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
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
Language and script notes
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
Access points
Subject access points
Place access points
Name access points
- Biggs, Dalton (Marion Dalton), 1874-1928 (Subject)
- Wicks, Clarence R., 1921- (Subject)