WWII, Race, and Labor at the Port of Houston with Jason Theriot and William Robb

Continuing on from Episode 19, today, you will hear from Captain William Robb who was born in Edinburgh, Scotland, and went to sea at 16. He served in the Merchant Navy for the United Kingdom during World War II. After the war, he married and came to the US to live and work in 1949. He had heard that the Port of Houston was seeking stevedoring superintendents, and he and his wife relocated to Texas that same year. He spent over 50 years working in the stevedoring business. Captain Bill passed away in 2013.

He spoke with Jason Theriot in 2006 as part of a series of oral histories on the Port of Houston for the Center for Public History's Houston History Project at the University of Houston. They talked about WWII, union troubles, and race and labor in the Port during the peak days of breakbulk cargo.

Jason interviewed individuals w ...