Archives West Finding Aid
Table of Contents
Oral history interview with Gerry Frank, 1991 July 16-1992 April 29
Overview of the Collection
- Interviewee
- Frank, Gerry
- Title
- Oral history interview with Gerry Frank
- Dates
- 1991 July 16-1992 April 29 (inclusive)1991-07-161992-04-29
- Quantity
- 0.1 cubic feet, (7 audiocassettes (4 hr., 44 min., 19 sec.) + transcript (99 pages))
- Collection Number
- SR 1002
- Summary
- Oral history interview with Gerry Frank conducted by Jim Strassmaier from July 16, 1991, to April 29, 1992. Frank was the manager of the Meier & Frank Department Store in Salem, Oregon, from 1955 to 1965.
- 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
Biographical NoteReturn to Top
Gerald "Gerry" Wendell Frank was born in Portland, Oregon, in 1923. He attended Stanford University, where he enrolled in the Reserve Officer Training Corps. He was called to active duty in the U.S. Army in 1943, and served in the European theater during World War II. During his Army training in California, he studied engineering at Loyola University. After his discharge in 1945, he remained in England and attended Cambridge University, where he earned a bachelor's degree in economics and a master's degree in politics.
After graduating, he returned to Portland and worked at the family business, the Meier & Frank department store. He opened and managed the Meier & Frank store in Salem, Oregon, in 1955. After the sale of Meier & Frank in 1965, Frank became involved with Mark Hatfield's political career, eventually becoming the senator's chief of staff. In 1981, he opened a dessert shop in Salem called Gerry Frank's Konditorei. He was a longtime contributor to the Oregonian newspaper and also authored a guidebook to Oregon, entitled "Gerry Frank's Oregon."
Frank died in March 2022.
Content DescriptionReturn to Top
This oral history interview with Gerry Frank was conducted by Jim Strassmaier in Frank's office in Salem, Oregon, from July 16, 1991, to April 29, 1992. The interview was conducted in four sessions.
In the first interview session, conducted on July 16, 1991, Frank discusses his family background and how it intertwines with the history of the Meier & Frank Company. He talks about the company's founding in 1857 by his great-grandfather, Aaron Meier, and the growth of the store during the 19th century, including the store's Friday Surprise marketing strategy and the buildings the store inhabited. He then talks about the history of Meier & Frank during the early 20th century, including his uncle Julius Meier's term as Oregon governor from 1931 to 1935, competition with other department stores in Portland, and Meier & Frank's newspaper advertisements. He also talks about the life of his father, Aaron Meier Frank.
In the second interview session, conducted on November 6, 1991, Frank continues discussing the life of his father, Aaron Meier Frank, including his management of the Meier & Frank Department Store beginning in 1937. He also continues discussing Meier & Frank's newspaper advertisements. He talks about the use of credit lines in the department store, particularly during the Depression. He discusses the Meier & Frank board of directors, and begins talking about the expansion of the store into Salem.
In the third interview session, conducted on December 21, 1991, Frank continues discussing the expansion of the Meier & Frank Department Store into Salem. He talks about managing the Salem branch from 1955 to 1965, including tailoring merchandise to the Salem community, his involvement in Salem community organizations, and his relationship with his employees. He also talks about the store's seasonal events and his relationship with other Meier & Frank store managers.
In the fourth and final interview session, conducted on April 29, 1992, Frank discusses the conditions that led to the sale of the Meier & Frank Department Store to the May Company in 1965. He describes the family divisions surrounding the sale. He then talks about resigning as manager of the Salem branch and the effect of the sale on the store's personnel and customer base. He closes the interview by talking about his relationship with the management of the Meier & Frank Department Store at the time of the interview in 1992.
Use of the CollectionReturn to Top
Alternative Forms Available
Audio and transcript available online in OHS Digital Collections.
Preferred Citation
Oral history interview with Gerry Frank, by Jim Strassmaier, SR 1002, 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 statement: 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 | Interview session 1 | 1991 July 16 |
2 | Interview session 1 | 1991 July 16 |
3 | Interview session 2 | 1991 November 6 |
4 | Interview session 3 | 1991 December 21 |
5 | Interview session 3 | 1991 December 21 |
6 | Interview session 4 | 1992 April 29 |
7 | Interview session 4 | 1992 April 29 |
Folder | ||
SR1002 | Transcript of oral history interview with Gerry Frank | 1991 July 16-1992 April 29 |
Names and SubjectsReturn to Top
Subject Terms
- Business enterprises--Oregon
- Department stores--Oregon--Portland
- Department stores--Oregon--Salem
- Retail trade--Oregon
Personal Names
- Frank, Aaron M. (Aaron Meier), 1891-1968
- Frank, Gerry
Corporate Names
- Meier & Frank (Portland, Or.)
Form or Genre Terms
- interviews
Other Creators
-
Personal Names
- Strassmaier, James (interviewer)