Oral history interview with Tom J. Imeson

Oral history interview with Tom J. Imeson [Sound Recording 01] Oral history interview with Tom J. Imeson [Sound Recording 02] Oral history interview with Tom J. Imeson [Sound Recording 03] Oral history interview with Tom J. Imeson [Sound Recording 04] Oral history interview with Tom J. Imeson [Sound Recording 05] Oral history interview with Tom J. Imeson [Sound Recording 06] Oral history interview with Tom J. Imeson [Sound Recording 07] Oral history interview with Tom J. Imeson [Sound Recording 08] Oral history interview with Tom J. Imeson [Sound Recording 09] Oral history interview with Tom J. Imeson [Sound Recording 10] Oral history interview with Tom J. Imeson [Sound Recording 11] Oral history interview with Tom J. Imeson [Sound Recording 12] Oral history interview with Tom J. Imeson [Sound Recording 13] Oral history interview with Tom J. Imeson [Sound Recording 14] Oral history interview with Tom J. Imeson [Sound Recording 15] Oral history interview with Tom J. Imeson [Sound Recording 16] Oral history interview with Tom J. Imeson [Sound Recording 17] Oral history interview with Tom J. Imeson [Sound Recording 18] Oral history interview with Tom J. Imeson [Sound Recording 19] Oral history interview with Tom J. Imeson [Sound Recording 20] Oral history interview with Tom J. Imeson [Sound Recording 21] Oral history interview with Tom J. Imeson [Sound Recording 22] Oral history interview with Tom J. Imeson [Sound Recording 23] Oral history interview with Tom J. Imeson [Sound Recording 24] Oral history interview with Tom J. Imeson [Sound Recording 25] Oral history interview with Tom J. Imeson [Sound Recording 26] Oral history interview with Tom J. Imeson [Sound Recording 27] Oral history interview with Tom J. Imeson [Sound Recording 28]
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Identity elements

Reference code

SR 1328

Name and location of repository

Level of description

Series

Title

Oral history interview with Tom J. Imeson

Date(s)

  • 1988-09-14 - 1988-12-09 (Creation)

Extent

.1 cubic feet; 16 audiocassettes (13 hr., 39 min., 51 sec.) + 3 photographs (color and black and white)

Name of creator

Imeson, Thomas J. (Thomas James), 1950-
(1950-)

Biographical history

Thomas "Tom" James Imeson was born in Portland, Oregon, in 1950. He attended Tulane University in New Orleans, Louisiana, then transferred to George Washington University in Washington, D.C., graduating in 1970. He began working as a legislative aide for U.S. Senator Mark Hatfield in 1969, and spent 16 years on the senator's staff. In 1972, he and fellow Hatfield staffer Brenda Thangmeyer were married. He also earned a bachelor of science degree from Johns Hopkins University in 1977. After leaving Hatfield's staff in 1985, he spent two years as federal affairs manager for PacifiCorp in Portland, Oregon. He then served as chief of staff for Oregon Governor Neil Goldschmidt from 1987 to 1991. He also served on the transition teams for governors John Kitzhaber and Ted Kulongoski. He was vice president of public affairs and communication at PacfiCorp from 1990 to 2000; public affairs director for the Port of Portland from 2006 to 2014; and vice president of public affairs at NW Natural from 2014 to 2019. He also ran his own consulting firm from 2000 to 2006. He retired in 2019, but continued to serve on the Portland State University Board of Trustees and the Oregon Board of Forestry.

Content and structure elements

Scope and content

This oral history interview with Tom J. Imeson was conducted by Michael O'Rourke in Salem, Oregon, and at the Oregon Historical Society in Portland, Oregon, from September 14 to December 9, 1988. In this interview, Imeson discusses his family background and early life in Portland, including his early interest in politics. He then discusses studying political science at Tulane University in New Orleans, Louisiana, and at George Washington University in Washington, D.C. He talks about how he became a member of U.S. Senator Mark Hatfield's staff in 1969 as a legislative aide specializing in natural resources. He describes legislation he worked on, other members of Hatfield's staff, and Hatfield's opposition to the Vietnam War. He talks about Hatfield's relationship with the Nixon administration, as well as Hatfield's relationship with other Oregon politicians. He speaks at length about Hatfield's 1972 re-election campaign. He talks about the changes in the staff after Hatfield was re-elected, including the increased role of Gerry Frank. Imeson also discusses his marriage to fellow staffer Brenda Thangmeyer and talks about the Watergate scandal. He speaks at length about legislation he worked on regarding environmental, Native American, and logging issues. He discusses Hatfield's opposition to nuclear power, Hatfield's work on the Appropriations Committee, and Hatfield's relationship with Oregon governors, particularly Tom McCall and Neil Goldschmidt.

Imeson discusses running Hatfield's Oregon office from 1981 to 1985. He talks about some of his duties, including working with the Army Corps of Engineers. He also discusses a real estate scandal that affected Hatfield's 1984 re-election campaign. He talks about Hatfield's main accomplishments and legislative agenda, and about Hatfield's personal and family life. Imeson discusses his career since leaving Hatfield's staff, including working for PacifiCorp and as chief of staff for Governor Neil Goldschmidt, as well as his continued relationship with Hatfield. He closes the interview by discussing at length the passage of the Wild and Scenic Rivers bill.

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 Willamette University. Use is allowed according to the following license: Creative Commons - BY-NC-SA: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/. Copyright for the photographs 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

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Finding aids

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Notes element

General note

Preferred citation: Oral history interview with Tom J. Imeson, by Michael O'Rourke, SR 1328, Oregon Historical Society Research Library.

General note

Forms part of the Senator Mark O. Hatfield Oral History Project.

General note

Incomplete transcript (144 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