Oral history interview with Lee Johnson, 1992 April 20-September 29

Overview of the Collection

Interviewee
Johnson, Lee (Robertson Lee), 1930-2009
Title
Oral history interview with Lee Johnson
Dates
1992 April 20-September 29 (inclusive)
Quantity
.1 cubic feet, (21 audiocassettes (19 hr., 57 min., 12 sec.) + 2 photographs (color ; 4 x 6 in.))
Collection Number
SR 1116
Summary
Oral history interview with Lee Johnson conducted by Clark Hansen from April 20 to September 29, 1992, as part of the United States District Court Oral History Project. Johnson was an Oregon state representative, Oregon attorney general, and a Multnomah County Circuit Court judge.
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.

Biographical NoteReturn to Top

Robertson Lee Johnson was born in Portland, Oregon, in 1930. His father managed a sawmill in Toledo, Oregon, where he spent most of his childhood. His family relocated to Portland when Johnson was 11 years old. He attended prep school in New Jersey, then attended Princeton. In 1953, he joined the U.S. Navy and served as a staff communications officer. After leaving the Navy in 1956, he attended Stanford Law School, graduating in 1959. He grew up with Dorothy Marie Miller, and the two began dating while Johnson was in the Navy. They married in 1956 and later had five children. Johnson worked for the Department of Justice in Washington, D.C., right after graduating from Stanford. After a few years, he returned to Oregon, practiced law in Portland, and entered politics. Johnson, a Republican, represented Multnomah County in the Oregon House of Representatives from 1965 to 1968 and was attorney general for Oregon from 1969 to 1975. He was briefly a judge on the Oregon Court of Appeals, from 1977 to 1978, then he worked in the administration of Governor Vic Atiyeh. Subsequently, he served as a judge on the Multnomah County Circuit Court from 1983 to 1995. He died in 2009.

Other Descriptive InformationReturn to Top

Forms part of the United States District Court Oral History Project.

Other Descriptive InformationReturn to Top

Incomplete transcript (133 pages) is available for in-person use at the Oregon Historical Society Research Library.

Content DescriptionReturn to Top

This oral history interview with Lee Johnson was conducted by Clark Hansen at Johnson's home, as well as his office, in Portland, Oregon, from April 20 to September 29, 1992. In this interview, Johnson discusses his family background and early life in Toledo, Oregon, during the Depression; he likens Toledo to a company town. He talks about moving to Portland at the age of 11, then attending prep school in New Jersey, and Princeton after that. He discusses how his education at Princeton changed his political outlook, and talks about volunteering for the Navy after the Korean War. He then talks about studying law at Stanford, including his interest in antitrust law, his involvement with the Law Review, and starting a family with his wife, Dorothy Marie Miller. He goes on to discuss his brief stint as a trial lawyer for the Department of Justice in Washington, D.C., under both the Eisenhower and Kennedy administrations, as well as practicing law in Portland. He briefly describes many of the judges before whom he argued cases. He talks about his involvement with the Trumpeters and the Republican Party.

Johnson discusses serving in the Oregon House of Representatives from 1965 to 1968, including campaigning, advocating for a sales tax, and his views on decriminalizing drugs. He also talks about some of the legislators he served with, including Monte Montgomery and Harry Boivin. He also speaks about Governor Mark Hatfield's administration; reapportionment; and the constitutionality of the Beach Bill. He then discusses serving as attorney general for Oregon from 1969 to 1975, particularly his campaigns. He also discusses some of the cases he prosecuted, his staff, and recruiting lawyers. He also speaks at length about the passage of the Bottle Bill. He discusses working in Governor Tom McCall's administration, as well as Governor Bob Straub's; his rivalry with Clay Myers; and working with George Van Hoomisen. He also talks about his work on cases regarding welfare reforms, particularly to help single mothers; antitrust law; regulation of fisheries; and crime prevention. He speaks often about the working relationship the district attorney's office had with the Oregon Legislature. He also describes his DUI arrest and the resulting trial; the gun control debate; the prison system and capital punishment; and whistleblower protections.

Johnson discusses his partial term as a judge on the Oregon Court of Appeals from 1977 to 1978, including his campaigns, the role of the judiciary, and working with juries. He also discusses judges he worked with, including Jacob Tanzer, Jason Lee, Hans Linde and Herb Schwabe. He talks about judicial decisions, including on abortion; procedures of the court; continuing education; the relationship between courts of different levels; and his views on the role of judges. He speaks at length about his time working for the administration of Governor Vic Atiyeh, as well as changes in the Legislature. He then talks about serving on the Multnomah County Circuit Court of Appeals from 1983 up to the time of the interview in 1992, including cases he worked on, his colleagues, and staff. He talks about how legislation has affected the job of judges, including the war on drugs, liability laws, and sentencing guidelines. He closes the interview with a discussion of the members of the Oregon delegation to Congress.

Use of the CollectionReturn to Top

Alternative Forms Available

Audio and photographs available online in OHS Digital Collections.

Preferred Citation

Oral history interview with Lee Johnson, by Clark Hansen, SR 1116, Oregon Historical Society Research Library.

Restrictions on Use

Joint copyright to interview is held by the Oregon Historical Society and the U.S. District Court of Oregon Historical Society. Use is allowed according to the following license: In Copyright – Educational Use Permitted statement: http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC-EDU/1.0/. Copyright to photographs has not been determined,and permission for use may require seeking additional authorization from copyright holders.

Administrative InformationReturn to Top

Related Materials

Lee Johnson papers, Mss 1833, Oregon Historical Society Research Library.

Related Materials

U.S. District Court of Oregon Historical Society collection, Coll 560, Oregon Historical Society Research Library.

Detailed Description of the CollectionReturn to Top

Container(s) Description Dates
Cassette
1 Oral history interview with Lee Johnson 1992 April 20
2 Oral history interview with Lee Johnson 1992 April 20-1992 April 30
3 Oral history interview with Lee Johnson 1992 April 30
4 Oral history interview with Lee Johnson 1992 May 7
5-6 Oral history interview with Lee Johnson 1992 May 27
7-9 Oral history interview with Lee Johnson 1992 June 10
10-11 Oral history interview with Lee Johnson 1992 July 1
12-13 Oral history interview with Lee Johnson 1992 July 8
14-15 Oral history interview with Lee Johnson 1992 July 22
16-17 Oral history interview with Lee Johnson 1992 August 4
18-19 Oral history interview with Lee Johnson 1992 August 26
20-21 Oral history interview with Lee Johnson 1992 September 29
Folder
SR1116 Photographs of Lee Johnson 1992 April 21

Names and SubjectsReturn to Top

Subject Terms

  • Judges--Oregon
  • Justice, Administration of--Oregon
  • Lawyers--Oregon--Portland
  • Legislation--Oregon
  • Legislators--Oregon
  • Political campaigns--Oregon
  • Public prosecutors--Oregon

Personal Names

  • Atiyeh, Victor
  • Johnson, Lee (Robertson Lee), 1930-2009

Corporate Names

  • Oregon. Circuit Court (Multnomah County)
  • Oregon. Court of Appeals
  • Oregon. Legislative Assembly
  • Republican Party (Or.)

Form or Genre Terms

  • interviews

Other Creators

  • Personal Names
    • Hansen, Clark (interviewer)