Roberts, Betty, 1923-2011

Oral history interview with Betty Roberts [Image]

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Item
1994?

Part of Oregon Legislature Oral History Series

Photograph of Betty Roberts taken by Clark Hansen in Betty Roberts’ backyard at the time of the interview, around 1994.

Hansen, Clark

Oral history interview with Betty Roberts [Image 01]

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Item
1926

Part of United States District Court Oral History Project

Photograph 1. Betty Roberts at age three, 1926. Born in 1923 in Arkansas City, Kansas. Moved to Wichita Falls, Texas at age 5 after her father lost the use of his arms and legs and became permanently disabled as a result of drinking bootleg liquor during prohibition.

Roberts, Betty, 1923-2011

Oral history interview with Betty Roberts [Image 02]

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Item
1927

Part of United States District Court Oral History Project

Photograph 2. Pearl Cantrell with three children, 1927. Her mother, who had only a high school education, became the sole provider for their family of five. (Betty is pictured in the lower left.)

Roberts, Betty, 1923-2011

Oral history interview with Betty Roberts [Image 03]

SR11146_Image03
Item
1927

Part of United States District Court Oral History Project

Photograph 3. Cantrell Family on porch, 1927. Father Murray, Mother Pearl, Sister Mary, and Brother Bob. Betty is on her mother’s lap.

Roberts, Betty, 1923-2011

Oral history interview with Betty Roberts [Image 04]

SR11146_Image04
Item
1927

Part of United States District Court Oral History Project

Photograph 4. Bob, Betty, and Mary on porch, 1927.

Roberts, Betty, 1923-2011

Oral history interview with Betty Roberts [Image 05]

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Item
1930? - 1939?

Part of United States District Court Oral History Project

Photograph 5. Pearl Cantrell with Betty and Mary, 1930s. By now the Depression had set in. Her mother took in washing which she did on a scrub board and then boiled in a tub over a fire in the backyard. While this provided food for the family, she had no utilities, except water, and little money for clothes. As soon as Roosevelt’s New Deal programs started, her mother worked in a WPA sewing room.

Roberts, Betty, 1923-2011

Oral history interview with Betty Roberts [Image 06]

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Item
1930? - 1939?

Part of United States District Court Oral History Project

Photograph 6. Betty Roberts in Texas, 1930s. In Texas: Depression era and tom-boy days in the 1930s.

Roberts, Betty, 1923-2011

Oral history interview with Betty Roberts [Image 07]

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Item
1941

Part of United States District Court Oral History Project

Photograph 7. Betty Roberts, 1941. Betty graduated from high school in 1939 and went to Texas Wesleyan College in Fort Worth for one year where she worked in a department store to pay her tuition and expenses.

Roberts, Betty, 1923-2011

Oral history interview with Betty Roberts [Image 08]

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Item
1942

Part of United States District Court Oral History Project

Photograph 8. Betty Roberts with Bill Rice, 1942. In 1942 Betty married a soldier from Oregon, Bill Rice. 09

Roberts, Betty, 1923-2011

Oral history interview with Betty Roberts [Image 09]

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Item
1953

Part of United States District Court Oral History Project

Photograph 9. Betty Roberts with children, 1953. After World War II, Betty and Bill moved to Oregon and had four children. Said Betty, “According to Betty Friedan, many women were restless and dissatisfied in the 1950s. So was I.”

Roberts, Betty, 1923-2011

Oral history interview with Betty Roberts [Image 10]

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Item
1958

Part of United States District Court Oral History Project

Photograph 10. College graduation, 1958. She returned to college at Eastern Oregon College for one year. Then graduated from Portland State College in 1958 with a degree in Education at age 35. 11

Roberts, Betty, 1923-2011

Oral history interview with Betty Roberts [Image 11]

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Item
1966

Part of United States District Court Oral History Project

Photograph 11. Betty Roberts with David Douglas, 1966. Betty taught high school, and as a single parent, started night law school at Northwestern School of Law in 1962 when her oldest daughter started at Stanford University and the other three children were in middle school and high school.

Roberts, Betty, 1923-2011

Oral history interview with Betty Roberts [Image 12]

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Item
1967

Part of United States District Court Oral History Project

Photograph 12. Betty Roberts on House floor, 1967. In 1964 she won election for State Representative where she served while completing law school. Between biennial legislative sessions, Betty continued to teach high school. In 1966 Betty received her law degree as one of two women in her graduating class.

Roberts, Betty, 1923-2011

Oral history interview with Betty Roberts [Image 13]

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Item
1969

Part of United States District Court Oral History Project

Photograph 13. Betty Roberts on Senate floor, 1969. In 1968 she won a seat in the State Senate. Pictured here on the Senate floor in 1969. Among the legislative work she is noted for is passage of Oregon’s first legalized right to abortion, consumer protection legislation, Oregon’s path-breaking environmental and land use legislation, including Oregon’s bottle bill. She was a leader in women’s rights issues of the 1970s and advocated for ratification of the Equal Rights Amendment in Oregon and elsewhere in the West.

Roberts, Betty, 1923-2011

Oral history interview with Betty Roberts [Image 14]

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Item
1978

Part of United States District Court Oral History Project

Photograph 14. Betty Roberts and Keith Skelton, 1978. In 1968 Betty marries lawyer and state representative Keith Skelton and combined their families.

Roberts, Betty, 1923-2011

Oral history interview with Betty Roberts [Image 15]

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Item
1971

Part of United States District Court Oral History Project

Photograph 15. The Roberts-Skelton clan in front of the State Capitol, 1971.

Roberts, Betty, 1923-2011

Oral history interview with Betty Roberts [Image 16]

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Item
1974

Part of United States District Court Oral History Project

Photograph 16. Betty Roberts campaign leaflet Governor, 1974.

Roberts, Betty, 1923-2011

Oral history interview with Betty Roberts [Image 17]

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Item
1974

Part of United States District Court Oral History Project

Photograph 17. Betty Roberts and unidentified man, 1974. Campaigning for Governor in 1974.

Roberts, Betty, 1923-2011

Oral history interview with Betty Roberts [Image 18]

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Item
1974

Part of United States District Court Oral History Project

Photograph 18. Betty Roberts in her law office, 1974.

Roberts, Betty, 1923-2011

Oral history interview with Betty Roberts [Image 19]

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Item
1974

Part of United States District Court Oral History Project

Photograph 19. Betty Roberts debates Bob Packwood, 1974. Former US Senator Wayne Morse’s death after the 1974 Democratic primary created a vacancy to which Betty was appointed by the Democratic Party. In this picture, Betty is shown debating US Senator Bob Packwood.

Roberts, Betty, 1923-2011

Oral history interview with Betty Roberts [Image 20]

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Item
1974

Part of United States District Court Oral History Project

Photograph 20. Betty Roberts with Bella Abzug, 1974. Campaigning for US Senate with Congresswoman Bella Abzug [1995 Margaret Brent Award winner]. 21

Roberts, Betty, 1923-2011

Oral history interview with Betty Roberts [Image 21]

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Item
1974

Part of United States District Court Oral History Project

Photograph 21. Betty Roberts with Lloyd Bentsen, 1974. Senator Lloyd Bentsen of Texas campaigning with Betty in her race for US Senate. Although it was a close race, Bob Packwood was re-elected.

Roberts, Betty, 1923-2011

Oral history interview with Betty Roberts [Image 22]

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Item
1975

Part of United States District Court Oral History Project

Photograph 22. Betty Roberts teaching a class, 1975. Back in the classroom as a college professor in political science and business law.

Roberts, Betty, 1923-2011

Oral history interview with Betty Roberts [Image 23]

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Item
1977

Part of United States District Court Oral History Project

Photograph 23. Betty Roberts, 1977. Back at the Legislature.

Roberts, Betty, 1923-2011

Oral history interview with Betty Roberts [Image 24]

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Item
1977

Part of United States District Court Oral History Project

Photograph 24. Betty Roberts with Governor Bob Straub and judges, 1977 In 1977, the first woman appointed to the Oregon Court of Appeals, Judge Roberts is shown here with Governor Bob Straub and other new appointees to the Oregon Court of Appeals.

Roberts, Betty, 1923-2011