Oral history interview with Robert A. Leedy

Oral history interview with Robert A. Leedy [Sound Recording 01] Oral history interview with Robert A. Leedy [Sound Recording 02] Oral history interview with Robert A. Leedy [Sound Recording 03] Oral history interview with Robert A. Leedy [Sound Recording 04] Oral history interview with Robert A. Leedy [Sound Recording 05] Oral history interview with Robert A. Leedy [Sound Recording 06] Oral history interview with Robert A. Leedy [Sound Recording 07] Oral history interview with Robert A. Leedy [Sound Recording 08] Oral history interview with Robert A. Leedy [Sound Recording 09] Oral history interview with Robert A. Leedy [Sound Recording 10] Oral history interview with Robert A. Leedy [Transcript]

Identity elements

Reference code

SR 1240

Name and location of repository

Level of description

Series

Title

Oral history interview with Robert A. Leedy

Date(s)

  • 1994-09-10 - 1994-10-01 (Creation)

Extent

.1 cubic feet; 5 audiocassettes (4 hr., 45 min., 31 sec.) + transcript (96 pages) + 1 photograph (black and white)

Name of creator

Biographical history

Robert Allan Leedy, Sr. was born in Portland, Oregon, in 1909. He graduated from the University of Oregon Law School in 1933. He and Annapauline Rea were married in 1935; they later had two children. He practiced law in Portland, and in 1950, he co-founded the law firm Barzee, Leedy & Keane. He also served as U.S. commissioner for the U.S. District Court of Oregon from 1943 to 1956. He was also active in the Oregon State Bar, serving as secretary for the board of bar examiners, serving on the board of governors, and serving as president from 1952 to 1953. He also served as a chancellor for the Episcopal Diocese of Oregon. In 1971, he joined the Portland law firm Bullivant, Houser & Bailey, retiring in 1985. He died in 2001.

Content and structure elements

Scope and content

This oral history interview with Robert A. Leedy was conducted by Anna J. Brown and Katherine H. O'Neil at Leedy's home in Milwaukie, Oregon, from September 10 to October 1, 1994. The interview was conducted in two sessions.

In the first interview session, conducted on September 10, 1994, Leedy discusses his family background and early life in the rural areas around Portland, Oregon, including his education, and the family farm. He then discusses studying law at the University of Oregon, including his social life and working in a can factory to pay tuition. He also describes some of the members of his graduating class, including Otto Frohnmayer. He talks about getting started in law practice in Portland, including some of the lawyers he worked with and cases he was involved in. He also speaks at length about his interest in golf and how it led to his becoming a U.S. commissioner for the U.S. District Court of Oregon. He briefly discusses forming the law firm of Barzee, Leedy & Keene. He describes the duties and procedures of the U.S. District Court of Oregon commissioner, as well as some of the judges he worked with, particularly Judge James Alger Fee. He speaks at length about the bail process and several of the cases he heard.

In the second and final interview session, conducted on October 1, 1994, Leedy discusses his involvement with the Oregon State Bar, including administering the bar exam in the 1940s, and serving as president in the 1950s. He speaks at length about his children, their families and their careers. He also describes in great detail several European trips he took, beginning in the 1950s, as well as trips to Hawaii and to Death Valley, California. He discusses his involvement with the Episcopal Church. He goes on to talk about some of the cases he worked on in private law practice, as well as the lawyers he's worked with. He closes the interview by discussing some of the changes in the law profession over the years.

System of arrangement

Conditions of access and use elements

Conditions governing access

Joint copyright for this interview is held by the Oregon Historical Society and the U.S. District Court of Oregon Historical Society. Use is allowed according to the following statement: In Copyright – Educational Use Permitted, http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC-EDU/1.0/. Copyright to photograph has not been determined, and permission for use may require additional authorization from copyright holders.

Physical access

Technical access

Conditions governing reproduction

Languages of the material

  • English

Scripts of the material

Language and script notes

Finding aids

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Custodial history

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Appraisal, destruction and scheduling information

Accruals

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Existence and location of copies

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Related descriptions

Notes element

General note

Preferred citation: Oral history interview with Robert A. Leedy, by Anna J. Brown and Katherine H. O'Neil, SR 1240, Oregon Historical Society Research Library.

General note

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

General note

Handwritten index (7 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