This oral history interview with Scott Teitsworth was conducted by Jim Strassmaier from November 9, 2018, to January 3, 2019. The interview was conducted as part of the Oregon Labor Oral History Program, which collects oral histories of individuals who have advocated for working people of Oregon, and part of a series of interviews with firefighters. The interview was conducted in four sessions.

In the first interview session, conducted on November 9, 2018, Teitsworth speaks at length about his family background, and talks about his early life in New Jersey. He discusses his relationship with his family, his political beliefs, and his education. He describes a trip to Europe in 1969; talks about his experiences with LSD and other drugs; and shares his thoughts on citizenship.

In the second interview session, conducted on November 15, 2018, Teitsworth speaks further about his family background and about his relationship with his family. He talks about his experience at Stanford University in 1970. He speaks again about his experiences with LSD and other drugs, and speaks at length about how those experiences influenced his spiritual and political beliefs, particularly regarding the Vietnam War and Indian philosophy. He also talks about his marriage to Deborah Buchanan. He speaks about his association with Guru Nitya Chaitanya Yati and about his work on the guru's books. He also talks about the life of Narayana Guru, and speaks at length about his Hinduism and about the teachings of the Bhagavad Gita.

In the third interview session, conducted on November 22, 2018, Teitsworth continues to discuss his and Deborah Buchanan's association with Guru Nitya Chaitanya Yati. He then speaks about his career as a firefighter with the Portland Fire Bureau and with Tualatin Valley Fire and Rescue. He talks about his experience of being fired from the Portland Fire Bureau, describes some of the rescues he was involved in, and talks about the dangers of the job. He discusses life in a firehouse, compares the medical services provided by firefighters to those of private ambulance companies, and talks about dealing with people in distress. He speaks about the firefighters union, about firefighter pay and benefits, and about working with his fellow firefighters. He talks about his love of music and playing piano.

In the fourth and final interview session, conducted on January 3, 2019, Teitsworth describes the fire that led him to leave firefighting. He also talks about women joining the firefighting force. He talks about the death of Guru Nitya Chaitanya Yati and about his transition from a student of Indian philosophy to a teacher. He also shares his thoughts about the September 11, 2001, attacks and aftermath. He speaks at length about his work on his books about the Bhagavad Gita, about his writings on the labors of Hercules, and about teaching classes on the Bhagavad Gita. He describes the effect accusations of child abuse had on his life, and reads from his life horoscope and discusses its accuracy. He closes the interview by talking about his inspiration for a recent talk, and about his children, their families, and their careers.

This oral history interview with Timothy J. Gauthier was conducted by Jim Strassmaier and recorded on video by Michael O'Rourke in the offices of the National Electrical Contractors Association (NECA) in Portland, Oregon, on September 24, 2008. The interview was conducted as part of the Oregon Labor Oral History Program, which collects oral histories of individuals who have advocated for working people of Oregon.

In this interview, Gauthier discusses his family background and early life in Santa Barbara, California, including his memories of the anti-war protests during the 1960s, surfing, and his family's political and religious beliefs. He talks about his experience at Santa Barbara City College and at Southern Utah State College (now Southern Utah University). He discusses working for the NECA, including his job duties of working with local union chapters and conducting labor negotiations. He also talks about working with the IBEW. He describes the benefits the NECA provides to its members. He speaks about coming to Portland, Oregon, in the early 1980s and working alongside Ed Barnes of IBEW Local 48. He talks about how the recession of the early 1980s affected union members and labor negotiations, and describes NECA's and IBEW's response. He speaks at length about the establishment and success of the Market Recovery Program, which uses union dues to supplement union wages. He also talks about opposition and legal challenges to the program.

Gauthier discusses working with labor attorneys during labor negotiations. He talks about creating a drug testing program and explains the reasons why he felt drug testing was important for union members. He then describes the process of winning job contracts, including how the Market Recovery Program helps. He speaks about the mission and objectives of NECA; describes several of NECA's programs and organizational partnerships; and talks about national recognition for the Oregon-Columbia NECA chapter. He talks about the future of NECA, as well as NECA's charitable work. He closes the interview by discussing his family life.

This oral history interview with Sergiu Luca was conducted by Jim Strassmaier at Luca's home in Otis, Oregon, from July 20 to August 17, 2005, as part of the Oregon Historical Society Research Library's oral history program. The interview was conducted in two sessions. Collection also includes two digital and three print photographs of Luca.

In the first interview session, conducted on July 20, 2005, Luca discusses his family background and early life in Bucharest, Romania, including his early education in playing the violin. He talks about immigrating to Israel with his family in 1950, his father's death shortly after, and continuing his musical education. He then speaks about studying violin in London, England, and in Switzerland with Max Rostal, and later studying violin in the United States at the Curtis Institute with Ivan Galamian. He talks about his involvement with Portland State University and the origins of Chamber Music Northwest, including its funding and early performances, and the reasons why he left the organization. He also discusses his restaurant, Uncle Chen's. He then talks about the origins of the Cascade Head Music Festival.

In the second interview session, conducted on August 17, 2005, Luca speaks at length about living with Jenny Grimm, wife of Socialist leader Robert Grimm, while studying violin in Switzerland. He discusses his career as a professor of violin at William Marshall Rice University in Houston, Texas. He also revisits the topic of his musical education, then continues to discuss the Cascade Head Music Festival. He closes the interview by talking about his musical process, the music he enjoys playing, and popular music pieces.

In this interview, Oderman discusses his family background and early life in Foxholm, North Dakota. He describes his experience during the 1918 flu pandemic, including the death of his father. He discusses his mother's remarriage and his early education. He talks about moving to Monroe, Oregon, in 1926, as well as his high school experience there. He then discusses studying business at the University of Oregon during the Depression, including his plans to become an accountant. He also tells several stories about growing up on a farm. He discusses working for the Public Utility Commission and the Bonneville Power Administration as an accountant and auditor. He talks about his family and his social life during that time. He then discusses his service in the U.S. Navy during World War II, and living in Vanport, Oregon, after the end of the war. He discusses his service as western region audit director for the U.S. Interior Department. He closes the interview by discussing his retirement.

This oral history interview with Mary Jane Sills was conducted by Jim Strassmaier from August 8-11, 2003. Administrative notes indicate additional interview sessions were planned but never occurred.

In this interview, Sills discusses her family background and early life in Portland, Oregon. She talks about moving often due to her father's construction business, discusses her early education, and speaks about her father's death in 1939. She discusses attending Reed College and dropping out in 1941 to join the civil service during World War II. She speaks at length about her experience working in Portland for the War Department from 1941 until the end of the war.

Sills discusses her experience working as an aide to U.S. Senator Richard Neuberger and U.S. Senator Maurine Neuberger from 1954 to 1967. She talks about their campaigns, their positions on environmental issues, and setting up Dick Neuberger's Senate office in Washington, D.C. She also talks about Dick Neuberger's role in the growth of the Democratic Party in Oregon, and about other prominent Oregon Democrats. Sills describes Maurine Neuberger's personality and talks about other members of the Neubergers' senatorial staff. She speaks at length about office management, including keeping the office supplied, handling correspondence, and managing staff. She closes the interview by describing her living situation in Washington, D.C., and caring for Muffet, the Neubergers' cat.

This oral history interview with Kathryn Boe-Duncan was conducted by Jim Strassmaier in Portland, Oregon, from October 15 to December 9, 1993, and on April 10, 2002. Robert Duncan was also present. In this interview, Boe-Duncan discusses her family background and early life in Portland, Oregon; her Lutheran upbringing; her early interest in music; her high school experience; and attending Pacific Lutheran University. She then discusses her marriage to Jason Boe and the difficulties involved in getting married at a young age. She talks about Jason Boe's early political career and involvement with the Democratic Party; daily life in Reedsport, Oregon, in the 1950s; and raising a family. She then discusses working as Jason Boe's secretary while he served in the Oregon House of Representatives from 1964 to 1970, including his campaigns. She also speaks about preparing the family to move to Salem, Oregon; social life in Salem, including her relationships with other politicians' wives; and the duties of a representative's secretary. She speaks at length about Jason Boe's legislative record in the Oregon Senate from 1970 to 1980, particularly his work advancing the legislative agenda of Governor Tom McCall. She also talks about his service as president of the Senate from 1973 to 1980, his work on improving the Capitol building, and his efforts in strengthening the power of the legislative branch. She also describes Jason Boe's political ambitions. Boe-Duncan then talks about Jason Boe's activities after leaving the Legislature, including his work as a lobbyist. She describes her career as a musician, which she began pursuing at age 40, as well as her work for the Oregon Historical Society from 1986 to 1989, and for Portland State University from 1989 to 1994. She closes the interview by talking about her marriage to Robert Duncan in 1995 and her family life.

This oral history interview with Rick Harmon was conducted by Jim Strassmaier at Harmon's home in Portland, Oregon, in two sessions, on October 17 and November 14, 2001, as part of the Oregon Historical Society Research Library's oral history program. Tape 6 of the interview is missing, but its contents are included in a transcript.

In the first interview session, conducted on October 17, 2001, Harmon discusses how he became interested in history while a student at the University of California, San Diego. He also talks about his marriage to Candice Gaucher. He then discusses his graduate school experience at Columbia University in New York, and shares his reasons for returning to UCSD, as well as his reasons for leaving graduate school to work in publishing. He then speaks about his work for the oral history program at the University of California, Los Angeles, in the early 1980s, including editing transcripts and conducting interviews. He also discusses the people he worked with. He describes his experience interviewing Lynn Townsend White, Jr. He then shares his reasons for accepting the job of oral historian at the Oregon Historical Society in 1984. Harmon then speaks at length about his work as OHS oral historian from 1984 to 1986. He talks about reviving the oral history program after a year-long hiatus, about changes he made to the program, and about people he worked with. He also discusses interviews he conducted, particularly with Monroe Sweetland and Gus Solomon; talks about using oral history interviews in articles he later wrote for Oregon Historical Quarterly as the journal's editor; and shares his interviewing methods. He then shares his experiences during and after his divorce in 1985, including being hospitalized for depression and experiencing suicidal thoughts.

In the second interview session, conducted on November 14, 2001, Harmon further discusses interviews he conducted, particularly with Kathryn Bogle and William East. He talks about the partnership between the OHS oral history program and the U.S. District Court of Oregon Historical Society. He then talks about the one-year period when he worked both as editor of Oregon Historical Quarterly and as the OHS oral historian, and shares his reasons for leaving the oral historian position in 1986. He describes the transition of the oral historian job to Jim Strassmaier. He closes the interview by talking about his relationships with Thomas Vaughan and Chet Orloff.

This oral history interview with Charles Digregorio was conducted by Jim Strassmaier in Portland, Oregon, on April 4, 2001, as part of the Oregon Historical Society Research Library's oral history program. A transcript is available.

In this interview, Digregorio describes how he became the first oral historian at the Oregon Historical Society and talks about his experience studying oral history at Columbia University in New York, New York. He talks about oral history interviews he conducted for the historical society, particularly a series of interviews regarding Willamette Industries; shares his interviewing process; and discusses how the oral history program was funded. He shares his reasons for leaving the Oregon Historical Society. He closes the interview by talking about the people he worked with at the society's research library.

This oral history interview with Linda S. Dodds was conducted by Jim Strassmaier on March 16, 2001, as part of the Oregon Historical Society Research Library's oral history program.

In this interview, Dodds discusses her family background and early life in Springfield and Eugene, Oregon. She talks about studying journalism at the University of Oregon, about her marriage to John S. Brody, and about completing her bachelor's degree at Portland State University. She shares her experiences co-authoring a book on the history of Cedar Mill, Oregon, and talks about how those experiences led to her interest in oral history. She describes how she became the oral historian at the Oregon Historical Society in 1979. She talks about people she worked with in the research library, about changes she made to the oral history program, and about how the program was funded. She shares her reasons for resigning in 1982, and talks about her activities after leaving the historical society, including earning a master's degree from Oregon State University and serving as director of a now-closed museum about the history of cowboys in Eastern Oregon, which was located in Northeast Portland in the 1990s.

This oral history interview with David S. Barrows was conducted by Jim Strassmaier from January 31 to March 13, 2000. In this interview, Barrows discusses his family history and childhood in the San Francisco Bay Area of California and in Washington, D.C., as well as his high school education in California. He then talks about attending Willamette University, including having Mark Hatfield as a professor and mentor. Barrows discusses working as a page in the Oregon Legislature and his interest in a career as a lobbyist. He talks briefly about going to law school and practicing law. Barrows then talks about lobbying for the Fairview Home in the 1959 and 1961 legislative sessions, as well as his later lobbying work for tobacco wholesalers and the Oregon Savings and Loan League. His lobbying work included topics such sterilization, taxation, and financial regulations. He also talks about the history of Oregon and California Railroad Revested Lands and his lobbying for the Association of O & C Counties. He also speaks in great detail about legislative procedure, the rules regulating lobbyists, and the relationship between lobbyists and legislators. Barrows closes the interview with a discussion of his lobbying work on behalf of the Oregon Historical Society.

This oral history interview with Angus Duncan was conducted by Jim Strassmaier from July 15 to September 24, 1999. The interview was conducted as part of the Northwest Power Planning Council Oral History Project, which documented the history and purpose of the Northwest Power Planning Council, now known as the Northwest Power and Conservation Council. The interview was conducted in four sessions. The audio for part of the first session (Tape 2, Side 2) is affected by speed issues. The audio for a portion of the fourth session (most of Tape 9) is missing, but is reflected in an incomplete transcript.

In the first interview session, conducted on July 15, 1999, Duncan discusses his family background and early life in Medford, Oregon, including the legislative career of his father, Robert Duncan; his education; and studying government at Harvard University. He speaks about working as an aide for Portland Mayor Neil Goldschmidt from 1974 to 1979, and talks about transportation issues in Portland, particularly the Mount Hood Freeway. He talks about energy issues in the Pacific Northwest in the 1970s, about the history of public and private electric utilities in the region, and about his role in the passage of the 1980 Northwest Power Act. A portion of the audio for this session is affected by speed issues.

In the second interview session, conducted on July 22, 1999, Duncan continues to discuss his role in the passage of the 1980 Northwest Power Act. He speaks about working as an aide for Neil Goldschmidt in the U.S. Department of Transportation from 1979 to 1980. He discusses his career with various renewable energy companies during the 1980s, and shares his thoughts about alternative energy sources. He then talks about serving on the Northwest Power Planning Council from 1990 to 1995. He discusses his attempts to incorporate more renewable energy sources into the council's plans, describes concerns about salmon populations in the 1990s, and talks about his relationship with other council members.

In the third interview session, conducted on September 16, 1999, Duncan continues to discuss serving on the Northwest Power Planning Council from 1990 to 1995. He speaks about some of the projects he worked on regarding salmon conservation, the shutdown of the Trojan nuclear power plant, and water efficiency. He talks about working with other council members, with the Bonneville Power Administration, and with Native tribes. He discusses the 1994 amendment cycle for the NWPPC fish and wildlife plan, and talks about the plan's reception, opposition, and implementation.

In the fourth and final interview session, conducted on September 24, 1999, Duncan continues to discuss serving on the Northwest Power Planning Council from 1990 to 1995. He revisits the topic of the shutdown of the Trojan nuclear power plant, and talks about his working relationship with the NWPPC council members and staff. He discusses the controversies surrounding the 1995 departure of Ed Sheets from the council; talks about working with federal agencies, particularly the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers; and shares his thoughts about the future of power generation on the Columbia River. He closes the interview by reflecting on his career in the public and private sectors. The audio for a portion of this session is missing, but is reflected in an incomplete transcript.

This oral history interview with Alan Green was conducted by Jim Strassmaier in Green's office and home in Portland, Oregon, from April 20 to July 21, 1999. Tape 16 of the recording is missing, but the contents are reflected in an incomplete transcript of the interview.

In this interview, Green discusses his family background and early life in Portland, including his memories of the Depression, his family history of alcoholism, and his early education, including his involvement in student body government during high school. He then discusses his experiences as a theodylite observer in the Army during World War II, including spending time in an Army hospital after a truck accident in New Guinea. He talks about attending Stanford University, including living in the Phi Delta fraternity house, and meeting his wife, Joan Irwin. He describes working an insurance salesman, his marriage, and starting a battery company. He also briefly discusses serving as president of the University Club in 1967 and his efforts to open membership to Jewish people. He talks about a DUI infraction in 1962, his struggle with alcoholism, and his path to sobriety, as well as his later work helping others get sober. He speaks at length about his management of various business enterprises.

Green discusses his involvement in moderate conservative politics and the Republican Party. He talks about his chairmanship of the Multnomah County Central Committee, the 1964 presidential campaign of Barry Goldwater, and Mark Hatfield's brush with the vice presidency in 1968. He also talks about Wayne Morse's defection to the Democratic Party. He speaks at length about his service on the Port of Portland, including competition with Seattle, labor issues, and other members of the commission, particularly Ed Westerdahl. He shares his memories of the Richard Nixon administration, particularly his feelings regarding the Watergate scandal and the rise of the far right. He also talks about serving on the Federal Maritime Commission from 1982 to 1988, including the confirmation process, the Shipping Act of 1985, and his social life while living in Washington, D.C. He talks about how his work on that commission was facilitated by both Mark Hatfield and Bob Packwood. Green then describes serving as chairman for George H.W. Bush's 1988 presidential campaign in Oregon and his subsequent appointment as ambassador to Romania in 1989.

Green speaks at length about serving as ambassador to Romania from 1989 to 1992. He talks about his confirmation, his training, and the fall of Nicolae Ceaușescu. He talks about the members of his staff, living behind the Iron Curtain, and helping Romanian political dissidents become American citizens. He then talks about the new Romanian president, Ion Iliescu, Romanian political parties, and Romanian society and economy after the revolution. He also talks about traveling through Europe while an ambassador, Romania's role in the Gulf War, and international adoption of Romanian children. He then discusses his activities during retirement, including sitting on various boards, and his involvement with the political campaigns of Gordon Smith and George W. Bush. He closes the interview by talking about his children and grandchildren.

This oral history interview with Gordon W. Gilkey was conducted by Jim Strassmaier from January 19 to April 1, 1998, as part of the Oregon Historical Society's oral history program. The interview was conducted in seven sessions. The transcript includes additional information provided by Gilkey.

In the first interview session, conducted on January 19, 1998, Gilkey discusses his family background and early life in Albany, Oregon, including his education, his early interest in art, and working on the family ranch. He talks about teaching art classes at Albany College, about spending a summer as a fire lookout in the Santiam National Forest, and about his marriage to Vivian E. Malone. He discusses studying art at the University of Oregon, and also talks about his work on the official book for the 1939 New York World's Fair.

In the second interview session, conducted on January 28, 1998, Gilkey shares his experiences in New York City from 1936 to 1939, and speaks further about his work on the official book for the 1939 New York World's Fair. He discusses the development of his taste in art while in New York, shares anecdotes about Salvador Dali, and talks about the type of art he worked on. He shares his experience as an art professor at Stephens College in Columbia, Missouri, and talks about some of his students. He then talks about his service in the U.S. Army Air Corps during World War II, including his training in Texas, and writing to President Franklin D. Roosevelt to suggest forming a unit to protect art in the European theater.

In the third interview session, conducted on February 4, 1998, Gilkey continues to discuss his service in the U.S. Army Air Corps during World War II. He speaks at length about commanding a unit of soldiers tasked with recovering artworks stolen by the Nazis, as well as collecting Nazi propaganda art and the politics involved in returning recovered art. He talks about the people he met while in Europe.

In the fourth interview session, conducted on February 11, 1998, Gilkey continues to speak at length about recovering artworks stolen by the Nazis. He talks about his living situation and social life while in Europe, about the many German artists he met, and about meeting displaced European people. He discusses his return to Oregon in 1947 and chairing the art department at Oregon State College, which is now Oregon State University. He speaks about his work as dean to develop the college of humanities into the college of liberal arts, and about developing an international exchange program.

In the fifth interview session, conducted on February 18, 1998, Gilkey revisits the topic of German artists that he met while recovering stolen art in Europe. He also describes witnessing the Nuremburg trials and learning details about the Holocaust. He talks about how his art style changed after his war experiences, about post-war hostilities with Russia, and about displaced people in Europe. He then talks about some of his artworks and his printmaking process. He speaks further about his work as dean at OSU to develop the college of liberal arts, and about developing an international exchange program. He also talks about his relationship with OSU President Robert W. MacVicar, and about student protests in 1969 and 1970.

In the sixth interview session, conducted on February 25, 1998, Gilkey discusses his retirement from OSU in 1977. He talks about his work as a curator for the Portland Art Museum and as a part time professor at the Museum Art School, which is now the Pacific Northwest College of Art. He talks about the construction of the Vivian and Gordon Gilkey Center at the art museum, about his art collection, and about other Portland art collectors. He speaks about some of his OSU students, about some of his colleagues at the Portland Art Museum, and about his personal philosophy.

In the seventh and final interview session, conducted on April 1, 1998, Gilkey revisits the topic of student protests at OSU in 1969 and 1970. He speaks further about his work at the Portland Art Museum and about his colleagues, and talks about the museum's administration. He discusses his work developing the Oregon Arts Commission, the reasons the Museum Art School left PAM and became the Pacific Northwest College of Art, and about the construction of the Gilkey Center. He describes curating the International Print Show at PAM in 1997 and talks about the future of PAM. He closes the interview by discussing the careers of his students at PNCA, OSU, Stephens College, and Albany College.

This oral history interview with L. Jean Markham was conducted by Jim Strassmaier on May 8, 1997. In this interview, Markham discusses her family background and early life in Washington, including her memories of the Depression and her high school education. She then talks about her experiences at a small community college and the University of Washington; her early political beliefs; and her relationship with William Edwin Markham, whom she married in 1943. She discusses starting a family and moving to Riddle, Oregon, in 1947; having polio when she was very young; her children's education; and her involvement in the Riddle community.

Markham discusses entering Republican politics with her husband, his service in the Oregon House of Representatives, and particularly her own work as his secretary. She describes the secretary orientation session, other legislative secretaries, and the expectations for freshman legislators. She describes her duties as a legislative secretary, including editing legislation by hand and handling correspondence, as well as her duties as a legislative aide. She also talks about the social lives of legislative secretaries, partisanship in the Legislature, and misconceptions the public has about the workings of Oregon government. She discusses Bill Markham's constituency, his position on several issues, and his temperament. She also talks about campaigning. She closes the interview by talking about her plans for retirement.

This oral history interview with Noreen Saltveit McGraw was conducted by Jim Strassmaier on November 29, 1996, as part of the Legacy of Hope: Catholics and Social Justice Project. In this interview, McGraw discusses representing the Hmong community, with the help of Reverend Morton Parks, in a case where a baby's spinal cord had been severed during delivery. McGraw mediated the dispute over whether to continue life support.

This oral history interview with Dick K. Harmon was conducted by Jim Strassmaier on December 29, 1995, as part of the Legacy of Hope: Catholics and Social Justice Project, which collected interviews with Catholic clergy and social justice activists in Oregon about their work on social action in the Roman Catholic tradition.

In this interview, Harmon discusses his family background and early life in Colorado, and talks about his interest in learning about the roots of violence in American culture. He describes his college experience at the University of Chicago, and describes how he became involved with the Industrial Areas Foundation. He speaks at length about his work as a social justice organizer for the IAF and later for the Brooklyn Ecumenical Cooperatives. He talks about the communities he worked in, about the people he worked with, and about the relationship between his work and his Christian faith. He shares his opinion on the organization and rules of the Catholic Church. He then speaks at length about his work with the Portland Organizing Project in Oregon, an alliance of churches founded in 1985 to further social justice. He closes the interview by sharing how his social justice work helped him to process his abusive childhood, and by discussing the concept of sin.

This oral history interview with Charles B. Maxey was conducted by Jim Strassmaier at Maxey's home in Portland, Oregon, from February 25 to November 18, 1994. Johnnie Obina Maxey was also present and occasionally contributed to the interview. The interview was conducted in six sessions.

In the first interview session, conducted on February 25, 1994, Maxey discusses his family background and early life in St. Augustine and in Longview, Texas, including his education, growing up in a predominantly black neighborhood, and learning to navigate a racist world. He speaks at length about the importance of reading black authors in high school. He then discusses trying to find decent-paying work in Texas, Colorado, and Utah after graduating from college, and describes how he ultimately decided to settle in Portland, Oregon, in 1943. He talks about working in the shipyards in Portland during World War II and describes his frustration with being denied promotions and other job opportunities due to his youth and race. He then talks about beginning his career as a barber. He also reflects on his college experience at Texas College in Tyler, Texas, and talks about meeting Johnnie O. Maxey and his unrealized plans to go to law school. He discusses his political beliefs and involvement with the Republican Party in Oregon; talks about his first impressions of Portland; and describes how life in Oregon for black people differed from the South.

In the second interview session, conducted on March 4, 1994, Maxey revisits the topic of his early life in St. Augustine and in Longview, Texas, including racism he experienced, learning to navigate a racist world, and working at a drugstore. He also revisits the topics of his first impressions of Portland, working in the shipyards, and beginning his career as a barber. He describes racism he experienced in Portland.

In the third interview session, conducted on March 25, 1994, Maxey talks about a fight between his father and a white police officer in Texas, and how the fallout affected his family. He discusses conditions for black people in Texas, and how they changed during the lead-up to World War II; talks about his experiences working wartime jobs; and describes the development of his political philosophy at the time of the war. He talks about his involvement with the NAACP; discusses people being accused of communism for advocating for civil rights; and discusses conditions for black people in Portland after the war. He talks about the social life of the black community, racism they experienced, and the passage of Oregon's various civil rights acts. He also talks about the experiences of black members of the U.S. military during World War II, as well as his involvement in the Oregon Republican Party.

In the fourth interview session, conducted on April 1, 1994, Maxey continues discussing his involvement in the Oregon Republican Party and his involvement in the NAACP, as well as people being accused of communism for advocating for civil rights. He also continues discussing his involvement in the NAACP. He discusses the slow progress of civil rights in Oregon; talks about his own activism; and shares his thoughts on interracial marriage. He talks about experiencing discrimination at a Young Republicans convention in Utah and discusses his experiences with Oregon Republicans such as Tom McCall, Clay Myers, and Sig Unander. He describes how the black community was disproportionately affected by the state's land seizures during the construction of I-5, including his own loss of his home and first two barbershops. He then discusses owning and operating a grocery store as a family business in North Portland, as well as a barbershop and other businesses that he ran on the side. He talks about raising his children, including their education.

In the fifth interview session, conducted on May 3, 1994, Maxey discusses the reasons why many black people left the South for the West. He talks about the types of jobs that were available to black people in Oregon during World War II and the impact of Oliver Smith's campaign for the Oregon Legislature, and he revisits the topic of people being accused of communism for advocating for civil rights. He discusses his political views, his disagreements with the national Republican Party, and his reasons for remaining a registered Republican. He then revisits the topic of experiencing discrimination at a Young Republicans convention in Utah and talks about having dinner with the governor of Utah. He shares his opinion on school integration and busing; talks about racism his children faced in Portland schools; and discusses the importance of historically black universities. He also revisits the topic of working in the shipyards and describes discrimination he experienced there. He describes the subtler forms that racism took in Oregon as opposed to the South. He then talks about his children, their families, and their careers; discusses his upbringing in the African Methodist Episcopal Church; and reflects on his accomplishments.

In the sixth and final interview session, conducted on November 18, 1994, Maxey revisits the topic of experiencing discrimination at a Young Republicans convention in Utah and describes the process through which the convention passed his resolution that the Young Republicans never again hold a convention at any hotel with discriminatory practices.

This oral history interview with John Helmer was conducted by Jim Strassmaier at the Oregon Historical Society in Portland, Oregon, on August 27, 1994. The interview was one of a series of brief oral histories created to accompany the Oregon Historical Society's World War II exhibit that same year.

In this interview, Helmer discusses his family background, including his parents' experiences as immigrants from Sweden and the origins of his family name. He talks about his early life in the Albina and Overlook neighborhoods of Portland, Oregon, including working at his father's store, John Helmer Haberdasher; his education; and his involvement in sports. He talks briefly about working in a sawmill after high school. Helmer then speaks at length about his service as a bomber pilot in the U.S. Air Force in the Pacific Theater during World War II. He describes his training, flying missions out of Okinawa, Japan, and his experience as part of the occupation of Japan. He talks about returning to Portland after his discharge in 1946, his marriage to Beverly Carroll in 1948, and taking a trip to Europe in 1952. He also discusses his family's political beliefs. He talks about purchasing John Helmer Haberdasher in 1956, his attempts to expand the business, and how the recession of the 1980s affected the store. He discusses the difference between a large department store and a small family-run business. He talks about his children, their families, and their careers. He also describes his and Beverly Helmer's retirement activities. He closes the interview by reflecting on how his experiences in World War II affected him.

Photographs of John Helmer, Jr., are included with the interview. They were taken by Jim Strassmaier at the time of the interview, both inside and outside the John Helmer Haberdasher store in Portland.