John Alexander Neal oral history interview (transcript)
Mr. Neal discusses his experience working for American Viscose in Pennsylvania before becoming employed with the Georgia-Pacific Corporation. He talks about attending college at Eastern Washington State College, and his later experiences doing lab work for the army. Mr. Neal then worked as byproducts research chemist and then product development director at GP's Bellingham pulp mill. He describes many of the substances like lingo-sulfonates that were produced during the pulping process. Many of them were then converted into useful byproducts such as micronutrient fertilizers, Q-broxin, and dye dispersants. Mr. Neal discusses the ways that Bellingham has changed since the 1970s. He discusses how World War II triggered a boom in chemical research, noting that Puget Sound Pulp and Timber played a critical role in that effort. Mr. Neal discusses environmental and pollution issues, specifically mercury emissions and the mill's treatment lagoon.
Object Details
Creators/Contributors
- Neal, John Alexander - Interviewee
- Jaballas, Julie - Interviewer
Collection
collections Waterfront Oral History Project
Date Created
May 12th, 2006
Publisher
Digital object made available by the Center for Pacific Northwest Studies, Western Libraries Archives & Special Collections, Western Washington University.
Physical location
- WaBeCP
- Western Washington University
Repository
Resource type
Related to
Waterfront Oral History Project records
Access conditions
-
This resource is subject to U.S. and international copyright laws, and is displayed for educational purposes only. For more information about rights or obtaining copies of this resource, please contact the Center for Pacific Northwest Studies, Western Libraries Archives & Special Collections, Western Washington University, Bellingham, WA 98225-9103, USA (360-650-7534; cpnws@wwu.edu) and refer to the collection name and identifier. Any materials cited must be attributed to the Waterfront Oral History Project Records, Center for Pacific Northwest Studies, Western Libraries Archives & Special Collections, Western Washington University.
Identifier
wohp_neal20060512