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Identity elements
Reference code
Name and location of repository
Level of description
Series
Title
Oral history interview with Sam R. Christensen
Date(s)
- 1988-01-12 (Creation)
Extent
.1 cubic feet; 1 audiocassette (57 min., 54 sec.) + transcript (18 pages)
Name of creator
Biographical history
Samuel Rodney Christensen was born in Hillsboro, Oregon, in 1928. He earned degrees in business and engineering from Oregon State University. In 1953, he and Greta Ann Olsen were married; they later had three children. He joined Portland General Electric in 1956 as an engineer, ultimately working his way up to general manager of Generation & Facilities Engineering. In 1985, he and Roxie June O'Brien were married. He died in 2009.
Content and structure elements
Scope and content
This oral history interview with Sam R. Christensen was conducted by Judy Hartman on January 12, 1988. The interview was conducted as part of the Portland General Electric Centennial Oral History Series, which marked PGE's 100th anniversary and was used in the writing of the book "Electrifying Eden."
In this interview, Christensen discusses his career at Portland General Electric as an engineer. He describes his job duties and the organizational structure of PGE's engineering departments, and he talks about the construction of several of PGE's hydroelectric plants. He also talks about the construction of the Trojan Nuclear Power Plant and the uncompleted construction of the Pebble Springs nuclear power plant. He discusses how PGE as a company has changed during his career, the maintenance of PGE's power plants, and his thoughts on the future of the company.
The interview transcript includes two addendums: a 1988 list of jobs the PGE engineers were currently working on, and a 1988 article entitled "Dimming our Electric Future."
System of arrangement
Conditions of access and use elements
Conditions governing access
Copyright for this interview is held by the Oregon Historical Society. Use is allowed according to the following statement: Creative Commons - BY-NC-SA, http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/.
Physical access
Technical access
Conditions governing reproduction
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
Gift of Craig Wollner, 1989 (Lib. Acc. 28418).
Appraisal, destruction and scheduling information
Accruals
Related materials elements
Existence and location of originals
Existence and location of copies
Related archival materials
The Oregon Historical Society Research Library also holds photographs and documents relating to PGE in Coll 415, the Portland General Electric collection, and Org. Lot 151, the Portland General Electric photographs.
Related descriptions
Publication notes
This oral history interview was used in the writing of Electrifying Eden: Portland General Electric, 1889-1965, written by Craig Wollner and published in 1990 by the Oregon Historical Society Press.
Notes element
General note
Preferred citation: Oral history interview with Sam R. Christensen, by Judy Hartman, SR 2816, Oregon Historical Society Research Library.
General note
Forms part of the Portland General Electric Centennial Oral History Series.
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
- Hartman, Judy (Contributor)
- Portland General Electric Company (Subject)