Oral history interview with Laurence Pratt, 1981 December 15
Table of Contents
Overview of the Collection
- Interviewee
- Pratt, Laurence, 1888-1985
- Title
- Oral history interview with Laurence Pratt
- Dates
- 1981 December 151981-12-151981-12-15
- Quantity
- 0.1 cubic feet, (1 audiocassette (58 min., 57 sec.))
- Collection Number
- SR 9487
- Summary
- Digitized audio recording of an oral history interview with Laurence Pratt conducted on December 15, 1981. Pratt discusses his career teaching English at Pacific University in Forest Grove, Oregon, and as a high school teacher in Portland, Oregon, as well as his work as an author and poet.
- 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 Note
Luther Laurence Dowrick Pratt was born in Jetmore, Kansas, in 1888. Soon after, his family relocated to the Pacific Northwest, and he grew up in Portland, Oregon. In 1910, he and Susie B. Smith were married; they had two children and later divorced. In 1918, he graduated from Reed College. He worked at the paper mill in Camas, Washington for one year, then became a professor of English at Pacific University in Forest Grove, Oregon. After five years, he became an English teacher at Portland public high schools, and retired in 1954. He wrote several books of poetry, including "A Saga of a Paper Mill." He died in 1985.
Sources: Vital records on Ancestry.com; information provided by Pratt in his interview.
Other Descriptive Information
An incomplete transcript (27 pages) is available for in-person use at the Oregon Historical Society Research Library.
Content Description
This oral history interview with Laurence Pratt was conducted by Linda S. Dodds in Portland, Oregon, on December 15, 1981, as part of the Oregon Historical Society Research Library's oral history program. At the time of the interview, Dodds' name was Linda S. Brody. Eugene E. Snyder was also present and occasionally contributed interview questions.
In this interview, Pratt discusses his early life in Portland, Oregon, including working in his brother's print shop in downtown Portland and attending the 1905 Lewis and Clark Exposition. He shares the reasons why he dropped out of school as a child, talks about finishing his education at the age of 22, and discusses his experiences at Reed College. He then talks about his career as a professor of English at Pacific University and a teacher at Portland public high schools. He closes the interview by discussing his poetry.
Use of the Collection
Alternative Forms Available
Audio available online in OHS Digital Collections.
Preferred Citation
Oral history interview with Laurence Pratt, by Linda S. Dodds, SR 9487, 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 statement: Creative Commons - BY-NC-SA, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/
Administrative Information
Names and SubjectsReturn to Top
Subject Terms
- Authors, American--Oregon
- College teachers--Oregon--Forest Grove
- High school teachers--Oregon--Portland
- Poets, American--Oregon
Personal Names
- Pratt, Laurence, 1888-1985
Form or Genre Terms
- interviews
- oral histories (literary works)
Other Creators
-
Personal Names
- Dodds, Linda S. (interviewer)
