urn:taro:houpub.00007 Dr. W.A. Quebedeaux Environmental Collection: An Inventory of His Papers at the Houston Metropolitan Research Center, Houston Public Library Houston Metropolitan Research Center, Houston Public Library
500 McKinney St. Julia Ideson Building, 2nd Floor Houston, TX 77002 832-393-1665
Text converted by SPI Content Sciences Inc., February 2003. Finding aid written in English. July 2003 Proofread and revised by Andrew Hempe. April 2003 Edited with XMetaL 3 by Susan Lindberg, according to instructions in TARO 2 EAD 2002 Editing Instructions Descriptive Summary Quebedeaux, W.A. Dr. W.A. Quebedeaux Environmental Collection 1932 - 1985 Materials are inEnglish. MSS 0234 7.5 linear feet; 12 document boxes, 4 small photo boxes, 1 record storage carton, 1 medium flat box, four 16mm films. Houston Metropolitan Research Center, Houston Public Library Biographical Note

Dr. Walter Arnim Quebedeaux, Jr., born 1915 at Georgetown, TX, was the son of a prominent local family. He attended Georgetown High School, Southwestern University, (B.S. in Chem., B.A. in math), Texas University (M.A. in Chem. 1937, PH.D. in Chem. 1940, B.S. in Chem. Eng. 1940) and South Texas School of Law (Juris Doctor degree 1968). From 1940-1946 he was a research chemist in New York and Missouri, an Hygiene Engineer and research engineer in Texas and operated his own chemical analysis laboratory in St. Louis, Mo. He was Air & Stream Pollution Director at Champion Paper Co. and in 1954 was made Director of the Air & Water Pollution Control Section of the newly formed Harris County Health Dept. where he rigorously enforced pollution laws and became known as a tough fighter against pollution. He was recognized as one of the nation's foremost authorities on pollution control with his achievements being held as models of what can be done with persistence and quality work. In 1971 he was appointed Director of the Harris County Pollution Control Department in Pasadena, Texas. He died suddenly of a heart attack in November 1976.

 Scope and Contents

The collection consists of business correspondence, some personal items including Dr. Quebedeaux's theses, diplomas, certificates of appreciation etc., copies of his and others articles and speeches, clippings and photographs and slides, mainly of pollution and it's effects. There are also a large collection of precedents put together by him for use in his work and the classes he taught.

The collection starts with correspondence relating to Dr. Quebedeaux's work, followed by personal items such as diplomas, etc., information on his work with his research laboratory, sundry items relating to the organizations to which he was affiliated, copies of his articles and speeches, clippings on Dr. Quebedeaux and on pollution. The collection continues with copies of various papers, reports, laws, acts and legislation on pollution, information on conferences attended by Dr. Quebedeaux, articles and speeches on pollution, information on government air pollution agencies, miscellaneous information on legal cases prosecuted by Dr. Quebedeaux as well as on the classes given by him together with his large collection of legal precedents.

There are 135 photographs of Dr. Quebedeaux, his associates and views of pollution damage and polluted sites followed by numerous slides and film of pollution and its effects in Houston, the surrounding area and in other cities.

 Use Restrictions

None

 Preferred Citation

Dr. W.A. Quebedeaux Environmental Collection. Houston Metropolitan Research Center, Houston Public Library.

 Index Terms Organizations: Harris County (Tex.). Pollution Control Department Merichem Company Texas Water Quality Board Southwestern University (Georgetown, Tex.) United States. Clean Air Act Subjects: Air--Pollution--Texas--Harris County Environmental protection--Texas Pollution control personnel--Texas--Harris County Pollution--Texas--Harris County Sewage disposal plants--Texas--Harris County Water--Pollution--Texas--Harris County Places: Houston Ship Channel (Tex.) Other names: Connally, John Bowden, 1917- Dannenbaum, J. B. Quebedeaux, Walter A., 1915-1976 Taylor, Reese H. Taylor, Vince Terraso, M. F. Tyer, N. W., Jr. Detailed Description of the Collection Correspondence 1 1 Correspondence to/from W.A. Quebedeaux Jr., 1940 1 2 Correspondence to/from W.A. Quebedeaux Jr., 1943-44 1 3 Correspondence to/from W.A. Quebedeaux Jr., 1945 1 4 Correspondence to/from W.A. Quebedeaux Jr., 1948 1 5 Correspondence to/from W.A. Quebedeaux Jr., 1950-57 1 6 Correspondence W.A.Q. and AIRKEM Inc., 1956-57 1 7 Correspondence to/from W.A.Q., 1958-59 1 8 Correspondence to/from W.A.Q., 1960-65 1 9 Correspondence on shell dredging. 1963-64. The Oyster Shell Dredging Case. I. The Facts Surrounding the Order. Article in The Conservationist, Dec. 1963 1 10 Don Yarborough for Governor of Texas letter to Conservationists. 1964 1 11 Statement by W.A. Quebedeaux for Governor's State Wide Water Recreation Study Commission. Feb. 1964 1 12 2 letters and paper given by J.B. Dannenbaum A Study of Design Criteria for Domestic Sewage Treatment Plants. 1964 1 13 Correspondence with John Connally - John Files/Merichem. Jan-Nov 1966 1 14 Merichem Co. - Pollution Records - Clippings. June 1966 1 15 Correspondence to/from W.A.Q., 1966-69 1 16 Letters recommending W.A. Quebedeaux to National Air Quality Advisory Board. (Photocopies) July 1968 1 17 Statement by W.A. Quebedeaux responding to attack on conduct May 29, 1969 1 18 Correspondence to/from W.A. Quebedeaux. 1970's 1 19 Correspondence from IIT Research Institute. 1972 1 20 W.A. Quebedeaux letter for Houston Citizen's Bank & Trust Centennial Day Time Capsule Project 2025. May 1975 1 21 W.A.Q. letter to President-Elect Jimmy Carter (& reply, from office) Nov. 5, 1976 1 22 Letters of Condolence on death of W.A. Quebedeaux. 1976 1 23 W.A. Quebedeaux Scholarship Fund. 1976 Personal 1 24 W.A. Quebedeaux's notes 1 25 Misc. items of interest to W.A.Q. including jokes, stories, cards 1 26 History of German & French names by Prof. D.J. Millet - Formation of the bible (notes) 1 27 Invitations, dinner programs 1 28 Personnel sheet on W.A. Quebedeaux Jr. / Biographical Sketch 1 29 Commencement exercises, W.A.Q. grades, Teachers Certificate University of Texas. 1932-1940 1 30 W.A.Q. - M.A. Thesis (Univ. of Texas) The Separation of Aliphatic Acids by Extraction. August 1937 1 31 W.A.Q. - PH.D. Thesis (U.T.) The Separation and Identification of the Isomeric Hexanoic Acids from a California Straight-run Gasoline. June 1940 1 32 Classes of 1931-1940 and where they are in 1976 booklet Hail to thee, Southwestern! 1 33 University of Texas personnel record - W.A.Q., to 1940 2 1 Awards, diplomas, certificates of appreciation, societies, etc. 1930's 2 2 Awards, diplomas, certificates of appreciation, societies, etc. 1940's 2 3 Awards, diplomas, certificates of appreciation, societies, etc. 1950's 2 4 Awards, diplomas, certificates of appreciation, societies, etc. 1960's 2 5 Awards, diplomas, certificates of appreciation, societies, etc. 1970's 2 6 Tributes to W.A.Q. 1976-77 2 7 W.A.Q. military service papers, patch, etc. 1943-1946 2 8 Industrial Chemical Labs. - mortgage, etc. 1943-1949 2 9 W.A.Q. statement of account forms - as consultant 2 10 Bat-Re-Nu Battery. Correspondence W.A. Quebedeaux/Fred. H. Wallace on lab. tests. Product information. 1947-1948 2 11 State Merit System forms, correspondence. 1964-65 2 12 W.A. Quebedeaux's business expenses 1964-1974 2 13 W.A.Q. graduation South Texas College of Law / Letters of Recommendation. 1965-1968 2 14 W.A.Q. business expenses for appearances before the Legislature, Austin, on Air Pollution (1) 1965-1969 2 15 W.A.Q. business expenses for appearance before the Legislature, Austin, on Air Pollution (2) 1970-1975 2 16 Pen & Ink sketches of W.A. Quebedeaux by court artists 1967, 1971 2 17 Transcript of Conference W.A.Q. and National Air Pollution Control Administration. Jan. 1970 2 18 Correspondence / Report Sam Houston State University, W.A.Q. as teacher 2 19 Phi Alpha Delta Law Fraternity. By-Laws. Letter 1976 Affiliations 2 20 Registered Professional Engineers 2 21 American Institute of Chemical Engineers. 1944-1946 2 22 Texas State Guard Reserve Corps. 1959-1975 2 23 S.O.S. - Save Our Shell, Inc. 1964 2 24 Texas Ornithological Society - Sponsor of Conference on the Conservation of Natural Resources in Texas. 1964 2 25 Sportsmen's Club of Texas. 1964-65 2 26 The Royal Society of Health, brochure, correspondence 1965, 1969 2 27 Southwestern University Alumni Association. October 1976. Articles by W.A. Quebedeaux, Jr. 3 1 Office and Lab Procedures by W.A.Q. 3 2 Pollution Control and the Common Law - W.A.Q. pencil notes 3 3 Legal Aspects of Air Pollution in Harris County 3 4 Effects of Industrial Effluents on the Fish Life of the Receiving Stream by W.A.Q., Edward Benavides and Germaine Gomez, n.d. 3 5 The Determination of Trace Amounts of Lead in Crabs, Shrimp and Crawfish by Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy by W.A.Q. and James Joseph, n.d. 3 6 Radio talk by W.A.Q. - Fumigation Practices. St. Louis. 3 7 Air & Stream Pollution Control in Harris County, TX by W.A.Q. - Public Health Report, 1953 3 8 Liquid - Liquid Extraction in the Separation of Petroleum Acids by W.A.Q., Henry Schutze, H.L. Lochte, Industrial & Engineering Chemistry, Dec. 1958 3 9 Routine Monitoring of Radioactivity of Materials in Rainfall and Atmosphere by W.A.Q. & Germaine Gomez - Air Pollution Control Assoc., June 1959 3 10 Active Prosecution as the Key to Air Pollution Control by W.A.Q., Congressional Record, Aug. 1960 3 11 The Relationship of Water Pollution to Conservation by W.A.Q., 1961 3 12 Prosecution of Air Pollution Cases Under Common Law Nuisance by W.A.Q., Journal of Air Pollution Association, Vol. 12, No. 4, April 1962 3 13 The Results of a Ten Year Pollution Control Program by W.A.Q., June 1964 3 14 Efficient Control vs. Cost by W.A.Q., Buenos Aires, Argentina, November 1965 3 15 Industry and Pollution Control in the Future by W.A.Q., 1969 3 16 Two Methods for the Capture and Identification of Organic Odors by W.A.Q., N.W. Tyer and Jerry Harris, 1970 or later 3 17 Enforcement of Pollution Control at the County Level , by W.A.Q., August 1970; Pollution Control Officials Are Not Imbeciles , by W.A.Q.; I have Pollution to Report! Where Do I Go?, by Vince Taylor, August 1970; Pollution Control Case Histories , by W.A.Q. March 1971 3 18 Speech to River Oaks Rotary Club by W.A.Q., August 3, 1971 3 19 Screening Techniques for Determination of Arsenic by James Joseph and W.A.Q., 1973 3 20 Documentation of Admissible Evidence for Environmental Cases by A.R. Pierce and W.A.Q., June 1974 3 21 Ambient Air Reports, 1974 & 1975 3 22 Identification of Emission Sources by Industrial Fingerprint by James Joseph, Michael Terrasco and W.A.Q. 3 23 Fingerprinting Industrial Emission Sources , Pollution Engineering, June 1976 3 24 Agency Surveillance of Plants for the Determination of Compliance with the Law by W.A.Q., November 1976 3 25 The Company & Its Community Providing Leadership Toward General Environmental Improvement , by W.A.Q., November 1976 3 26 The Company providing Leadership ... Article to be given at Pollution Engineering Exposition Congress (& leaflet). Not given due to death of W.A.Q., November 9-11, 1976 A Study of the Metals 4 1 Bound manuscript by W.A.Q., volume I. June 1934 4 2 Bound manuscript by W.A.Q., volume II. Clippings 4 3 Clippings on W.A.Q. n.d. 4 4 Clippings on Air Pollution 4 5 Clippings on W.A.Q. 1950's 4 6 Clippings on W.A.Q. 1960's 4 7 Composite on W.A.Q. and air pollution by Rex Braun. 1966 4 8 Clippings on Germaine Gomez. 1969, 1979 4 9 Clippings on W.A.Q. 1970's 4 10 Clippings on death of W.A. Quebedeaux Jr. 1976-77 4 11 Bum Steer Awards 1976. Texas Monthly 4 12 Article on WAQ and Houston Ship Channel. Minneapolis Tribune. 1976 4 13 Clippings on W.A.Q., 1980's 4 14 HSC Conservation Hall of Fame article by Sarah Emmott Sept. 1981 Legislative and Related Materials 5 1 Air Pollution - Law Enforcement Photocopy of Section II - The Statutory Approach 5 2 Definitions on Air Pollution - Law Enforcement of, Copies of Bills, Opinions, etc. (1) 5 3 Definitions on Air Pollution - Law Enforcement of, Copies of Bills, Opinions, etc. (2) 5 4 Harris County Pollution Control Dept. Sample test forms 5 5 Task Force Report On Air Pollution by Center for Study of Responsive Law, Washington, D.C. Prelim. Draft 1970 5 6 Texas Water Quality Board Enforcement Policy Statement. November 1974 5 7 U.S.A. vs. GAF Corp. Memorandum opinion and final judgment Feb. 1975 5 8 Texas Water Quality Board Proposal, Toxicity Statement/Board Order. 1975 5 9 Program Description - Houston Area Oxidents Study (HAOS Blue Book) - Houston Chamber of Commerce. 1976 Conferences 5 10 Conservation of Natural Resources in Texas. Austin. Minutes, notes. March 1964 5 11 Air Pollution Control Association. Houston. June 1964 5 12 Conference on Air & Water Pollution Laws - 2 papers. May 1968 5 13 Contaminacion Del Aire y Cancer Del Pulmon. A.A.C.C.A., Buenos Aires, Argentina. Program, Papers. 1968-1969 5 14 State Extension Staff. Session V - Environmental Pollution. A Reasonable View. August 1970 5 15 Program - 75th Annual Meeting of the Texas Academy of Science, San Marcos, TX 1972 5 16 Gulf Universities Consortium on Air Pollution. Questionnaire, Report: Air Quality Management & Programs in Harris County Dec. 1973 International Conference on Environmental Sensing and Assessment 6 1 ( I) Letters 1975 6 2 (II) Announcement of Symposium 1975 6 3 (III) Fingerprinting Technique 6 4 (IV) Fingerprinting Method Initial Research 1973 6 5 (V) Graphs 6 6 Annual Fall Industrial Engineering Conference (AIIE) Oct. 1976. 6 7 5th Annual Pollution Engineering Exposition & Congress, Anaheim, Calif. Program. Nov. 1976 6 8 Involvement Day, Houston, TX. Recommendations. Feb. 1977 Non-personal 6 9 Journal of the International Association on Water Pollution Research - membership information 6 10 W.A. Quebedeaux's reference notes - Pollution Case Precedents (1) 6 11 W.A. Quebedeaux's reference notes - Pollution Case Precedents (2) 6 12 Air Pollution studies, survey. Correspondence with Texas State Health Department. 1952/1953 6 13 How to Identify a Public Relations Expert by Reese H. Taylor of Union Oil, 1954 6 14 Releases & letters concerning Houston and surrounding area sewage treatment plants. July 1963 6 15 American Bar Assn. Journal reprint: Private Lawsuits and Air Pollution Control. May 1970. 6 16 3 speeches 1970-73 1) Have Information - will discuss, by Robert Churchwell 2) I have pollution to report! Where do I go?, by Vince Taylor 3) Use of the Bio Assay as a screening technique to determine the effect of industrial wastes on fish life, by J.G. Durham and N.J. Lemmon 6 17 Houston Ship Channel Studies, Texas A&M Research Foundation (photocopy). June 1971 6 18 Hot New Prospects for Power from the Earth by C.P. Gilmore. In Popular Science Annotated. Aug. 1972 6 19 Absorption and Identification of Trace Amounts of Organic Amines by M.F. Terraso and N.W. Tyer Jr., March 1973 6 20 1974 City of Houston Budget. Annual Reports of various departments through 1975 6 21 Photocopies of excerpts from South Western Reporter, Texas Digest. Misc. dates Legal Cases 7 1 Legal procedures 7 2 Terms & laws defining pollution 7 3 Forms for filing legal suits by Harris County Pollution Control Dept. 7 4 Lists of cases from 1882 7 5 Stamps vs. Century Electric Co. - appellant's statement, brief & argument booklet. 1946-49 7 6 Misc. correspondence concerning W.A.Q. legal cases - Industrial Chemical Laboratories, St. Louis, MO., 1946-52 7 7 Mack Wealdron vs. Skelly Oil Corp., 1950-51 7 8 Misc. correspondence concerning W.A.Q. legal cases - Austin and Houston. 1953-64 7 9 State (WAQ) vs. Barvin Legal case involvement injury to W.A.Q., Feb. 1959 - July 1959 7 10 Misc. correspondence concerning academic participation, 1967-74 7 11 Investigation report of Dupont rail car accident, Nov. 1968 7 12 Cases filed by Harris County Health Dept., 1968-71 7 13 Request for federal grant for Buffalo Bayou pollution solution. 1970 7 14 Letters concerning Violations: 1972-1976 (inclusive); 1976 (bulk) 1) Armco, n.d. 2) Century III, Inc., 1974 3) Consolidated Tank & Pipeline Co. Inc. - 1976 4) Charter International Oil Co. - 1976 5) Houston International Terminal Inc - 1976 7 15 Remarks on Ocean Dumping - speech, ca. 1973 7 16 W.A.Q. Class on Legal/Pollution - General Information, 1973/74 7 17 W.A.Q. Class on Legal/Pollution - Assignments, 1973/74 7 18 W.A.Q. Class on Legal/Pollution - Quizes, 1973/74 7 19 W.A.Q. Class - Precedents. (Env. 330) 7 20 Courts Summons of W.A.Q., 1965, 1968, 1974 7 21 Pollution test notes/record, 1975 7 22 Texas Water Quality Board Hearing, Sept. 1976 7 23 Activities of Harris County Pollution Control Department, 1976 Government 8 1 Texas General Sanitation Law of 1945. TX State Dept. of Health 8 2 Nominees 57th legislature, State of Texas, 1961-1962 8 3 Rosters 58th & 60th legislatures, State of Texas, 1963-1966, and 1967-1968 8 4 Governmental air pollution agencies - directories 1963, 1967, 1968, 1969 8 5 Governmental air pollution agencies - directories 1970, 1971-1972, 1972-1973 8 6 Governmental air pollution agencies - directories 1973-74, 1974-75, 1975-76 8 7 The drafting of legislative documents - A Manual for Assistance of Members of the Staff of The Attorney General (Texas), Jan. 1971 8 8 EPA Reports (3) - 1973 & 1975 8 9 EPA Research Permit (Ocean Dumping), Oct. 1974 8 10 Clean Air Act, June 1974 8 11 Clean Air Act Amendments of 1975 91st Congress, lst Session, H.R. 10498, 8 12 Clean Air Amendments of 1975 Senate Public Works Committee staff 8 13 Environmental Education Act 1975 The Bureau of National Affairs, Inc. 8 14 Toxic Substances Control Act, March 1976 8 15 Outline of Texas Environmental Quality Code Miscellaneous 9 1 The Sou'Wester - 1932. Southwestern University Yearbooks 9 2 The Sou'Wester - 1933. Southwestern University Yearbooks 9 3 The Sou'Wester - 1935. Southwestern University Yearbooks 10 1 Research on Pollution Cases - I 10 2 Research on Pollution Cases - II 10 3 Research on Pollution Cases - III 10 4 Research on Pollution Cases - IV 10 5 Legal Precedents 10 6 Legal Precedents 10 7 W.A.Q. Personal Collection of Legal Cases - Part I 10 8 W.A.Q. Personal Collection of Legal Cases - Part II 10 9 W.A.Q. Personal Collection of Legal Cases - Part III 11 1 Plaque for American Society for Testing & Materials 11 2 Wooden Plaque - Royal Society of Health 11 3 Laminated photograph of Ship Channel with downtown Houston in background 11 4 Southwestern University Degrees 11 5 Texas Gulf Coast Civil Defense Association Certificate 11 6 University of Texas Degrees: Bachelor of Science, Master of Arts & Doctor of Philosophy Photographs 12 Photographs 13, 14, 15 Slides: views of various companies in Houston and other cities; views of downtown Houston, including from Goodyear Blimp. Box 13 also contains the photographic I.D. sheets Films 16, 17, 18 Films in small and medium canisters 1, 2, 3, 4 Films in large canisters