Archives West Finding Aid
Table of Contents
Oral history interview with Gerry Pratt, 1979 January 29
Overview of the Collection
- Interviewee
- Pratt, Gerry
- Title
- Oral history interview with Gerry Pratt
- Dates
- 1979 January 291979-01-291979-01-29
- Quantity
- .1 cubic feet, (1 audiocassette (1 hr., 35 sec.) + transcript (33 pages))
- Collection Number
- SR 9
- Summary
- Oral history interview with Gerry Pratt conducted by Charles Digregorio on January 29, 1979. Pratt was a journalist for the Oregonian newspaper in Portland and president of the Fred Meyer Savings and Loan Association.
- 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
Gerry Pratt was born in Vancouver, Canada, in 1927. He began his career in journalism at the Canadian Press, the Vancouver Sun, and the Toronto Telegram. In 1950, he and Barbara June Holstead were married; they later had three children. In 1954, he became a U.S. citizen, and the next year he began working for the Oregonian newspaper in Portland as a waterboy, eventually becoming the business editor. He was a writer for several newspapers around Portland, and was a contributor to the public radio program All Things Considered as well as multiple TV programs. He served as president of the Fred Meyer Savings and Loan Association, and sat on the board of several organizations, including the Meyer Memorial Trust. He died in 2016.
Other Descriptive InformationReturn to Top
Handwritten index (4 pages) is available for in-person use at the Oregon Historical Society Research Library.
Content DescriptionReturn to Top
This oral history interview with Gerry Pratt was conducted by Charles Digregorio at the offices of the Fred Meyer Savings and Loan Association in Portland, Oregon, on January 29, 1979.
In this interview, Pratt tells stories about his family background and early life in Vancouver, Canada, including his education and his summer jobs. He talks about beginning his career in journalism at the Canadian Press, the Vancouver Sun, and the Toronto Telegram. He then discusses his career in journalism at the Oregonian newspaper and working as business editor. He speaks at length about his friendship with Fred G. Meyer. He describes his work as the president of Fred Meyer Savings and Loan, and the ways in which the banking field is changing. He also discusses his career as a television journalist. He closes the interview by talking about his plans for the future.
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 Pratt, by Charles Digregorio, SR 9, Oregon Historical Society Research Library.
Restrictions on Use
Joint copyright for this interview is held by the Oregon Historical Society and Barbara Pratt Blackhurst. Use is allowed according to the following statement: In Copyright, http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/.
Administrative InformationReturn to Top
Detailed Description of the CollectionReturn to Top
| Container(s) | Description | Dates |
|---|---|---|
| Cassette | ||
| 1 | Interview session 1 | 1979 January 29 |
| Folder | ||
| SR9 | Transcript of oral history interview with Gerry Pratt | 1979 January 29 |
Names and SubjectsReturn to Top
Subject Terms
- Banks and banking--Oregon
- Journalists--Oregon--Portland
- Television journalists--Oregon--Portland--20th century
Personal Names
- Meyer, Fred G., 1886-1978
- Pratt, Gerry
Form or Genre Terms
- interviews
Other Creators
-
Personal Names
- Digregorio, Charles (interviewer)
