Dr. W.A. Quebedeaux Environmental Collection: An Inventory of His Papers at the Houston Metropolitan Research Center, Houston Public Library


Descriptive Summary
	Creator	Quebedeaux, W.A.
	Title:	Dr. W.A. Quebedeaux Environmental Collection
	Date:	1932 - 1985
	Collection Number	MSS 0234
	Extent	7.5 linear feet; 12 document boxes, 4 small photo boxes, 1 record storage carton, 1 medium flat box, four 16mm films.
	Language	Materials are inEnglish.
	Repository	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.

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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.

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Restrictions

Use Restrictions

None

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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.

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Correspondence
box	folder
1	1	Correspondence to/from W.A. Quebedeaux Jr., 1940
	2	Correspondence to/from W.A. Quebedeaux Jr., 1943-44
	3	Correspondence to/from W.A. Quebedeaux Jr., 1945
	4	Correspondence to/from W.A. Quebedeaux Jr., 1948
	5	Correspondence to/from W.A. Quebedeaux Jr., 1950-57
	6	Correspondence W.A.Q. and AIRKEM Inc., 1956-57
	7	Correspondence to/from W.A.Q., 1958-59
	8	Correspondence to/from W.A.Q., 1960-65
	9	Correspondence on shell dredging. 1963-64."The Oyster Shell Dredging Case. I. The Facts Surrounding the Order." Article in The Conservationist, Dec. 1963
	10	'Don Yarborough for Governor of Texas' letter to Conservationists. 1964
	11	Statement by W.A. Quebedeaux for Governor's State Wide Water Recreation Study Commission. Feb. 1964
	12	2 letters and paper given by J.B. Dannenbaum "A Study of Design Criteria for Domestic Sewage Treatment Plants." 1964
	13	Correspondence with John Connally - John Files/Merichem. Jan-Nov 1966
	14	Merichem Co. - Pollution Records - Clippings. June 1966
	15	Correspondence to/from W.A.Q., 1966-69
	16	Letters recommending W.A. Quebedeaux to National Air Quality Advisory Board. (Photocopies) July 1968
	17	Statement by W.A. Quebedeaux responding to attack on conduct May 29, 1969
	18	Correspondence to/from W.A. Quebedeaux. 1970's
	19	Correspondence from IIT Research Institute. 1972
	20	W.A. Quebedeaux letter for Houston Citizen's Bank & Trust Centennial Day Time Capsule 'Project 2025'. May 1975
	21	W.A.Q. letter to President-Elect Jimmy Carter (& reply, from office) Nov. 5, 1976
	22	Letters of Condolence on death of W.A. Quebedeaux. 1976
	23	W.A. Quebedeaux Scholarship Fund. 1976

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Personal
box	folder
1	24	W.A. Quebedeaux's notes
	25	Misc. items of interest to W.A.Q. including jokes, stories, cards
	26	History of German & French names by Prof. D.J. Millet - Formation of the bible (notes)
	27	Invitations, dinner programs
	28	Personnel sheet on W.A. Quebedeaux Jr. / Biographical Sketch
	29	Commencement exercises, W.A.Q. grades, Teachers Certificate University of Texas. 1932-1940
	30	W.A.Q. - M.A. Thesis (Univ. of Texas) "The Separation of Aliphatic Acids by Extraction". August 1937
	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
	32	Classes of 1931-1940 and where they are in 1976 booklet "Hail to thee, Southwestern!"
	33	University of Texas personnel record - W.A.Q., to 1940
box	folder
2	1	Awards, diplomas, certificates of appreciation, societies, etc. 1930's
	2	Awards, diplomas, certificates of appreciation, societies, etc. 1940's
	3	Awards, diplomas, certificates of appreciation, societies, etc. 1950's
	4	Awards, diplomas, certificates of appreciation, societies, etc. 1960's
	5	Awards, diplomas, certificates of appreciation, societies, etc. 1970's
	6	Tributes to W.A.Q. 1976-77
	7	W.A.Q. military service papers, patch, etc. 1943-1946
	8	Industrial Chemical Labs. - mortgage, etc. 1943-1949
	9	W.A.Q. statement of account forms - as consultant
	10	"Bat-Re-Nu" Battery. Correspondence W.A. Quebedeaux/Fred. H. Wallace on lab. tests. Product information. 1947-1948
	11	State Merit System forms, correspondence. 1964-65
	12	W.A. Quebedeaux's business expenses 1964-1974
	13	W.A.Q. graduation South Texas College of Law / Letters of Recommendation. 1965-1968
	14	W.A.Q. business expenses for appearances before the Legislature, Austin, on Air Pollution (1) 1965-1969
	15	W.A.Q. business expenses for appearance before the Legislature, Austin, on Air Pollution (2) 1970-1975
	16	Pen & Ink sketches of W.A. Quebedeaux by court artists 1967,1971
	17	Transcript of Conference W.A.Q. and National Air Pollution Control Administration. Jan. 1970
	18	Correspondence / Report Sam Houston State University, W.A.Q. as teacher
	19	Phi Alpha Delta Law Fraternity. By-Laws. Letter 1976

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Affiliations
box	folder
2	20	Registered Professional Engineers
	21	American Institute of Chemical Engineers. 1944-1946
	22	Texas State Guard Reserve Corps. 1959-1975
	23	S.O.S. - Save Our Shell, Inc. 1964
	24	Texas Ornithological Society - Sponsor of Conference on the Conservation of Natural Resources in Texas. 1964
	25	Sportsmen's Club of Texas. 1964-65
	26	The Royal Society of Health, brochure, correspondence 1965, 1969
	27	Southwestern University Alumni Association. October 1976.

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Articles by W.A. Quebedeaux, Jr.
box	folder
3	1	"Office and Lab Procedures" by W.A.Q.
	2	"Pollution Control and the Common Law" - W.A.Q. pencil notes
	3	"Legal Aspects of Air Pollution in Harris County"
	4	"Effects of Industrial Effluents on the Fish Life of the Receiving Stream" by W.A.Q., Edward Benavides and Germaine Gomez, n.d.
	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.
	6	Radio talk by W.A.Q. - Fumigation Practices. St. Louis.
	7	"Air & Stream Pollution Control in Harris County, TX" by W.A.Q. - Public Health Report, 1953
	8	"Liquid - Liquid Extraction in the Separation of Petroleum Acids" by W.A.Q., Henry Schutze, H.L. Lochte, Industrial & Engineering Chemistry, Dec. 1958
	9	"Routine Monitoring of Radioactivity of Materials in Rainfall and Atmosphere" by W.A.Q. & Germaine Gomez - Air Pollution Control Assoc., June 1959
	10	"Active Prosecution as the Key to Air Pollution Control" by W.A.Q., Congressional Record, Aug. 1960
	11	"The Relationship of Water Pollution to Conservation" by W.A.Q., 1961
	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
	13	"The Results of a Ten Year Pollution Control Program" by W.A.Q., June 1964
	14	"Efficient Control vs. Cost" by W.A.Q., Buenos Aires, Argentina, November 1965
	15	"Industry and Pollution Control in the Future" by W.A.Q., 1969
	16	"Two Methods for the Capture and Identification of Organic Odors" by W.A.Q., N.W. Tyer and Jerry Harris, or later 1970
	17	"Enforcement of Pollution Control at the County Level ", by W.A.Q., "Pollution Control Officials Are Not Imbeciles ", by W.A.Q.; "I have Pollution to Report! Where Do I Go?", by Vince Taylor, August 1970; August 1970; "Pollution Control Case Histories" , by W.A.Q. March 1971
	18	Speech to River Oaks Rotary Club by W.A.Q., August 3, 1971
	19	"Screening Techniques for Determination of Arsenic" by James Joseph and W.A.Q., 1973
	20	"Documentation of Admissible Evidence for Environmental Cases" by A.R. Pierce and W.A.Q., June 1974
	21	"Ambient Air" Reports, 1974 & 1975
	22	"Identification of Emission Sources by Industrial Fingerprint" by James Joseph, Michael Terrasco and W.A.Q.
	23	"Fingerprinting Industrial Emission Sources" , Pollution Engineering, June 1976
	24	"Agency Surveillance of Plants for the Determination of Compliance with the Law" by W.A.Q., November 1976
	25	"The Company & Its Community Providing Leadership Toward General Environmental Improvement" , by W.A.Q., November 1976
	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

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"A Study of the Metals"

box

folder

Bound manuscript by W.A.Q., volume I. June 1934

Bound manuscript by W.A.Q., volume II.

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Clippings
box	folder
4	3	Clippings on W.A.Q. n.d.
	4	Clippings on Air Pollution
	5	Clippings on W.A.Q. 1950's
	6	Clippings on W.A.Q. 1960's
	7	Composite on W.A.Q. and air pollution by Rex Braun. 1966
	8	Clippings on Germaine Gomez. 1969, 1979
	9	Clippings on W.A.Q. 1970's
	10	Clippings on death of W.A. Quebedeaux Jr. 1976-77
	11	Bum Steer Awards . Texas Monthly 1976
	12	Article on WAQ and Houston Ship Channel. Minneapolis Tribune. 1976
	13	Clippings on W.A.Q., 1980's
	14	HSC "Conservation Hall of Fame" article by Sarah Emmott Sept. 1981

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Legislative and Related Materials
box	folder
5	1	Air Pollution - Law Enforcement Photocopy of Section II - The Statutory Approach
	2	Definitions on Air Pollution - Law Enforcement of, Copies of Bills, Opinions, etc. (1)
	3	Definitions on Air Pollution - Law Enforcement of, Copies of Bills, Opinions, etc. (2)
	4	Harris County Pollution Control Dept. Sample test forms
	5	Task Force Report On Air Pollution by Center for Study of Responsive Law, Washington, D.C. Prelim. Draft 1970
	6	Texas Water Quality Board Enforcement Policy Statement. November 1974
	7	U.S.A. vs. GAF Corp. Memorandum opinion and final judgment Feb. 1975
	8	Texas Water Quality Board Proposal, Toxicity Statement/Board Order. 1975
	9	Program Description - Houston Area Oxidents Study (HAOS Blue Book) - Houston Chamber of Commerce. 1976

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Conferences
box	folder
5	10	Conservation of Natural Resources in Texas. Austin. Minutes, notes. March 1964
	11	Air Pollution Control Association. Houston. June 1964
	12	Conference on Air & Water Pollution Laws - 2 papers. May 1968
	13	Contaminacion Del Aire y Cancer Del Pulmon. A.A.C.C.A., Buenos Aires, Argentina. Program, Papers. 1968-1969
	14	State Extension Staff. Session V - Environmental Pollution. A Reasonable View. August 1970
	15	Program - 75th Annual Meeting of the Texas Academy of Science, San Marcos, TX 1972
	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
box	folder
6	1		( I) Letters 1975
	2		(II) Announcement of Symposium 1975
	3		(III) Fingerprinting Technique
	4		(IV) Fingerprinting Method Initial Research 1973
	5		(V) Graphs
	6	Annual Fall Industrial Engineering Conference (AIIE) Oct. 1976.
	7	5th Annual Pollution Engineering Exposition & Congress, Anaheim, Calif. Program. Nov. 1976
	8	Involvement Day, Houston, TX. Recommendations. Feb. 1977

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Non-personal
box	folder
6	9	Journal of the International Association on Water Pollution Research - membership information
	10	W.A. Quebedeaux's reference notes - Pollution Case Precedents (1)
	11	W.A. Quebedeaux's reference notes - Pollution Case Precedents (2)
	12	Air Pollution studies, survey. Correspondence with Texas State Health Department. 1952/1953
	13	"How to Identify a Public Relations Expert" by Reese H. Taylor of Union Oil, 1954
	14	Releases & letters concerning Houston and surrounding area sewage treatment plants. July 1963
	15	American Bar Assn. Journal reprint: Private Lawsuits and Air Pollution Control. May 1970.
	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
box	folder
6	17	Houston Ship Channel Studies, Texas A&M Research Foundation (photocopy). June 1971
	18	"Hot New Prospects for Power from the Earth" by C.P. Gilmore. In Popular Science Annotated. Aug. 1972
	19	"Absorption and Identification of Trace Amounts of Organic Amines" by M.F. Terraso and N.W. Tyer Jr., March 1973
	20	1974 City of Houston Budget. Annual Reports of various departments through 1975
	21	Photocopies of excerpts from South Western Reporter, Texas Digest. Misc. dates

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Legal Cases
box	folder
7	1	Legal procedures
	2	Terms & laws defining pollution
	3	Forms for filing legal suits by Harris County Pollution Control Dept.
	4	Lists of cases from 1882
	5	"Stamps vs. Century Electric Co." - appellant's statement, brief & argument booklet. 1946-49
	6	Misc. correspondence concerning W.A.Q. legal cases - Industrial Chemical Laboratories, St. Louis, MO., 1946-52
	7	Mack Wealdron vs. Skelly Oil Corp., 1950-51
	8	Misc. correspondence concerning W.A.Q. legal cases - Austin and Houston. 1953-64
	9	"State (WAQ) vs. Barvin" Legal case involvement injury to W.A.Q., Feb. 1959 - July 1959
	10	Misc. correspondence concerning academic participation, 1967-74
	11	Investigation report of Dupont rail car accident, Nov. 1968
	12	Cases filed by Harris County Health Dept., 1968-71
	13	Request for federal grant for Buffalo Bayou pollution solution. 1970
	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
box	folder
7	15	Remarks on Ocean Dumping - speech, ca. 1973
	16	W.A.Q. Class on Legal/Pollution - General Information, 1973/74
	17	W.A.Q. Class on Legal/Pollution - Assignments, 1973/74
	18	W.A.Q. Class on Legal/Pollution - Quizes, 1973/74
	19	W.A.Q. Class - Precedents. (Env. 330)
	20	Courts Summons of W.A.Q., 1965,1968,1974
	21	Pollution test notes/record, 1975
	22	Texas Water Quality Board Hearing, Sept. 1976
	23	Activities of Harris County Pollution Control Department, 1976

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Government
box	folder
8	1	Texas General Sanitation Law of 1945. TX State Dept. of Health
	2	Nominees 57th legislature, State of Texas, 1961-1962
	3	Rosters 58th & 60th legislatures, State of Texas, and 1963-1966, 1967-1968
	4	Governmental air pollution agencies - directories 1963, 1967, 1968, 1969
	5	Governmental air pollution agencies - directories 1970, 1971-1972, 1972-1973
	6	Governmental air pollution agencies - directories 1973-74, 1974-75, 1975-76
	7	The drafting of legislative documents - A Manual for Assistance of Members of the Staff of The Attorney General (Texas), Jan. 1971
	8	EPA Reports (3) - 1973 & 1975
	9	EPA Research Permit (Ocean Dumping), Oct. 1974
	10	Clean Air Act, June 1974
	11	Clean Air Act Amendments of 1975 91st Congress, lst Session, H.R. 10498,
	12	Clean Air Amendments of 1975 Senate Public Works Committee staff
	13	Environmental Education Act The Bureau of National Affairs, Inc. 1975
	14	Toxic Substances Control Act, March 1976
	15	Outline of Texas Environmental Quality Code

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Miscellaneous
box	folder
9	1	"The Sou'Wester - 1932". Southwestern University Yearbooks
	2	"The Sou'Wester - 1933". Southwestern University Yearbooks
	3	"The Sou'Wester - 1935". Southwestern University Yearbooks
box	folder
10	1	Research on Pollution Cases - I
	2	Research on Pollution Cases - II
	3	Research on Pollution Cases - III
	4	Research on Pollution Cases - IV
	5	Legal Precedents
	6	Legal Precedents
	7	W.A.Q. Personal Collection of Legal Cases - Part I
	8	W.A.Q. Personal Collection of Legal Cases - Part II
	9	W.A.Q. Personal Collection of Legal Cases - Part III
box	folder
11	1	Plaque for American Society for Testing & Materials
	2	Wooden Plaque - Royal Society of Health
	3	Laminated photograph of Ship Channel with downtown Houston in background
	4	Southwestern University Degrees
	5	Texas Gulf Coast Civil Defense Association Certificate
	6	University of Texas Degrees: Bachelor of Science, Master of Arts & Doctor of Philosophy

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Photographs

box

Photographs

box

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

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Films

box

16, 17, 18

Films in small and medium canisters

Items

1, 2, 3, 4

Films in large canisters

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