![Oral history interview with Frankie Bell [Sound Recording 01]](/images/generic-icons/audio.png){kind=icon}
Identity elements
Reference code
Name and location of repository
Level of description
Series
Title
Oral history interview with Frankie Bell
Date(s)
- 1992-11-12 - 1992-11-30 (Creation)
Extent
.1 cubic feet 3 audiocassettes (3 hr., 53 sec.)
Name of creator
Biographical history
Frances "Frankie" Estelle Bell, nee Mueller, was born in Portland, Oregon, in 1937. She was largely raised by her maternal grandparents in Eugene, Oregon. She studied art at the University of Oregon, where she met Paul Hargis. They married in 1957 and had later two children. After her husband finished his degree, the young family moved to Salem. She and Paul divorced in 1964. In 1966, she began working at the Capitol building as a tour guide. In 1971, she and George H. Bell were married. She continued conducting tours, but also moved to working at the information desk at the Oregon Legislature in 1967, which she continued to do until she retired in 1998. After retiring, she continued to return to work each session for many years. She is currently on the board of the Oregon State Capitol Foundation.
Name of creator
Content and structure elements
Scope and content
This oral history interview with Frankie Bell was conducted by Vinita Howard from November 12-30, 1992. In this interview, Bell discusses her family background and early life in Eugene, Oregon. She discusses her education and attending the University of Oregon. She talks about the difficulty of starting a family while still attending college and trying to have a career. She discusses the various part-time jobs she held until she began working at the Capitol building in Salem, Oregon, in 1966 as a tour guide. She talks about working at the information desk at the Oregon Legislature from 1967 to the time of the interview in 1992, including facing sexism on the job. She describes her observations on the Legislature over her two and a half decades there, including on lobbyists, rumors, and inaugural changes. She also talks about the history of the Capitol building, as well as organizing holidays and exhibits at the building; the gift shop; and school tours. She closes the interview by speaking briefly about the personalities of many legislators over the years.
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Conditions of access and use elements
Conditions governing access
Copyright is held by the Oregon Historical Society. Licensed under Creative Commons, BY-NC-SA: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/
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Languages of the material
- English
Scripts of the material
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Finding aids
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Notes element
General note
Preferred citation: Oral history interview with Frankie Bell, by Vinita Howard, SR 1177, Oregon Historical Society Research Library.
General note
Forms part of the Oregon Legislature Oral History Series.
General note
Typescript index (11 pages) is available for in-person use at the Oregon Historical Society Research Library.
Specialized notes
Alternative identifier(s)
Description control element
Rules or conventions
Finding aid based on DACS (Describing Archives: A Content Standard), 2nd Edition.
Sources used
Archivist's note
Sarah Stroman
Access points
Subject access points
Place access points
Name access points
- Oregon. Legislative Assembly (Subject)