts Club worked for Magnolia (Mobil) in some capacity. Burt is a very soft-spoken man who has a wonderful memory about where he was and when. He stated that going...

Scope and Contents Interviewer(s): A. Gardner; R. Higgins; D. Austin; B. Plumb. Morgan City, LAAffiliation: University of ArizonaSanto Rousso is a member of the Mobil Retirees' Old Salts Club. He worked most of his career for Magnolia (later Mobil) Oil Company. All in all he had a good time with them, but midway through his career he grew tired of the constant relocation and tried working for a couple years for a contractor in Morgan City. He spent most of his early career working the...

Scope and Contents Interviewer(s): Lauren Penney; Joanna Stone, Colleen O'Donnell. Morgan City, LAAffiliation: University of ArizonaDuring Santo Rousso's interview for the D-Day Museum, he mentioned that his wife had served in the Women's Army Corps, so Diane and Joanna asked her if she would be willing to participate. The interview was set up for the next week, to be held in her home as she has trouble walking.Stella Rousso was born Marie Stella Peltier in Baldwin,...

Scope and Contents Interviewer(s): S. Wiltz. Lafayette, LAAffiliation: University of Louisiana at LafayetteWilliam Rucks III was born in Nashville, Tennessee but at an early age moved to Oklahoma City. He graduated from the University of Oklahoma in 1952 with a Business Administration degree. He became interested in scouting and found a job shortly after graduation with Phillips Petroleum in Lafayette. After 2 years, he was promoted to District Land Manager. He then became an...

Scope and Contents Interviewer(s): R. Higgins. Morgan City, LAAffiliation: University of ArizonaRoussell Ruffin's name was one of three that Raymond Morrison had given me. Raymond's name was one among several that Julie Delaune gave me when I asked her about Black men who worked for McDermott in the company's early years. Roussell worked in fabrication in the 1950s and 60s. He currently owns a couple of tractor-trailers that work primarily in the oil industry. His office is an old,...

Scope and Contents Interviewer(s): E. Bernier. Houma, LAAffiliation: University of ArizonaI got Burleigh Ruiz's name from F.J. Matherne who has been a very good resource. The two worked together for 30 years both in drilling and production.Burleigh Ruiz worked for Texaco for 39 years. His father was in the sugar business, but Burleigh wanted to make more money. He began as a radio operator in 1948 and then worked as a roughneck for two years. Burleigh was a gang pusher in...

Scope and Contents Interviewer(s): S. Wiltz. Lafayette, LAAffiliation: University of Louisiana at LafayetteBorn in 1921, Forrest Sadler grew up in east Texas in the small town of Troup. His father worked in the oilfield firing boilers and would take Forrest to work with him when he was just a child. During high school, he worked summers in the oilfields. After he was discharged from the Navy in 1946, he went to work for Texaco in south Texas. Six years later, he went to work for a...

Scope and Contents Interviewer(s): S. Wiltz. Lafayette, LAAffiliation: University of Louisiana at LafayetteNorman Salter was born in 1912 in Many, Louisiana; he was raised in northern Louisiana. He left college (where he was studying to be a school teacher) when he was about 20 to go work in the oilfield first in north Louisiana and then in south Texas. A friend helped him to get a job as a derrick for Nicholas Drilling Company; they worked in the Tepetate Field near Basile, Louisiana,...

Scope and Contents Interviewer(s): E. Bernier. Houma, LAAffiliation: University of ArizonaMrs. Mary Samaha was born in 1930. She is active in many different organizations, clubs and groups. She approached Andrew Gardner at an oilfield workers meeting in New Orleans expressing interest in talking with someone about her experiences growing up in the oilfield with her step-father, Escoe "Joe" Benton. She lives in a newer part of Houma, LA. in a large modern house. Her husband, M.J., was...

Scope and Contents Interviewer(s): D. Austin. Morgan City, LAAffiliation: University of ArizonaSeveral divers talked about Sanford Brothers and wanted to know if I had interviewed Joe. I mentioned this to Jean Shirley and learned that Joe's wife, Susie, teaches Sunday school with Jean. Jean agreed to tell her about the study so she could talk with Joe about it. She was a bit concerned about whether he could participate because he had a stroke a couple of years ago. I called the Sanfords...

Scope and Contents Interviewer(s): T. McGuire. Grand Isle, LAAffiliation: University of ArizonaCarl Santiny was recommended by Jean Landry. I had tried to catch him several times, finally sitting down with him and his wife for several hours. The interview ranged widely over topics, including a discussion by both the Santinys of local healing practices before the advent of doctors on the island. Carl is very complimentary about his company, Freeport Sulphur, but less so when Jim Bob...

Scope and Contents Interviewer(s): T. McGuire. Grand Isle, LAAffiliation: University of ArizonaJean Landry introduced me to Sidney and Mildred Santiny at the seniors' daily dinner at the Grand Isle community center. They willingly agreed to talk, so I interviewed them at their home. The interview was rather brief.Sidney worked for 30 years as roustabout for Tidewater Marine, a division of Brown and Root; and retired at age 65. He has been married twice, each to a Mildred....

Scope and Contents Interviewer(s): J. Piekielek; S. Kennedy. Dulac, LAAffiliation: University of ArizonaScott and I met Earl P. Savoie at the senior lunch in Grand Caillou and struck up a conversation with him and another couple, the Duplantis, who had been his long time neighbors. He agreed to talk with us that day, so after lunch we followed him to his house. Earl lives alone, although he has family living close by. After the end of the interview, two of his great grandchildren who...

Scope and Contents Interviewer(s): D. Austin. Boutte, LAAffiliation: University of ArizonaJoyce is the widow of Joe Savoie, a diver who developed his own line of diving helmets. Several of the divers asked me if I had interviewed Joyce, so I called her and she said she would be very happy to do an interview because she is very proud of her husband. I met her at her house and we visited for about six hours. She told me about being married to Joe, his work as a diver and inventor, and the...