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Marian Wood Kolisch Oral History Collection
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Oral history interview with Lee Kelly

This oral history interview with Lee Kelly was conducted by Marian W. Kolisch at Kelly's home in Oregon City, Oregon, on August 18, 1987. The interview was part of a series conducted by Oregon photographer Marian W. Kolisch to accompany portraits of Oregon artists, businesspeople, and politicians.

In the interview, Kelly briefly discusses his early life in McCall, Idaho, and his experience in the U.S. Air Force during the Korean War. He talks about studying art at Vanport College, which later became Portland State University, and at the Museum School, which later became the Pacific Northwest College of Art. He discusses his art and sculpture, including working with metal and his East Asian influences. He talks about the history of using paint in sculpture, his creative process, and creating art for commissions. He closes the interview by discussing the challenges in making a living as an artist.

Kelly, Lee, 1932-

Oral history interview with Sir James McDonald

This oral history interview with Sir James McDonald was conducted by Marian W. Kolisch at McDonald's home on February 6, 1986. The interview was part of a series conducted by Oregon photographer Marian W. Kolisch to accompany portraits of Oregon artists, businesspeople, and politicians.

In this interview, McDonald discusses his family background and early life in Scotland, including his education. He talks about working for the British Civil Service and living in London, and describes German bombings of London during World War I. He then talks about his experiences in France as a gunner in the Royal Air Force from 1917 to 1918. He also describes his memories of the end of the war. He talks about moving to Canada after the war and working on farms in Alberta and Saskatchewan. McDonald and Kolisch then speak away from the microphone about the process of recording the interview. McDonald goes on to describe traveling to San Francisco, California, and getting into the timber business. He describes his career as a timber inspector, starting his own lumber export business in Portland, Oregon, and a trip he took back to Europe for his business. He closes the interview by talking about serving as British Consul in Portland throughout World War II.

McDonald, James, 1899-1989

Oral history interview with Ursula K. Le Guin

This oral history interview with Ursula K. Le Guin was conducted by Marian W. Kolisch at Le Guin's home in Portland, Oregon, on June 15, 1987. The interview was part of a series Kolisch conducted to accompany portraits of Oregon artists, businesspeople, and politicians. A transcript of the interview is available.

In this interview, Le Guin discusses her family background and early life in Berkeley, California; talks about her experiences at Radcliffe College in Cambridge, Massachusetts; and discusses her marriage to Charles Le Guin. She speaks at length about her career as a writer. She talks about the genres she writes in, including science fiction, fantasy, and romance. She shares her understanding of Taoism and talks about how she uses the philosophy in her writing. She closes the interview by talking about teaching writing workshops.

Le Guin, Ursula K., 1929-2018

Oral history interview with Ariel Rubstein

This oral history interview with Ariel Rubstein was conducted by Oregon photographer Marian W. Kolisch in two sessions, on December 17, 1984, and February 18, 1985. The interview was part of a series conducted by Kolisch to accompany portraits of Oregon artists, businesspeople, and politicians.

In the first interview session, Rubstein discusses his family background and early life in Kiev, Russia, now Ukraine, including an explanation about the ambiguity surrounding his birthdate. He describes his music education at the Kiev Conservatory. He compares his memories of life in pre-revolution Russia to living conditions in Russia at the time of the interview. He shares his reasons for leaving Kiev in 1919 during the Russian Revolution, describes how he was able to escape Russia, and discusses his journey through Europe while awaiting approval of his visa to the United States, where he arrived in 1922. He shares his thoughts about higher education. He talks about his career as a musician and teacher in New York, New York, and talks about other Russian refugees. He shares his reasons for leaving the East Coast and settling in Portland, Oregon, in 1936.

In the second interview session, conducted on February 18, 1985, Rubstein discusses his career as a musician and instructor in Portland, Oregon. He talks about his marriage to Margaret Eleanor Reed, and about raising a family. He discusses his work as director of the Portland School of Music until its closure in 1959, and talks about how the school's opera department led to the Portland Opera. He speaks about running his business, Celebrity Attractions, Inc., which produced concerts, operas, and musicals in Portland; talks about promoting the shows to Oregonians; and discusses working with the musical artists the organization contracted with. He closes the interview by sharing his thoughts about appreciation of the arts among the American public in the 1980s.

Rubstein, Ariel A. (Ariel Alfred), 1899 or 1901-1997

Oral history interview with Frances D. McGill

This oral history interview with Frances McGill was conducted by Marian W. Kolisch at McGill's home in Portland, Oregon, from May 21 to October 31, 1991. The interview was part of a series conducted by Oregon photographer Marian W. Kolisch to accompany portraits of Oregon artists, businesspeople, and politicians. The sound quality for Tape 2, Side 1 is extremely poor. The interview was conducted in five sessions.

In the first interview session, conducted on May 21, 1991, McGill discusses her family background and early life in Portland, including her family's friendship with Julius Meier, people in her neighborhood, and spending time on the coast.

In the second interview session, conducted on July 22, 1991, McGill continues discussing her early life in Portland, including her family's association with the Ladd family and her education at St. Mary's Academy. She talks about her college experience at the University of Oregon, her mother's cancer diagnosis and treatment, and working as a teacher in Clatskanie and near Beaverton, Oregon. She then speaks at length about teaching high school for Portland Public Schools after finishing her degree in 1925. She also describes a trip she took to Europe in 1928, and a trip to Providence, Rhode Island, in 1940-1941. She talks about working conditions for teachers in Portland, including her salary; briefly discusses attending Columbia University; and speaks at length about working as a school counselor for Portland Public Schools. She also discusses the leadership of PPS superintendent Willard B. Spalding. She then talks about her involvement in various education- and counseling-related Oregon organizations.

In the third interview session, conducted on August 23, 1991, McGill discusses her involvement with the College Board. She speaks at length about her experience working as a school counselor on military bases in Germany, Italy, and Greece through the Department of Defense Schools after her retirement from Portland Public Schools in 1966. She describes her experiences living in Germany, Italy, and Greece, as well as traveling to France and the Middle East. She talks about her retirement in 1973 and traveling Europe for the next year.

In the fourth interview session, conducted on August 30, 1991, McGill continues discussing her travels around Europe after her retirement in 1973, including a purse snatching incident in Italy that landed her in the hospital for three months and her journey back to Oregon in 1974 to 1975. She then talks about how Portland changed during her time abroad. She discusses her involvement with the Portland Art Museum, the Northwest Pilot Project, and the Multnomah County Library. She then speaks about her political beliefs, particularly her opposition to Reaganism in regards to taxes, mental health care, and education. She also speaks about her opposition to cultural diversity. She talks about her association with the family of John Reed.

In the fifth and final interview session, conducted on October 31, 1991, McGill continues discussing her association with the family of John Reed. She closes the interview by reflecting on her life's favorite moments.

McGill, Frances D. (Frances Dwane), 1901-1999

Oral history interview with Barbara Fealy

This oral history interview with Barbara Fealy was conducted by Marian W. Kolisch at Fealy's home in Portland, Oregon, on May 2, 1987. The interview was conducted as part of a series by Oregon photographer Marian W. Kolisch to accompany portraits of Oregon artists, businesspeople, and politicians.

In this interview, Fealy discusses her family background and early life in Utah, including her father's nursery business and her early interest in landscape architecture. She talks about studying landscape architecture at the University of Illinois and her early career in Utah and Denver, Colorado. She also briefly discusses her marriage to Martin Hoag, Hoag's death, and her marriage to William Fealy. She shares her philosophy and process of landscape design; talks about how the field in the United States differs from the field in England and Japan; and discusses managing her own practice. She speaks about her experience working on Salishan Lodge in Gleneden Beach, Oregon; discusses her involvement with the American Society of Landscape Architects; and talks about her experience as a woman in landscape architecture. She closes the interview by speaking about working with clients, her grandchildren, and landscape design drawing.

Fealy, Barbara, 1903-2000