Archives West Finding Aid
Table of Contents
Oral history interview with Cecil L. Edwards, 1982 May 14
Overview of the Collection
- Interviewee
- Edwards, Cecil L.
- Title
- Oral history interview with Cecil L. Edwards
- Dates
- 1982 May 141982-05-141982-05-14
- Quantity
- .1 cubic feet, (2 audiocassettes (1 hr., 2 min., 33 sec.) + transcript (28 pages))
- Collection Number
- SR 9431
- Summary
- Oral history interview with Cecil L. Edwards conducted by Linda S. Dodds on May 14, 1982. Edwards was chief clerk of the Oregon House of Representatives, secretary of the state Senate, and legislative historian.
- 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
- This project is supported in whole or part by the Institute of Museum and Library Services through the Library Services and Technology Act, administered by the State Library of Oregon. Digitization funded by the James F. Miller Endowment.
Biographical NoteReturn to Top
Cecil Leroy Edwards was born in Salem, Oregon, in 1906. He began working as a secretary for the Oregon Legislature in 1933, serving as chief clerk of Oregon House of Representatives in 1963, secretary of the Senate from 1965 to 1975, and legislative historian from 1975 to 1993. He died in 1995.
Content DescriptionReturn to Top
This oral history interview with Cecil L. Edwards was conducted by Linda S. Dodds at the Oregon Historical Society in Portland, Oregon, on May 14, 1982. At the time of the interview, Dodds' name was Linda S. Brody.
In this interview, Edwards discusses his duties regarding the selection of horses as a civilian agent for the Remount Service during World War II. He talks about the history of the American Remount Service and how the horses were used during both war and peacetime. He also discusses his duties selecting dogs for military use. He then talks about serving on the Oregon Racing Commission under Governor Douglas O. McKay after the war. He briefly describes lobbying for the Oregon State Cattlemen's Association and working as chief clerk of the Oregon House of Representatives. He then speaks at length about his experiences as secretary of the Senate. He talks about the changes in the Legislature during the 20th century, including salaries, staff sizes, and session length. He tells the story of discovering that the federal government owed a debt to Oregon dating back to the Civil War. Edwards talks about the fire that destroyed the Capitol building in 1935, the places where the Legislature convened afterwards, and the construction of the new Capitol. He closes the interview by talking a little about some of the governors he served under.
Use of the CollectionReturn to Top
Alternative Forms Available
Audio and transcript available online in OHS Digital Collections.
Preferred Citation
Oral history interview with Cecil L. Edwards, by Linda S. Dodds, SR 9431, Oregon Historical Society Research Library.
Restrictions on Use
Copyright for this interview is held by the Oregon Historical Society. Use is allowed according to the following license: 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 | ||
1-2 | Oral history interview with Cecil L. Edwards | 1982 May 14 |
Folder | ||
SR9431 | Transcript of oral history interview with Cecil L. Edwards | 1982 May 14 |
Names and SubjectsReturn to Top
Subject Terms
- Horses--Training
Personal Names
- Edwards, Cecil L.
Corporate Names
- Oregon State Capitol (Salem, Or. : 1876-1935)
- Oregon. Legislative Assembly--Officials and employees
- United States. Army--Remount service
Geographical Names
- Oregon--Capital and capitol
- Oregon--Officials and employees
- Oregon--Politics and government--20th century
Form or Genre Terms
- interviews
Other Creators
-
Personal Names
- Dodds, Linda S. (interviewer)