Archives West Finding Aid

This oral history interview with Tony Yturri was conducted by Jim Strassmaier at Yturri's office in Ontario, Oregon, from November 19-21, 1990. In this interview, Yturri discusses his family background and early life in Jordan Valley, Oregon, including Basque culture and his father's store. He talks about attending the University of Oregon, and discusses studying law, his social life, and his professors, including Orlando Hollis and Wayne Morse. He then talks about relocating to Ontario, Oregon, to work in the district attorney's office, and his experience as city attorney. He briefly talks about his military experience during World War II, from 1942 to 1946, particularly his counterintelligence work, and the adjustment to civilian life after the war.

Yturri then discusses his service in the Oregon Senate from 1963 to 1972. He talks about his campaigns, his involvement with the Republican Party, and his constituency. He describes the organization and procedures of the Senate. He talks about legislation he worked on, including on taxes, trucking, reapportionment, and water rights. He talks about his fellow legislators, including Monroe Sweetland, Bob Duncan, Vic Atiyeh, John Burns, Monte Montgomery, and Jason Boe. He describes working with the Mark Hatfield and Tom McCall administrations, the transportation commission under Glenn Jackson, and lobbyists. He also talks about his opinion on the Vietnam War; health issues that prevented him from considering a run for the governorship; and the rise of the conservative branch of the Republican Party. Yturri talks about serving as chair of the Oregon Transportation Commission from 1979 to 1987, particularly regarding a misunderstanding he had with the director of the Department of Transportation, Neil Goldschmidt. He closes the interview by talking about his retirement activities and family life.