Scope and Contents Interviewer(s): D. Austin. New Iberia, LAAffiliation: University of ArizonaI first met Wilma Subra in 1998 when I was conducting interviews for the study of oilfield waste issues that we conducted for the Carnegie Council on Ethics and International Affairs. When I told her about the oral history study, she was enthusiastic about the study and the opportunity to document the impacts of the offshore industry on southern Louisiana. When I called to set up an interview,...

Scope and Contents Interviewer(s): A. Anand. Houma, LAAffiliation: University of ArizonaVinson "Bill" Sullivan was born in rural Mississippi in 1934. He went to the university, the military, and Junior College, and joined Otis Engineering in Hattiesburg, Mississippi when he graduated in 1959. Bill worked for Otis as a slickline workman, then a wireline operator, and eventually did various tasks related to surface and subsurface safety valves. He set up a subsurface safety valve...

Scope and Contents Interviewer(s): T. Priest. Houston, TXAffiliation: University of Houston/History InternationalAfter graduating Purdue with a degree in Civil Engineering in 1953, Cliff Swanlund began his career with Shell. He served in the Army soon after his assignment with Shell forcing him to come back to the company in 1956. He first worked in the Delta division in New Orleans but later spent time working in New Orleans Marine Division, offshore. During that time he was Project...

Scope and Contents Interviewer(s): E. Bernier. Montegut, LAAffiliation: University of ArizonaGilbert Talbot's name was on the contact list for many months. Diane had gone to his barber shop to talk with him for a bit but ran out of time. She told him that she'd give him a call in March and passed Gilbert's name on to me (Emily). I drove down to Montegut to see if I could catch him at his barber shop, but a sign on the door said closed due to surgery. I looked him up and called him to...

Scope and Contents Interviewer(s): D. Austin. Houston, TXAffiliation: University of ArizonaI learned about Oran, Scott, and Don during my first visit with Mary Ann Galletti. All three dove for J&J Diving, and Mary Ann agreed to get them together to talk with me on my next visit to Houston. She had originally arranged to have them over to her house for dinner, but Scott decided he would have the dinner at his house. He is a bachelor and lives in a large two-story house in Houston....

Scope and Contents Interviewer(s): A. Gardner. New Iberia, LAAffiliation: University of ArizonaJoe Taylor was recommended to my by Hubert Chesson. Both worked for Texaco, and Hubert said that Joe was one of the oldest hands still around. I went to Joe's house a couple days later - his place was across the bayou, just a couple blocks up from the apartment I had rented. Joe was at home watching TV, and although he was a little gruff at the get-go, once he warmed up to the interview we had...

Scope and Contents Interviewer(s): D. Austin. Irving, TXAffiliation: University of ArizonaI met George Taylor at the 2002 Divers' Reunion. He became very interested in the study and told me that he had wanted to put together a history of the diving industry. We talked for quite some time and agreed that I would come to Irving at some point to interview him. I drove to Louisiana for the July field session so that I could stop at several places in Texas on the way back. I called George,...

Scope and Contents Interviewer(s): S. Wiltz. Lafayette, LAAffiliation: University of Louisiana at LafayetteWilliam Terrell was born in 1943, in Kilgore, Texas, and is a third generation oilfield worker. His father worked as a motorman for Gulf Oil and moved the family around southern Louisiana when Mr. Terrell was an adolescent. After graduating high school in Kilgore; he went on to several colleges studying geology and was attending graduate school at Texas Christian University (TCU)...

Scope and Contents Interviewer(s): T. McGuire. Larose, LAAffiliation: University of ArizonaOn an earlier research, project, I had paid a visit to Windell Curole director of the South Lafourche Levee District. In his office at the time, poring over maps and engineering drawings, was Leon Theriot, then head of the Levee District Board. Leon Theriot, recently passed away, was an impressive man, and had a succinct response upon hearing the description of that research project. The oil...

Scope and Contents Interviewer(s): R. Higgins. Donner, LAAffiliation: University of ArizonaGarver Watkins (RH006) and Howard Thibodaux worked together at McDermott for over 20 years. When I talked with Garver, he told me that I had to interview Howard. Howard's family used to own some of the land where McDermott now sits. Garver called Howard the next day and then called me to let me know that Howard was interested. Howard and his wife live in Donner. They have a newer, small home near...

Scope and Contents Interviewer(s): J. P. Theriot. Clear Lake, TXAffiliation: University of Houston/History InternationalTed Thorjussen is a native of Oslo, Norway. He started in the ship-broker business, then came to the U.S. for work, and later joined the U.S. Navy. He moved to Houston in 1970 and worked for a ship-broker, Uiterwyk Company. He went to work for West Gulf Maritime Association in the '80s and eventually became president. He retired after 20 years with the association, but...

Scope and Contents Interviewer(s): A. Gardner. New Iberia, LAAffiliation: University of ArizonaCharles Tisdale was referred by Al Rivet. I met Charles and his wife at their house in New Iberia. It's a small house, and they were sitting around the living room near the air conditioner. During the day they sit in the living room and close all the other doors to save on cooling costs. Mrs. Tisdale is a firebrand, and she participated throughout the interview. She has a lot to say, and she...

Scope and Contents Interviewer(s): E. Bernier. Gretna, LAAffiliation: University of ArizonaI received P.J. Trahan's name from R.J. Cheramie in July of 2001. P.J. had been his driller for a long time and R.J. said that P.J. would make a wonderful interview since he had been in the oil field for many years. I enlisted the help from R. J. in January to help me get in touch with P.J., and he finally tracked him down in Gretna.P.J. Trahan worked for Exxon his entire career. He...

Scope and Contents Interviewer(s): A. Gardner. Bayou Vista, LAAffiliation: University of ArizonaLou Trosclair worked for Shell his entire career, and he's the chair of the Morgan City Branch of the retirees club. His father worked on the riverboats, and Lou started with Shell in the West Lake Verret field in 1952, after finishing college in Lafayette. He was to become a schoolteacher, but he wanted to go where he could make some money. He started off as a roustabout and worked his way...

Scope and Contents Interviewer(s): S. Wiltz. Lafayette, LAAffiliation: University of Louisiana at LafayetteBob Truxell was born in 1924 in Illinois but moved to Nebraska when he was 6. He joined the Navy after high school, and then earned a Master's in Geology at the University of Nebraska. He was hired by Chevron in 1951, after interning with them during summers in college. He moved to Louisiana in 1962. He discusses his work in the oil survey industry, evaluation tools, and changes in...