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Oral history interview with Elise F. Wendel

  • SR 1004
  • Collection
  • 1985-01-30 - 1985-02-27

This oral history interview with Elise F. Wendel was conducted by Rick Harmon in Portland, Oregon, from January 30 to February 27, 1985. The interview was conducted in five sessions.

In the first interview session, conducted on January 30, 1985, Wendel discusses her family background and early life in Southwest Portland, in the area that later became the Park Blocks. She talks about the people in her neighborhood and how the neighborhood changed during the time she lived there. She describes her childhood home at length. She talks about her experience growing up as a Jewish person in Portland, her recreational activities, and a family trip to Europe just before the outbreak of World War I. She also briefly shares her memories of civilian life during World War I and of the 1918 flu epidemic. She discusses her education, including attending Catlin Gabel School and studying in Paris, France.

In the second interview session, conducted on February 6, 1985, Wendel continues discussing her education, including attending Catlin Gabel School and studying in Paris, France, and attending a finishing school in New York. She talks about her father, I.N. Fleischner, and his department store, Fleischner, Mayer & Co. She then talks about her experiences at Wellesley College. She speaks about her marriage to Harold Fox Wendel and talks about his early life.

In the third interview session, conducted on February 13, 1985, Wendel continues discussing her marriage to Harold F. Wendel and his early life. She talks about Harold F. Wendel's career as president of the Lipman & Wolfe department store, including competition with Meier & Frank, changes he made to the business, and his management of his employees. She compares the managerial styles of I.N. Fleischner and Harold F. Wendel; talks about how the Depression affected Lipman & Wolfe; and discusses Harold F. Wendel's involvement with the Oregon State Sanitary Authority and other civic organizations.

In the fourth interview session, conducted on February 20, 1985, Wendel continues discussing her marriage to Harold F. Wendel, including the house they lived in and raising a family. She talks about her involvement with the Council of Jewish Women, the Temple Beth Israel Sisterhood, and the League of Women Voters. She also briefly discusses her involvement in civil defense activities during World War II. She speaks at length about her involvement with the Girl Scouts, including securing property for a summer camp.

In the fifth and final interview session, conducted on February 27, 1985, Wendel continues discussing her involvement with the Girl Scouts, discusses some of the events she helped organize for the group, and talks about some of the ways the organization has changed. She closes the interview by discussing her other volunteer activities.

Wendel, Elise F. (Elise Fleischner), 1905-1986

Oral history interview with Constance Beaty

  • SR 4003
  • Collection
  • 1986-02-07 - 1986-02-07

This oral history interview with Constance Beaty was conducted by Rick Harmon in Portland, Oregon, on February 7, 1986. In this interview, Beaty discusses her family background, her early life in Portland, and her childhood vacations in Seaview, Washington. She talks about the Golden West Hotel, which the first hotel in Portland to accommodate black people and was owned by her father, William Duncan Allen. She describes the interior furnishing of the hotel and talks about the clientele the hotel catered to. She discusses playing piano and organ; talks about her recreational and social activities as part of Portland's black community; and discusses her education in Portland. She closes the interview by talking about racial discrimination she experienced, and the impact her mother's death in 1924 had on her family.

Beaty, Constance (Nellie Constance), 1910-1996

Oral history interview with Joel Redon

  • SR 1027
  • Collection
  • 1992-11-01 - 1994-02-18

This oral history interview with Joel Redon was conducted by Rick Harmon at Harmon's home and at the Oregon Historical Society in Portland, Oregon, from November 1, 1992, to February 18, 1994. The interview was conducted in two sessions.

In the first interview session, conducted on November 1, 1992, Redon discusses his family background and early life in Portland, Oregon, including his education and early interest in writing. He speaks about his sexual identity as a gay man and describes how he came to accept that label. He talks about running away from home and dropping out of high school at age 16, relocating to Seattle, Washington, and earning his GED. He talks about working as an interviewer for the Willamette Week newspaper in Portland and discusses some of the people he interviewed. He also briefly speaks about coming out and about changing his name from Bruce Randolph Didzun to Joel Redon in 1980. He speaks at length about his relationships with Paul Bowles, Allan Ginsburg, and Tennessee Williams. He talks about returning to Oregon and his relationship with a man he identifies as Jeffrey, and he describes the Portland gay social scene in the 1980s. He speaks about the end of the gay lifestyle in Portland at the end of the 1980s and the causes of its destruction; talks about the evolution of gay rights advocacy groups; and talks about the effect of AIDS on the gay community. He speaks at length about living with his own AIDS diagnosis, as well as his opposition to AZT (azidothymidine) treatments. He also discusses writing his semi-autobiographical novel "Bloodstream" and talks about the differences between himself and the novel's protagonist, Peter, and discusses writing his other novels.

In the second interview session, conducted on February 18, 1994, Redon discusses the book "A Voice Through a Cloud," by Denton Welch. He speaks about the AIDS epidemic and its toll on the gay community. He talks about the novel he was working on at the time of the interview in 1994 and describes some of the people he was writing about. He discusses events between the time of the first interview session in 1992 and this session in 1994, particularly regarding his unpublished writing and his mental and physical health. He then talks about his experiences and the writing process for "The Road to Zena" and "If Not on Earth, Then in Heaven." He discusses other authors living with AIDS and some of their works; reflects on his feelings and experiences upon being diagnosed with AIDS in 1986; and describes his current support system. He speaks at length about living with AIDS. He closes the interview by talking about seeing a therapist, about his plans to donate his papers to the Oregon Historical Society after his death, and about his unpublished journal.

Redon, Joel

Oral history interview with Clyde Rice

  • SR 1054
  • Collection
  • 1985-01-22 - 1985-03-13

This oral history interview with Clyde Rice was conducted by Rick Harmon at Rice's home in Clackamas, Oregon, from January 22 to March 13, 1985. The interview was conducted in seven sessions. The audio on tapes 3, 4, 6, and 13 is affected by speed issues.

In the first interview session, conducted on January 22, 1985, Rice discusses his family background, particularly his father's flavor extract business. He talks about his early life in Portland and Salem, including his family's Christian Science faith, his social life, and his relationship with his family.

In the second interview session, conducted on January 29, 1985, Rice continues discussing his early life in Portland and Salem, including his family's Christian Science faith. He tells several anecdotes about his early school life; describes racism he observed; and shares his memories of World War I.

In the third interview session, conducted on February 7, 1985, Rice discusses his involvement with the Portland Art Museum School (now known as the Pacific Northwest College of Art), including the professors and curators. He talks about the artistic community in Portland and discusses his own art. He revisits the topic of racism that he observed and Portland politics in the early 20th century.

In the fourth interview session, conducted on February 14, 1985, Rice continues discussing Portland politics in the early 20th century. He then talks about homesteading in Clackamas County during the 1930s and describes clearing the land, hunting, and farming. He discusses returning to Portland a few years later and working for his father's flavor extract business. He talks about his marriage to Marguerite Evelyn "Nordi" Nordstrom, and about meeting his second wife, Virginia Lee Broms.

In the fifth interview session, conducted on February 21, 1985, Rice describes building a rammed earth house in the Mt. Scott neighborhood of Portland during the late 1930s. He speaks at length about his affair with Virginia Lee Broms. He also revisits the topic of working for his father's flavor extract business. He talks about spending time in Alaska before his divorce from Nordi Rice, his marriage to Virginia Lee Broms, and how both events affected his son.

In the seventh and final interview session, conducted on March 13, 1985, Rice continues discussing his development as an author. He describes the years-long process of writing and publishing his first novel, "A Heaven in the Eye." He also talks about plans to publish his other writings.

Rice, Clyde, 1903-1998

Oral history interview with Nicholas Schneider and Edmund Schneider

  • SR 1075
  • Collection
  • 1985-04-18 - 1985-04-25

This oral history interview with Nicholas Schneider and Edmund Schneider was conducted by Rick Harmon at the Schneiders' home in Portland, Oregon, from April 18-25, 1985. The interview was conducted in two sessions.

In the first interview session, conducted on April 18, 1985, the Schneider brothers discuss their family history and early life in Portland. They speak at length about their first family home in Southeast Portland and they describe the appliances and utilities the house had in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. They then describe the family home that they moved to in 1910. They also talk about the jobs they held, their education, and their recreational activities. They share their memories of Oaks Amusement Park, of the 1905 Lewis and Clark Exposition, and of the early Portland Rose Festival parades.

In the second interview session, conducted on April 25, 1985, the Schneider brothers continue to discuss their early life in Portland, including their recreational activities, their involvement with the Catholic Church, and their education. They also talk about their father's involvement with the Albers Brothers Milling Company. They then discuss their experiences serving in the U.S. Army during World War I. Nicholas Schneider also talks about experiencing anti-German and anti-Catholic discrimination. They close the interview by revisiting the topic of their father's involvement with the Albers Brothers Milling Company.

Schneider, Nicholas, 1892-1989