Collection

Oral history interview with Mary V. Tobkin

• 1981-02-06 (Creation)

0.1 cubic feet; 2 audiocassettes (1 hr., 22 min., 45 sec.)

This oral history interview with Mary V. Tobkin was conducted by Linda S. Dodds at Tobkin's home in Portland, Oregon, on February 6, 1981, as part of the Oregon Historical Society Research Library's oral history program. At the time of the interview, Dodds' name was Linda S. Brody.

In this interview, Tobkin discusses how she became involved in Portland politics and talks about her work as administrative secretary for Portland Mayor Terry Schrunk. She speaks about Schrunk's political campaigns, shares her experiences as a woman in a mid-20th century workplace, and discusses Schrunk's accomplishments as mayor, including his work to improve trade relations with Japan and to improve Portland's mass transit systems. She closes the interview by sharing her reasons for retiring from politics when Schrunk left office in 1972.

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/

• English

Preferred citation: Oral history interview with Mary V. Tobkin, by Linda S. Dodds, SR 9661, Oregon Historical Society Research Library.

An incomplete transcript (27 pages) is available for in-person use at the Oregon Historical Society Research Library.

Finding aid based on DACS (Describing Archives: A Content Standard), 2nd Edition.

Sarah Stroman

• Portland (Or.)--Politics and government
• Mayors--Oregon--Portland
• Political campaigns--Oregon--Portland
• Secretaries--Oregon--Portland

• Dodds, Linda S. (Contributor)
• Schrunk, Terry D., 1913-1975 (Subject)

• oral histories (literary works)
• Interviews