Walter Budd was a prominent figure among the men who worked the Great South Bay during the early-to-mid 20th century. Born in 1909, Budd started his career in West Sayville, Long Island, at the age of fifteen. Initially engaged in farming oysters, he, like his counterparts, had to adapt to the declining fertility of the bay's oyster beds by exploring alternative livelihoods or supplemental jobs. In the early 1940s, as the oyster industry waned, Walter Budd, like many others, transitioned to clam harvesting, charter fishing, and market gunning during the off-season.  In the 1950s, he began wintering his boat in Florida, where he captained charters to the Keys from November to February and Bimini from March through May. In Miami, Procter & Gamble discovered Walter and approached him to film a commercial for Ivory Snow.

Scope and Content Note
In February 1981, at the age of 72, Walter Budd recorded a series of interviews with John Kochiss, a research associate at the Long Island Maritime Museum. These interviews provide valuable insights into Budd's life, spanning his early days in West Sayville, his experiences aboard his boat, and the various means by which he earned a living on the Great South Bay. The recordings also shed light on his transition to becoming a charter boat captain and his ventures in Florida and Cuba. Budd describes  his career trajectory and the adaptations he made in response to the declining fertility of the bay's oyster beds. While many of his contemporaries shifted to clam harvesting and charter fishing, Budd went further by wintering his boat in Florida. His seasonal charters to the Keys and Bimini allowed him to explore new opportunities.  Covering topics such as his upbringing in West Sayville, his experiences aboard his boat, and his transition to becoming a charter boat captain, this recording provides valuable insights into the life and times of a Bayman during the early-to-mid 20th century.