Lazarette Gazette (Laz Gaz)
Permanent URI for this collectionhttps://hdl.handle.net/2152/39575
The Lazarette Gazette (Laz Gaz) was an informal newsletter of the University of Texas Marine Science Institute, which began in 1992 and ended in 1999. Each of the issues have a fun, whimsical masthead with a staff caricature, group of people or an illustration of general interest. In the Editor’s Note of the first issue, John Thompson, Assistant Director of the UTMSI, writes:
Lazarette Gazette will be published every two weeks--often enough, I hope, for the news to be reasonably fresh; but not so often that the chore is excessive. My thanks to Linda Yates for designing the masthead and Lynn Amos for helping with the layout and to all who contributed information or stories for this first edition: Terry Whitledge, Ken Dunton, Tony Amos, Rick Tinnin, Linda Fuiman, Ruth Grundy, Kathy Quade, Toni Martinez, Patty Baker, Lynn Amos, and JoAnn Page. My first choice for the newsletter’s name was the one Curtis and Amy used in their short lived informal newsletter--Egabrag Wocs (Scow Garbage spelled backwards), however it turned out that the copyright fee was too high (actually Curtis volunteered it for free). Having published our cafeteria menu for some years under the heading, Gastronomic Gazette, I liked the word Gazette. Combining that with Lazarette (a storeroom aboard ship) sounds nice and gives me a chance to exhibit my nautical erudition.
As Mr. Thompson mentions, the earlier title, Egabrag Wocs was short lived and lasted from 1989 until the publication of the Lazarette Gazette began.
The contents for these brief informational reads depended largely on staff members contributing various news, including their research and expeditions. “Things suitable for printing include seminar announcements, power and water shutdowns, when key persons will be away (or not away in some cases), thesis defense info, poetry you couldn’t publish elsewhere, requests for inputs into committees, etc.” The newsletter served as a means for the Marine Science Institute to share things of interest and definitely in a fun way for everyone.