Navy
Had important positions, beyond my officer ranking. Had duty in Pensacola, Norfolk, Recife, Brazil and Kwajalein atoll. Was primarily connected with headquarters squadrons which provided technical support to Navy’s aerial fleet. Did some interesting legal investigations. Became an expert in personnel management. In Brazil was personnel officer for the twelve headquarters squadrons located along the Brazilian coast and the one on Ascension Island. Was personnel officer and on the Admiral’s staff for the Marshall Gilberts Area with fifteen thousand men under supervision.
Law Practice
Upon return to civilian life, opened a law office. Successfully tried a dozen interesting cases, establishing some new law. One case arose from Hurricane Audrey, another was a “hot oil” case in which I had uncovered a rather massive oil theft. A number of the cases had been turned down by various attorneys. Found novel approaches to them, and won them all. This activity merits a separate Web page.
Timber and Lumber
Also, took over the operation of family's lumber company, including a sawmill and extensive timber operations. I successfully ran this company by devoting morning's to it and afternoons and weekends to the law practice. Shipped a carload of hardwood daily to furniture manufactures and sawed lumber for many local building contractors. Became an expert in the evaluation of timber a property contained.
Construction
Since had been raised exposed to the construction business in which my father and uncles were engaged, and had paid much attention to design and construction of buildings, for example, spending much time in examining Jefferson’s Monticello and the works of other architects, was able to design and supervise the construction of fifteen homes. “spec homes” which sold to willing buyers. Also designed and supervised construction of large and attractive home in which my children grew up.
Oil Business
Became engaged in the oil business. Took over control of my family's interest in the St. Gabriel Oil Field, a major oil and gas field. As a consequence of my interest in the oil business, I have read more geology than many geologists. I worked closely with five of the most brilliant geologist, including, Grover Murray author of “The Geology of North America”. Sterling Little who had been George Bush's geologist at Zapata, Gordon Atwater, considered the dean of Louisiana geologists, James Spillers, the former State Geologist, and others.
Based on own work, discovered a good oil field, and was responsible for a number of producers. The investors in the first well for the field discovered, were Jimmy Stewart, Marlan Brando and Alfred Hitchcock. From concentrated study, still know where there are some undiscovered oil fields in that area of Louisiana which was the location of the ancient predecessors of the Mississippi.
Oil and gas discovery, and investment, involves a combination of hard data and creative interpretation. The success of an oil venture depends upon a harmonious melding of these two ingredients. Built the OilGasTech venture built on this premise.
Industrial Sites
When my good friend, DeLesseps “Chep” Morrison, then Mayor of New Orleans, told me how he had traveled to Brazil to meet with Henry Kaiser, and persuaded him to locate two aluminum reduction factories in Louisiana, and use natural gas, rather than going to Washington or Oregon and using water power, I realized this was the beginning of a big migration of industrial giants to Louisiana. With my intimate knowledge of the Lower Mississippi and the properties along it, their characteristics, including the water depths in front of them, and who owned them, some of whom had been family friends, I embarked upon a program of participating in this development. First, I acquired properties adjacent to our family plantation making a total of two thousand acres.
I sold the family plantation to Geigy Chemical, so that the Novartis, successor to Geigy, plant is now where my grandfather’s sugar house used to be. I later acquired or controlled various other acreage blocks along the River and sold some thirty industrial sites.
American Red Cross had been left Winchester plantation. I called them up and asked whether they would prefer to have the property or a million dollars. They replied, a million dollars, which I obtained for them.
Texas Eastern had purchased a plantation above Donaldsonville which did not have a good dock site. They retained me, since I was known as a person who would buy properties for investment as opposed to being a big company, to find them a dock site. In about two weeks I researched and found that a successful black doctor had decided, in the late 1800’s, to set up an ideal negro development. He bought a plantation and named it “Free Negro Plantation”. I got his heirs across the United States to agree to sell. Texas Eastern planned to import liquefied natural gas from Russia, but the State Department put the kibosh on it. Now, of course, the plan is being implemented by other companies.