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Oral history interview with Cecil L. Edwards, 1978 January 31
Overview of the Collection
- Interviewee
- Edwards, Cecil L.
- Title
- Oral history interview with Cecil L. Edwards
- Dates
- 1978 January 311978-01-311978-01-31
- Quantity
- .1 cubic feet, (1 audiocassette ( 50 min., 8 sec.))
- Collection Number
- SR 9432
- Summary
- Oral history interview with Cecil L. Edwards conducted by Charles Digregorio on January 31, 1978. 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.
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.
Other Descriptive InformationReturn to Top
Incomplete transcript (16 pages) is available for in-person use at the Oregon Historical Society Research Library.
Content DescriptionReturn to Top
This oral history interview with Cecil L. Edwards was conducted by Charles Digregorio in Edwards' office in the Capitol Building in Salem, Oregon, on January 31, 1978. Roberta Watts was also present. In this interview, Edwards discusses his career as secretary and law clerk in the Oregon Legislature. He describes the changes in the Legislature during his career; his opinion on capital punishment; the 1935 fire that destroyed the Capitol building, and the construction of the new building. He discusses working as secretary for Otto Paulus, Governor Charles Sprague, and Richard Neuberger, as well as being fired by Governor Mark Hatfield. He also talks about legislation he had some hand in, including retirement benefits for legislative staff. He talks about the difficulty of recordkeeping when more and more legislative business is conducted via telephone. He also discusses the history of deficit spending and budgeting in Oregon. He closes the interview by talking about his staff.
Use of the CollectionReturn to Top
Alternative Forms Available
Audio available online in OHS Digital Collections.
Preferred Citation
Oral history interview with Cecil L. Edwards, by Charles Digregorio, SR 9432, 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 | Oral history interview with Cecil L. Edwards | 1978 January 31 |
Names and SubjectsReturn to Top
Subject Terms
- Historians--Oregon
- Legislation--Oregon
- Legislative bodies
- Secretaries
Personal Names
- Edwards, Cecil L.
Corporate Names
- Oregon State Capitol (Salem, Or. : 1876-1935)
- Oregon. Legislative Assembly--Officials and employees
Geographical Names
- Oregon--History
- Oregon--Politics and government--20th century
Form or Genre Terms
- interviews
Other Creators
-
Personal Names
- Digregorio, Charles (interviewer)
