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Oral history interview with Windsor Calkins, 1986 July 7-August 1
Overview of the Collection
- Interviewee
- Calkins, Windsor, 1910-1989
- Title
- Oral history interview with Windsor Calkins
- Dates
- 1986 July 7-August 1 (inclusive)1986-07-071986-08-01
- Quantity
- .1 cubic feet, (7 audiocassettes (6 hr., 24 min., 12 sec.) + transcript (138 pages) + 1 photograph (black and white, 1 x 3 in.))
- Collection Number
- SR 470
- Summary
- Oral history interview with Windsor Calkins conducted by James Strassmaier from July 7 to August 1, 1986. Calkins was an attorney in Eugene, 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
Windsor Calkins was born in Eugene, Oregon, in 1910. He met Doris Helen Patterson while in junior high school and they married in 1932. That same year, he graduated from the University of Oregon School of Law. He practiced law in Eugene for 12 years, from 1932 to 1944. He was president of the Lane County Bar Association in 1940, as well as a member of the Eugene City Health Board from 1943 to 1944. He enlisted in the U.S. Navy in 1944 and served in the Mediterranean until the end of the European conflict in World War II, then the Philippines until the end of the war. He was a part of the occupying force in Japan until his discharge in 1946. Upon his return to Oregon, he served as counsel for the Eugene Water and Electric Board. He was appointed to the senior advisory board for the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals in 1985. He died in 1989.
Content DescriptionReturn to Top
This oral history interview with Windsor Calkins was conducted by Jim Strassmaier in Calkins' office in Eugene, Oregon, from July 7 to August 1, 1986. In the interview, Calkins discusses his family background and early life in Eugene, including a 1922 trip on foot from Newport to Florence, Oregon, with his father. He also discusses his father's career as a court reporter, as well as his own interest in the law. Calkins talks about studying law at the University of Oregon, including taking classes from Wayne Morse. Calkins talks about practicing law in Eugene and some of the cases he argued, including bootlegging and murder cases. He also discusses the effect the Depression had on his family. He then talks about his experiences in the U.S. Navy during World War II. Calkins also talks about notable people from Eugene, including William G. East and other judges. He then discusses his work as a lawyer for the Eugene Water and Electric Board and Sacred Heart Hospital, as well as his involvement with the Lane County Bar Association, the Eugene City Health Board, and other civic organizations. He closes the interview with a description of malpractice lawsuits, as well as his family life.
Use of the CollectionReturn to Top
Alternative Forms Available
Audio, transcript, and photograph available online in OHS Digital Collections.
Preferred Citation
Oral history interview with Windsor Calkins, by Jim Strassmaier, SR 470, Oregon Historical Society Research Library.
Restrictions on Use
Copyright to interview held by the Oregon Historical Society. Licensed under Creative Commons, BY-NC-SA: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/. Copyright to photograph has not been determined, and permission for use may require additional authorization from copyright holders.
Administrative InformationReturn to Top
Detailed Description of the CollectionReturn to Top
| Container(s) | Description | Dates |
|---|---|---|
| Cassette | ||
| 1 | Oral history interview with Windsor Calkins | 1986 July 7 |
| 2 | Oral history interview with Windsor Calkins | 1986 July 7-18 |
| 3 | Oral history interview with Windsor Calkins | 1986 July 18 |
| 4-5 | Oral history interview with Windsor Calkins | 1986 July 25 |
| 6-7 | Oral history interview with Windsor Calkins | 1986 August 1 |
| Folder | ||
| SR470 | Transcript of oral history interview with Windsor Calkins | 1986 July 7-August 1 |
| SR470 | Photographs of Windsor Calkins | 1986 |
Names and SubjectsReturn to Top
Subject Terms
- Depressions--1939--United States
- Electric utilities--Oregon
- Hospitals--Oregon
- Judges--Oregon
- Lawyers--Oregon--Eugene
- Trials (Malpractice)
Personal Names
- Calkins, Windsor, 1910-1989
- East, William G., 1908-1985
Corporate Names
- Eugene Water & Electric Board
- Sacred Heart General Hospital (Eugene, Or.)
Geographical Names
- Eugene (Or.)
Form or Genre Terms
- interviews
Other Creators
-
Personal Names
- Strassmaier, James (interviewer)
