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Oral history interview with Margaret G. Fritsch, 1982 March 29
Overview of the Collection
- Interviewee
- Fritsch, Margaret G., 1899-1993
- Title
- Oral history interview with Margaret G. Fritsch
- Dates
- 1982 March 291982-03-291982-03-29
- Quantity
- .1 cubic feet, (2 audiocassettes (1 hr., 20 min., 32 sec.) + transcript (36 pages))
- Collection Number
- SR 9318
- Summary
- Oral history interview with Margaret G. Fritsch conducted by Linda S. Dodds on March 29, 1982. Fritsch was the first woman to be a licensed architect in Oregon.
- Repository
-
Oregon Historical Society Research Library
1200 SW Park Avenue
Portland, OR
97205
Telephone: 503-306-5240
Fax: 503-219-2040
libreference@ohs.org - Access Restrictions
-
Collection is open for research.
- Languages
- English
- Sponsor
- Digitization funded by the James F. Miller Endowment.
Biographical NoteReturn to Top
Mary Margaret Goodin Fritsch was born in 1899. She studied architecture at the University of Oregon, and in 1923 she became the first woman to graduate from that program. That same year, she became the first woman to be a licensed architect in Oregon, and she was also the first woman member of the American Institute of Architects from the West. She served as secretary of the Oregon State Board of Architect Examiners from 1926 to 1956. In 1928, she and fellow architect Frederick Fritsch were married. Frederick Fritsch died in 1934, and the next year, Margaret Fritsch adopted a child. In 1938, she opened her own architectural practice, and in 1963, she moved to Juneau, Alaska, where she worked as a city planner. She retired in 1974 and remained in Alaska. She died in 1993.
Content DescriptionReturn to Top
This oral history interview with Margaret G. Fritsch was conducted by Linda S. Dodds on March 29, 1982. At the time of the interview, Dodds' name was Linda S. Brody.
In this interview, Fritsch discusses her family background and early life in Salem, Oregon. She talks about studying architecture at the University of Oregon, including the discrimination she faced as a woman. She then discusses her career as an architect, including the process of obtaining a license and some of the buildings she designed early in her career. She also talks about serving as secretary of the Oregon State Board of Architect Examiners. Fritsch discusses some of the architects she worked with, including Jamieson Parker and A.E. Doyle. She also talks about the architecture career of her husband, Frederick Fritsch. She briefly talks about adopting a child after Frederick Fritsch's death in 1934. She describes the effect the Depression had on their careers. She talks about working as a city planner for Juneau, Alaska, and her retirement in 1974. She closes the interview by talking about working with craftspeople; designing plinths for public art; and changes in the field of architecture.
Use of the CollectionReturn to Top
Alternative Forms Available
Audio and transcript available online in OHS Digital Collections.
Preferred Citation
Oral history interview with Margaret G. Fritsch, by Linda S. Dodds, SR 9318, Oregon Historical Society Research Library.
Restrictions on Use
Copyright is held by the Oregon Historical Society. Licensed under: Creative Commons, BY-NC-SA: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/
Administrative InformationReturn to Top
Detailed Description of the CollectionReturn to Top
| Container(s) | Description | Dates |
|---|---|---|
| Cassette | ||
| 1 | Oral history interview with Margaret G. Fritsch | 1982 March 29 |
| 2 | Oral history interview with Margaret G. Fritsch | 1982 March 29 |
| Folder | ||
| SR9318 | Transcript of oral history interview with Margaret G. Fritsch | 1982 March 29 |
Names and SubjectsReturn to Top
Subject Terms
- Architects--Oregon
- Architecture--Oregon
- City planning--Alaska
- Sex discrimination against women--Oregon
- Women architects--Oregon
Personal Names
- Fritsch, Frederick A., 1891-1934
- Fritsch, Margaret G., 1899-1993
Form or Genre Terms
- interviews
Other Creators
-
Personal Names
- Dodds, Linda S. (interviewer)
