Gabriel M. and Muriel J.N. Krepper Collection
Scope and Content Note
This collection includes programs and booklets of Beaumont events, 1941—1967; a reminiscence of downtown Beaumont and the importance of having a downtown, by Joe G. Perl; a 1985 St. Marks Episcopal pictorial directory, and newspaper images of Beaumonters the Kreppers knew, circa 1939—2002. The collection includes a video cassette of the sixtieth reunion for the Beaumont High School Class of 1939; a report, "Liquefied Petroleum Gas Ship, Natalie O. Warren" (with photograph images) / by the Pennsylvania Shipyard, Inc. (1947) (the Natalie O. Warren, built at the Beaumont Shipyards, was the first liquid petroleum gas tanker ever built); Beaumont Yard-Bethlehem Steel, employee newsletter, Island News (1976—1980); and the 1949 organization of a Bethlehem Steel, salaried employees, social club and 1956 social club newsletter, The Abescoe News.
The collection contains a 1943 awards ceremony program for Pennsylvania Shipyards, Inc., Beaumont, Texas, for the reception of the award of merit, the Maritime “M” Pennant. The program also contains a history of Pennsylvania Shipyards, Inc. (1922—1941). The collection includes Bethlehem Steel publications displaying works of Bethlehem Steel while giving a brief history of the company at Beaumont (1908—1989); and a history of the Baltimore yards and Bethlehem Shipbuilding Corporation (1800—1965). It also includes Bethelehem Shipbuilding and Bethlehem Steel publications with company and industry histories.
The Beaumont Shipyards worked closely with Lincoln Electric Company, pioneers of arc welding. All steel structures, including buildings, tanks and bridges, used rivets before the 1930's. In the 1930's a number of ships were built using both rivets and welding. Then in 1937, Beaumont was the first to build a tanker vessel using complete welding. The Lincoln Electric Company's Procedure Handbook of Arc Welding Design and Practice (1940), included in this collection, uses the Beaumont Shipyards in a number of images demonstrating arc welded designs, and displays the "Paratex", the first complete arc welded tanker (page 1075). The collection also includes a series of photographs of the shipyards, personnel, and structures the shipyard produced (1935—1982).
Dates
- Creation: 1930-2002
Creator
- Krepper, Gabriel M., 1920-2005. (Person)
- Krepper, Muriel J. Neumann, 1920-2003 (Person)
Language of Materials
Materials are in English.
Access Restrictions
Some restrictions may apply.
Copyright
The Tyrrell Historical Library does not hold copyright for most of its collections. The researcher must secure permission to publish. All requests for permission to publish or quote from manuscripts must be submitted to the Tyrrell Historical Library. The researcher assumes full responsibility for complying with copyright, literary property rights, and libel laws.
Biographical Note
Gabriel M. Krepper (1920—2005) was born in Jeanerette, Louisiana, son of Gabriel and Georgetti Krepper. His father was a barber, born in France, and owned a barber shop in Jeanerette, Louisiana. By 1930, Gabriel (age 9) was living in Beaumont, Texas, with his mother and two brothers, Gilbert (age 20) and George (age 6), and his older brother was already working at the shipyards. Gabriel began work at Pennsylvania Shipyards, Inc., Beaumont, Texas, in 1938, making drawings for the construction of tug boats and drilling barges. During the war years, he worked in the Washington, DC, shipyard's engineering department producing plans for ships, and then enlisted in the Navy. His later career included being a production supervisor and Chief Estimator, from which he retired in 1982. Side vocations and pursuits included general contractor for building homes and artist of small scale models of marine vessels and offshore drilling platforms built by Bethlehem Steel in Beaumont, Texas.
Muriel J. Neumann Krepper (1920—2003) was born in San Antonio, Texas, the daughter of a Hungarian immigrant father. Her father, Ernest Neumann, was a repairman of pianos and organs. Due to a lack of repair work of musical instruments in Beaumont, he listed painter as his occupation of choice in 1930. Muriel attended Beaumont High School, graduating in about 1939, after taking a year off, due to an automobile accident.
The Kreppers raised their family of four children in Beaumont, Texas. Their collection includes Muriel’s high school scrapbook, Gabriel’s shipyard papers, books and work related pamphlets, brochures and photographs, as well as other items documenting their life in Beaumont.
Extent
8.3 Cubic Feet (8.3 cubic feet in seven boxes)
Abstract
This collection consists primarily of memorabilia related to the Pennsylvania and Bethlehem Shipyards located in Beaumont from the 1930's to the 1980's. Contained within this collection are two boxes of photographs, which number approximately 137 items. The theme of the photographs capture many aspects of the ship building trade including the following: shipyard officials and employees, commemorative and ceremonial events, offshore drilling platforms, vessels being built at the shipyard, ongoing construction projects at the shipyard, interior views of ships at the yard, dry dock scenes at the shipyard, and scenes of the Neches River Naval Reserve Fleet.
Organization of Collection
This collection is organized into 8 upright, one-half cubic foot boxes with folders numbered consecutively. There is a box/folder contents inventory in box (1), folder (1), of the collection. There is a series of playbills and entertainment events in Beaumont, circa 1940—1967; a series of newspaper clippings of Beaumonters, circa 1939—2002; a series of area telephone directories, 1928—1959; a series of employee newsletters (Island News) of Bethlehem Steel, Beaumont, Texas, 1976—1980; books, pamphlets, and articles on shipbuilding, rules of the patent office, and liquefied petroleum gas; a series of Bethlehem Steel Corporation Annual Reports, 1974—1982; a series of engineering drawings, 1938—1980; a series of photographs (ships and ship building events), 1935—1982; and books, including a shipbuilding cyclopedia, shipping register, and procedure handbook of arc welding. There is (1) flat box containing a scrapbook kept by Muriel J. Neumann when in Beaumont High School, 1938.
Acquisition Information
The collection was donated by Suzanne Krepper of Dallas, Texas.
Accruals
No further accruals are expected.
Bibliography
1930 U.S. Census, www.ancestrylibrary.com
"Library receives notable collection," by Bill Faucett (2007)
Obituary, Beaumont Enterprise, December 16, 2005.
Processing Information
Processed by Tyrrell Historical Library staff.
Finding aid revised and encoded 2012 July.
Subject
- Barkell, Jeanne (Person)
- Bell, Elsie Eunice (Person)
- Buchanan, Margaret (Person)
- Combest, Margaret (1921-2006) (Person)
- Cowan, Virgina Mae Rothwell (1931- ) (Person)
- Currie, Lydia Guedry (Person)
- Davis, Hattie Aldora (Person)
- Deerman, Ruby Lee Naquin (Person)
- Dodd, Lucy Jane (Person)
- Dowell, Helen Brainard (Person)
- Dowell, Herbert, Mrs. (Person)
- Fuller, Wesley Edens, Mrs. (Person)
- Hackworth, Eleanor (Person)
- Jones, Jerry, Miss. (Person)
Genre / Form
- Brochures.
- Drawings, engineering.
- Manuscripts (history).
- Maps, water-ways.
- Pamphlets.
- Photographs.
- Publications, ship-building.
- Scrapbook, loose-leaf.
- Scrapbooks.
- Telephone directories.
Geographic
- Baltimore (Md.)
- Beaumont (Tex.)
- Bethlehem Shipyards (New York, N.Y.)
- Bethlehem Shipyards (San Francisco, Calif.)
- Bethlehem Shipyards (San Pedro, Los Angeles, Calif.)
- Minglewood (Beaumont, Tex.)
- Spindletop (Beaumont, Tex.)
Topical
- Title
- Finding Aid for the Gabriel M. and Muriel J.N. Krepper Collection, 1930-2002
- Language of description
- Undetermined
- Script of description
- Code for undetermined script
Repository Details
Part of the Tyrrell Historical Library Archives Repository
