Oral history interview with Ivory, 1980

Biographical Note

Ivory was born an only child in Port Arthur, Texas in 1920. In his adolescence, he moved to Galveston, and later to Beaumont. He attended school through 8th grade, and acquired a few months' education in reformatory school as well. In 1937, he was arrested for burglary and served eighteen months in Huntsville Penitentiary. Ivory got married in 1939. He went back to the penitentiary that same year, and his first child was born in 1941 while he was incarcerated. He got divorced in 1943, and shortly after moved to Houston where he worked at Lockheed's Aircraft Plant for six months. He left Houston for Los Angeles in 1944. Ivory began selling heroin and cocaine in LA. He first became addicted to heroin in 1952. Ivory moved to Las Vegas in 1969, where he was caught transporting drugs from Mexico to the United States, and served four years and eight months jail time. Ivory later moved to New York City in 1975. He joined a methadone program in June 1977. Ivory was interviewed for the project that led to the book Addicts Who Survived. The name is likely a pseudonym for the project

Scope and Contents

In this interview, Ivory discusses his life, with special attention towards his drug use and trafficking. He comments on the conditions of various southern jails such as Huntsville Penitentiary. He describes how he received his first dose of heroin while incarcerated, but did not become enticed to try it again until he began selling drugs to his clientele of mostly professional musicians months later. Ivory describes the drug scenes in New York City, Los Angeles, and Las Vegas, and discusses how, when he lived in LA, he would send buyers to New York City to bring heroin back. He also discusses how herion, after entering the country mostly through New York City, moved through many ranks of dealers who dilute the drug for profit before it ends up on the street. He delves into his experience attending a methadone program, and describes how he began drinking heavily after first joining the program in 1977

Subjects

• Courtwright, David T., 1952- interviewer.
• Drug addicts--Rehabilitation--United States.
• Drug addicts--United States.
• Drug dealers--United States.
• Drug traffic--California--Los Angeles.
• Drug traffic--Nevada--Las Vegas.
• Drug traffic--New York (State)--New York.
• Heroin abuse--United States--History--20th century.
• Imprisonment--United States.
• Interviews.
• Ivory--Interviews.
• Joseph, Herman, 1931- interviewer.
• Oral histories (literary works)
• Texas. State Penitentiary at Huntsville.

Access Conditions

Copyright by David Courtwright