![Oral history interview with Frances D. McGill [Sound Recording 01]](/images/generic-icons/audio.png){kind=icon}
Identity elements
Reference code
Name and location of repository
Level of description
Series
Title
Oral history interview with Frances D. McGill
Date(s)
- 1991-05-21 - 1991-10-31 (Creation)
Extent
.1 cubic feet; 5 audiocassettes (5 hr., 44 min., 29 sec.)
Name of creator
Biographical history
Frances Dwane McGill was born in Portland, Oregon, in 1901. She studied history at the University of Oregon, but dropped out during her second year when her mother was diagnosed with cancer. She worked as a teacher in Clatskanie and near Beaverton, Oregon, before returning to the University of Oregon, where she graduated in 1925. After her graduation, she returned to teaching at Portland Public Schools. She attended Columbia University, then worked as a counselor for Portland Public Schools until her retirement in 1966. She then worked as a school counselor for the Department of Defense Schools on U.S. military bases in Germany, Italy, and Greece until 1973. When she returned to Portland in 1975, she became involved with the Portland Art Museum, the Northwest Pilot Project, and the Multnomah County Library. She died in 1999.
Content and structure elements
Scope and content
This oral history interview with Frances McGill was conducted by Marian W. Kolisch at McGill's home in Portland, Oregon, from May 21 to October 31, 1991. The interview was part of a series conducted by Oregon photographer Marian W. Kolisch to accompany portraits of Oregon artists, businesspeople, and politicians. The sound quality for Tape 2, Side 1 is extremely poor. The interview was conducted in five sessions.
In the first interview session, conducted on May 21, 1991, McGill discusses her family background and early life in Portland, including her family's friendship with Julius Meier, people in her neighborhood, and spending time on the coast.
In the second interview session, conducted on July 22, 1991, McGill continues discussing her early life in Portland, including her family's association with the Ladd family and her education at St. Mary's Academy. She talks about her college experience at the University of Oregon, her mother's cancer diagnosis and treatment, and working as a teacher in Clatskanie and near Beaverton, Oregon. She then speaks at length about teaching high school for Portland Public Schools after finishing her degree in 1925. She also describes a trip she took to Europe in 1928, and a trip to Providence, Rhode Island, in 1940-1941. She talks about working conditions for teachers in Portland, including her salary; briefly discusses attending Columbia University; and speaks at length about working as a school counselor for Portland Public Schools. She also discusses the leadership of PPS superintendent Willard B. Spalding. She then talks about her involvement in various education- and counseling-related Oregon organizations.
In the third interview session, conducted on August 23, 1991, McGill discusses her involvement with the College Board. She speaks at length about her experience working as a school counselor on military bases in Germany, Italy, and Greece through the Department of Defense Schools after her retirement from Portland Public Schools in 1966. She describes her experiences living in Germany, Italy, and Greece, as well as traveling to France and the Middle East. She talks about her retirement in 1973 and traveling Europe for the next year.
In the fourth interview session, conducted on August 30, 1991, McGill continues discussing her travels around Europe after her retirement in 1973, including a purse snatching incident in Italy that landed her in the hospital for three months and her journey back to Oregon in 1974 to 1975. She then talks about how Portland changed during her time abroad. She discusses her involvement with the Portland Art Museum, the Northwest Pilot Project, and the Multnomah County Library. She then speaks about her political beliefs, particularly her opposition to Reaganism in regards to taxes, mental health care, and education. She also speaks about her opposition to cultural diversity. She talks about her association with the family of John Reed.
In the fifth and final interview session, conducted on October 31, 1991, McGill continues discussing her association with the family of John Reed. She closes the interview by reflecting on her life's favorite moments.
System of arrangement
Conditions of access and use elements
Conditions governing access
Copyright for this interview is held by the estate of Frances D. McGill. Use is allowed according to the following statement: In Copyright, http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/.
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
Appraisal, destruction and scheduling information
Accruals
Related materials elements
Existence and location of originals
Existence and location of copies
Related archival materials
Marian Wood Kolisch collection, Org. Lot 1048, Oregon Historical Society Research Library.
Related descriptions
Notes element
General note
Preferred citation: Oral history interview with Frances D. McGill, by Marian W. Kolisch, SR 819, Oregon Historical Society Research Library.
General note
Forms part of the Marian Wood Kolisch Oral History Collection.
General note
Incomplete transcript (59 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
- Kolisch, Marian W. (Contributor)
- Portland Public Schools (Or.) (Subject)