Charles Wheeler was a prominent figure associated with the United States Bureau of Fisheries Laboratory. His extensive knowledge and contributions significantly impacted the field of fishery science. Over the years, the organization underwent several departmental changes, moving between the Department of Commerce, the Department of Interior, and finally returning to the Department of Commerce in 1970​​ . 

Herbert Graham served as the director of the Bureau of Fisheries Laboratory from 1951 to 1970. His tenure marked a period of significant advancements in fishery science and international collaboration. Graham's leadership coincided with the establishment of the International Commission for the Northwest Atlantic Fisheries (ICNAF) in 1949, a critical body aimed at managing and conserving fishery resources in the Northwest Atlantic. He was actively involved in ICNAF from its first annual meeting in 1951 until his retirement in 1970​​ . Graham also supervised the construction of new laboratory facilities, which were completed in 1960, and the dedication of the new aquarium in 1961​​. 

Scope and Content Note
The interview focuses on the U.S. Bureau of Fisheries at Woods Hole. Charles Wheeler, the first speaker, discusses the history of the lab, its name changes, and the federal departments under which it has operated. He provides an overview of the early history of fisheries off the New England coast, mentioning foreign fishermen-explorers like John Cabot in 1497, and the importance of cod for Massachusetts and ports such as Newburyport, Beverly, Salem, Boston, Scituate, Cohasset, Plymouth, and Provincetown. Wheeler also covers the triangle trade involving Europe, the West Indies, and New England, and notes how 18th and 19th-century wars caused a decline in fisheries. He describes the peak of Labrador and Grand Banks fishing in 1807, shore fishing's height in the 1850s, and the history of Spencer Baird's work, including his arrival in Woods Hole in 1871 and the establishment of a temporary lab in 1875 at Little Harbor. Wheeler mentions Baird's travels to Eastport, Maine; Portland, Maine; and Connecticut, explaining why the Fisheries was established in Woods Hole. He also notes the unsuccessful hatchery attempts and the efforts from the 1880s to the 20th century focusing on migration and population studies.

Dr. Herbert Graham, the second speaker, reflects on the informality of the Spencer Baird period administration. He mentions the demolition of the original Victorian Fisheries buildings in 1958, which were replaced by modern buildings. Graham discusses the summer-only aspect of the science labs and notes that the U.S. Navy occupied the Fisheries buildings during World War II.