Hugh Locker oral history interview (transcript)

Mr. Locker talks about where and when he was born, his family life and religious upbringing, and his educational background through which he became a chemist. He describes the busy face of Bellingham's waterfront and the nature of the city during the 1960s. He talks about purchasing a house in Whatcom County in the 1960s, and describes what life was like for him and his wife as they tried to raise a family in the area. Throughout the interview, Mr. Locker provides a great amount of detail regarding his work in research and as a shift foreman. He also describes the pulping process itself, and the various byproducts of the pulping process and their uses in other industries. He notes that the standards for cleanliness and safety at the mill became more stringent, suggesting that GP remained at the forefront of environmental consciousness despite attitudes to the contrary from many within the community. He describes the changing nature of relationships among mill employees that resulted from the creation of the union, while also sharing his fondest memories from working at the pulp mill.