A woman stands next to a large wooden crate filled with metal safety hats at Oregon Shipbuilding Corporation, as the company ceases shipbuilding operations (negative 3 of 26).

Four men use a large machine to bend a sheet of metal at Albina Engine & Machine Works in Portland. Three men are holding sheet, while a third holds a chain and looks toward the machine. Braces can be seen along the high ceiling (negative 15 of 25).

War industry workers walk along a yard at Albina Engine & Machine Works in Portland. A train track can be seen in the cement, and on the right side of the frame are large sheets of shaped metal (negative 16 of 25).

A worker at Albina Engine & Machine Works in Portland squats in front of sheet metal, holding a tool used to spray and shrink galvanized metal. The man is wearing sunglasses and tubes attach to various points along the tool (negative 5 of 25).

Mrs. George E. Hartman holds a wrapped bottle before breaking it on the hull of the S.S. Elijah P. Lovejoy at Oregon Shipyards. Hartman was the wife of George E Hartman, the Quartermaster of Army’s Training Corps at Vancouver (negative 8 of 10).

A night photograph showing a ship stern segment being lifted at Oregon Shipbuilding Corporation. Workers can be seen standing at the base of the metal piece, which is being lifted by a hoist (negative 2 of 7).

A group stands in front of shipbuilding scaffolding at Oregon Shipbuilding Company in Portland, after the launching of Liberty ship C.J. Jones. From left to right: Captain W. Wills, Mrs. Kathryn Jones Bedinger (sister of C.J. Jones), Charlotte McNary, and Mrs. Charles L. McNary (wife of Senator Charles McNary. This photograph was published on the front page of the Oregon Journal on Sunday, August 15, 1943 (negative 2 of 7).

A launching ceremony in front of a newly built subchaser at Commercial Iron Works in Portland, sponsored by Shrine Hospital. An unidentified man stands behind a podium, with Father Thomas J. Tobin to his right. People can be seen along the deck of the ship, which appears to be inside a large industrial facility. A photograph from this story was published on page 4A of the Oregon Journal on Sunday, August 29, 1943 (negative 3 of 5).

Beatrice Greenwalt, superintendent of Shrine Hospital, smashes a bottom of the hull of a newly built subchaser at Commercial Iron Works in Portland. A photograph from this story was published on page 4A of the Oregon Journal on Sunday, August 29, 1943 (negative 5 of 5).

The U.S.S. Bronx, sliding down a ways into the Willamette River upon its launching from the Oregon Shipbuilding Corporation in Portland. Wooden scaffolding can be seen at either side of the ways. A photograph from this series was published in the Oregon Journal on Sunday, July 15, 1945 (negative 1 of 8).

Tape 3, Side 1. 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 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.

Tape 3, Side 2. 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 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.

Tape 4, Side 1. 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 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.

Tape 6, Side 2. 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 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.

Tape 8, Side 1. 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 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.

Tape 8, Side 2. 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 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.

Tape 10, Side 2. 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 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 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.

A partially completed ship at Oregon Shipbuilding Corporation, photographed as the company ceases operations at the end of World War II. Wooden scaffolding can be seen around the ship (negative 15 of 26).

An Oregon Shipbuilding Building Corporation building, photographed as the company ceases operations at the end of World War II. Next to the entrance to the building is a sign that reads “United States Maritime Commission” (negative 5 of 26).

A night shot of workers building a ship at Albina Engine & Machine Works in Portland. Wooden scaffolding has been built around the ship structure, and light from welding torches can be seen (negative 17 of 25).

Workers building ships in two large warehouse buildings at Commercial Iron Works, Portland. The ships are on wooden scaffolding, with workers on top (negative 24 of 37).

Workers, seated on wooden benches, braiding ropes at Commercial Iron Works in Portland. Large piles of rope are next to the men, and smaller lengths of rope hang from the ceiling (negative 32 of 37).

Mrs. George E. Hartman breaks a bottle on the hull of the S.S. Elijah P. Lovejoy, upon the occasion of it’s launching from the Oregon Shipyards in Portland. Hartman was the wife of George E Hartman, the Quartermaster of Army’s Training Corps at Vancouver (negative 7 of 10).

Mrs. Charles McNary breaks a bottle on the hull of the Liberty ship C.J. Jones before its launching from the Oregon Shipbuilding Corporation in Portland. Champagne is flying through the air from the broken bottle. A photograph from this story was published on the front page of the Oregon Journal on Sunday, August 15, 1943 (negative 5 of 7).

A groups stands in front of a shipping ways at Kaiser Company, Swan Island, at the launching of the tanker Bladensburg. The women photographed from left to right: Barbara Crowe, Mrs. Mary Hare, Mrs. Oscar Cox (sponsor), and Mrs. Marian Sanasac. Three of the women are holding large bouquets of flowers (negative 3 of 7).

A clipper crew, primarily made up of grandmothers, at Oregon Shipbuilding Corporation in Portland. Most of the crew members are wearing safety hats (negative 3 of 4).

A shipbuilding facility on the Willamette River in Portland. Multiple ways, each holding a ship, can be seen along the water (negative 8 of 37).

Photograph showing a crowd gathered on the shore of the Willamette River, on the occasion of the launching of liberty ship “Star of Oregon.” The Oregon Shipbuilding Corporation facility can be seen behind the crowd, and shipbuilding scaffolding is on the right side of the frame (negative 5 of 15).