Series SR 1209 - Oral history interview with Hugh Biggs

Oral history interview with Hugh Biggs [Sound Recording 01] Oral history interview with Hugh Biggs [Sound Recording 02] Oral history interview with Hugh Biggs [Sound Recording 03] Oral history interview with Hugh Biggs [Sound Recording 04] Oral history interview with Hugh Biggs [Sound Recording 05] Oral history interview with Hugh Biggs [Sound Recording 06] Oral history interview with Hugh Biggs [Transcript]

Identity elements

Reference code

SR 1209

Name and location of repository

Level of description

Series

Title

Oral history interview with Hugh Biggs

Date(s)

  • 1988-06-29 - 1988-07-02 (Creation)

Extent

.1 cubic feet 3 audiocassettes (2 hr., 34 min., 59 sec.)

Name of creator

Biggs, Hugh L. (Hugh Lawry), 1904-1996

Biographical history

Hugh Lawry Biggs was born in Burns, Oregon, in 1904, and his family moved to Ontario, Oregon, in 1906. He attended the University of Oregon for his entire college education, earning his bachelor's degree in 1927 and his law degree in 1931. He met Elra Ware on a blind date and they married in 1931; they later had two children. He practiced law in Ontario, then served as district attorney for Malheur County from 1933 to 1934. He served as assistant U.S. attorney in Portland from 1934 to 1935. After leaving office, he went into private practice, working with Maguire, Shields & Morrison from 1936 to 1943, and with Stoel, Rives, Boley, Jones & Grey from 1944 to 1972 when he retired. He died in 1996.

Content and structure elements

Scope and content

This oral history interview with Hugh Biggs was conducted by Clarence Wicks in the offices of Stoel, Rives, Boley, Jones & Grey in Portland, Oregon, from June 29 to July 2, 1988. In this interview, Biggs discusses his family background and early life in Ontario, Oregon, including the law career of his father, Dalton Biggs, as well as his father's service as a Circuit Court judge from 1910 to 1928. He discusses his own education, and life on a farm. He then talks about attending the University of Oregon, including studying law, social life, and serving as dean of men. He also talks about his wife, Elra Ware, and their children. He then briefly discusses practicing law in Ontario, serving as district attorney for Malheur County, and working as an assistant U.S. attorney in Portland, Oregon. He talks about going into private practice in Portland, particularly at Stoel, Rives, Boley, Jones & Grey, including the cases he worked on, clients he represented, and the history of the firm. He briefly describes the judges of the U.S. District Court of Oregon and his experiences arguing before them. He also talks about the various professional organizations he was involved in.

System of arrangement

Conditions of access and use elements

Conditions governing access

Collection is open for research.

Physical access

Technical access

Conditions governing reproduction

Joint copyright for this interview is held by the Oregon Historical Society and the U.S. District Court Historical Society. Use is allowed according to the following statement: In Copyright - Educational Use Permitted, http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC-EDU/1.0/

Languages of the material

  • English

Scripts of the material

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Finding aids

Acquisition and appraisal elements

Custodial history

Immediate source of acquisition

Appraisal, destruction and scheduling information

Accruals

Related materials elements

Existence and location of originals

Existence and location of copies

Related archival materials

A photograph of Hugh Biggs is part of the Oregon Journal Negative Collection, Org. Lot 1368, 372A049, viewable online in OHS Digital Collections at https://digitalcollections.ohs.org/hugh-l-biggs-2

Related descriptions

Notes element

General note

Preferred citation: Oral history interview with Hugh Biggs, by Clarence Wicks, SR 1209, Oregon Historical Society Research Library.

General note

Forms part of the United States District Court Oral History Project.

General note

Handwritten index (2 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

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Accession area