This oral history interview with Bill Hedlund was conducted by Clark Hansen from September 4-25, 1990. In the interview, Hedlund discusses his family history and early life in Portland, Oregon, including notable people that his family knew, such as Oswald West; his memories of World War I; and his early involvement with the Democratic Party. He then discusses his experience during the Depression, and attending the University of Oregon and the Northwestern College of Law. He talks about his early career as a deputy U.S. marshal and on the Oregon Liquor Control Commission. He also discusses practicing law in Portland, then in the U.S. Attorney's office; the evolution of his political outlook; his father's political career; and his experience in the Coast Guard auxiliary during World War II. Hedlund then discusses his term in the Oregon House of Representatives from 1941 to 1942, including his campaign, his staff and office arrangements, and legislation. He then discusses working in the U.S. Attorney's office from 1943 to 1945, after leaving the Legislature. He also talks about his 33 years as a lobbyist, particularly for oil companies, from 1945 to 1977. He discusses issues the oil lobby was concerned with, including oil spills, gas additives, and environmental legislation. He also talks briefly about the plane accident that killed Secretary of State Robert S. Farrell, Jr., Senate President Marshall E. Cornett, and Governor Earl Snell. He discusses governors of Oregon and their staffs, as well as several legislators. He closes the interview by talking about the lobbying profession in more detail, particularly his work for oil companies, and his service as commissioner of the Oregon Liquor Control Commission from 1980 to 1987.

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 Bill Hedlund was conducted by Richard McConnell on June 19, 1988. An unidentified woman was also present. In this interview, Hedlund discusses his experience in the Oregon House of Representatives from 1941 to 1942, and his experiences as a lobbyist. He discusses legislators and lobbyists he worked with, rules regarding lobbying activities, his involvement with the Democratic Party, and governors he served under while in the Legislature. He then looks at photographs and discusses them, his family history, and his early life in Portland. He discusses how he got interested in politics after he graduated from law school in 1935, and his jobs before running for the Legislature in 1940, including working for the Oregon Liquor Control Commission.

This oral history interview with Cecil Edwards was conducted by Irvin Luiten from May 18 to 26, 1988. In the interview, Edwards discusses his family history and early life in Salem, Oregon, including his education and early interest in government. He then talks about his experiences working for the Oregon Legislature beginning in 1933. He discusses the old Capitol building, which burned down in 1935; campaigns he worked on, and the role of lobbyists. He also talks about working as secretary for Governor Charles Sprague. Edwards then describes his service in the National Guard during World War II, particularly working with horses and dogs. He talks about returning to work in Oregon government after the war ended, including serving on the Racing Commission; being fired by Governor Mark Hatfield; lobbying for the Oregon Cattlemen's Association; and returning to the Legislature to work as a secretary. He discusses the numerous committees he was secretary for, including the agriculture committee, fish and game committee, and land-use board. Edwards next discusses his tenure as secretary of the Senate from 1965 to 1975, focusing on many of the legislators he worked with, including Clarence Barton, Debbs Potts, and Jason Boe. He also speaks at length about redistricting, as well as the duties of the secretary of the Senate and Senate rules.

This oral history interview with John D. Burns was conducted by Clark Hansen at Burns' office in Portland, Oregon, from April 22, 1992, to February 28, 1993. In this interview, Burns discusses his family background and early life in Condon, Oregon, particularly life on a ranch. He then discusses attending Notre Dame University, including his involvement in athletics; and attending Georgetown University Law School, including how his political views solidified during this time. He also talks about working for Senator Dick Neuberger. Burns discusses returning to Oregon to work as a lawyer, then as deputy district attorney in Multnomah County, including working with George Van Hoomissen, and cases he tried. He discusses his time as a lawyer in a firm with Pat Dooley, working on insurance cases. He also talks about his involvement in the Democratic Party and politics. He speaks briefly about his marriage to Brooke Claridge and their four children.

Burns discusses his legislative career in the Oregon Senate from 1967 to 1975, including his campaigns. He discusses legislation he worked on, including revising the criminal code, taxes, environmental legislation, abortion, transportation, mental health, his committee assignments, and Senate procedure. He also talks about his fellow legislators, including Tony Yturri, Stafford Hansell, Lynn Newbry, and Debbs Potts. He discusses the coalition of conservative Democrats and Republicans that controlled the Senate for many decades. Burns then discusses his time as president of the Senate from 1971 to 1973, including the process of getting elected to the position, reducing the number of committees, and reapportionment. He talks about many of the landmark pieces of legislation that passed during his tenure, including the Bottle Bill and the raising of the voting age to 18. He also discusses his relationship with the press; the election of Jason Boe as Senate president in 1973; and the land-use bill SB 100.

After a year-long break, the interview resumes with a discussion of Oregon politics in 1993, including politicians that Burns considered rising stars, such as John Kitzhaber and Gordon Smith. He also discusses his work as a lobbyist and lawyer after leaving the Legislature. He then returns to the topic of legislation during his time in the Senate. He discusses the changes in the Legislature and the Democratic Party in the years since he left. He closes the interview by discussing his current activities and hopes for the future.

This oral history interview with Irvin "Irv" Herman Luiten was conducted by Jim Strassmaier from March 16, 1988, to January 19, 1990, at the Oregon Historical Society in Portland, Oregon. In the interview, Luiten discusses his family background and early life on wheat farms in Ritzville and Edwall, Washington, including his early education and the struggles his family faced during the Great Depression. He then describes studying journalism at Washington State University in the late 1930s, including the evolution of his political views and his interest in radio broadcasting. He discusses his early career as a journalist for the Colville Examiner from 1940 to 1941 and for the Northwest Farm News in 1941. Luiten also talks extensively about his service during World War II, including acting as defense counsel for his battalion and about soldier morale. He talks about his work with the Military Intelligence Service to teach escape and evasion tactics to airmen and setting up lines of escape in France.

Next, he describes his post-war life, including taking the editorship of the Northwest Farm News; marrying Ellen Boyde and raising a family; taking a job at Washington State University; and beginning his career with the Weyerhaeuser Company, doing public relations work as a writer for Weyerhaeuser News. He talks about aspects of Weyerhaeuser that made him loyal to the company, including the company's forest management practices and the management style of Phil Weyerhaeuser. Luiten also describes his experiences as a lobbyist for Weyerhaeuser from 1953 to 1978. He talks about the primary issues Weyerhauser was concerned with, including taxes, particularly timber taxes; pollution; land use; environmental law; and labor laws. Luiten also discusses his involvement with the Izaak Walton League of America and his conservation work; the Clemons Tree Farm; the workplace culture at Weyerhaeuser; and the company's relationship with the public. He goes on to talk about working with lobbyists for other Oregon timber interests, the different timber harvesting philosophies between Weyerhaeuser and Georgia-Pacific, and how those philosophies affected the economy of the state. He speaks at length on the importance of public relations work. He also discusses working with legislators such as Mark Hatfield, Dick Neuberger, Clarence Barton, Dick Eymann, and Vic Atiyeh. He closes the interview by talking about his life in retirement.