Collection created by The Oregonian newspaper reporters Wallace Turner and William Lambert during their investigation and reporting on corruption in the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, Chauffeurs, Warehousemen and Helpers of America. Throughout the 1950s organized crime infiltrated the Brotherhood and began to assert increasing control the over the organizations agenda. In 1957 Turner and Lambert were awarded the Pulitzer Prize for local reporting. Their five-part series focused on Dave Beck, president of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, and exposed widespread corruption within the Brotherhood and in the local government, including an organized crime sponsored plot to exert control of the Oregon State legislature, State Police, and Oregon State Attorney Generals’ office through bribery, extortion, and blackmail. Their work led to investigations into organized crime across the country. Called by some the father of investigative journalism, William Lambert went on to report for Life Magazine after leaving The Oregonian. Wallace Turner went on to work for the Kennedy administration before returning to news reporting for the New York Times.
The collection contains photographs and primary source documents compiled by Oregonian newspaper reporters Wallace Turner and William Lambert during their investigation and reporting on vice charges brought against the International Brotherhood of Teamsters in Portland, Oregon. Materials with identifiable dates fall between July 1948 and December of 1958, with a sizeable amount of materials undated.
The collection is open to the public.
The Oregon Historical Society is the owner of the materials in the Research Library and makes available reproductions for research, publication, and other uses. Written permission must be obtained from the Research Library prior to any use of reproductions. The Society does not necessarily hold copyright to all the materials in the collections. In some cases, permission for use of reproductions may require seeking additional authorization from the copyright holders.
The Oregonian Portland Vice Investigation Collection, Coll 427, Oregon Historical Society Research Library
Lib. Acc. 28198
The arrangement of the materials has been retained and noted where possible. However, it should be stated that numerous different arrangements of the materials in this collection have occurred at different times over the collections life span.
For example, the primary source documents were photographed in one sequence now preserved in the strips of negatives contained within the Negative Series. Prints from those negatives were then rearranged by the reporter(s) and grouped into different sequences, some noted by different names and codes. The audio recordings were also arranged and rearranged over time, as noted by the different codes and terms associated with them.
All possible effort was made to retain the arrangement of the materials at the time of accession; however this arrangement is arbitrary and bears little resemblance to the sequence established by the reporters at the time of creation. Wherever possible, at the time of processing, correlations between the recordings and transcripts have been noted at the file level.
This collection is indexed under the following headings in the online catalog. Researchers desiring materials about related topics, persons, or places should search the catalog using these headings.
The audio recordings are comprised of primarily reel-to-reel tapes, along with a handful of Dictaphone and wire recordings. The reel-to-reel tapes are primarily six inches in diameter, with some four inch diameter tapes present as well.
Permission required to access materials. Access may be restricted due to condition of original recordings.
Documents in the collection include transcriptions and summaries of audio recordings, newspaper clippings, hand written and typed notes, originals and copies of correspondence, document reproductions, and ephemera.
Arranged chronologically, while respecting the original order where possible
Accompanies audio recording box 3/10
Accompanies audio recording box 3/1
Accompanies audio recording box 3/11
Accompanies audio recording box 3/4
Accompanies audio recording box 6/12
Accompanies audio recording box 6/9
Accompanies audio recording box/file 5/13
Accompanies audio recording box/file 5/13
Accompanies audio recordings box/file 4/3 & 4/4
Accompanies audio recording box 6/12
Accompanies audio recording box/file 5/4
Accompanies audio recording box/file 4/5
Accompanies audio recording box/file 4/11
Accompanies audio recordings box/file 7/5 & 7/6
Accompanies audio recording box/file 7/9
Mentions "Party Room"
Photo of Local 223 Application Blank with notation, "Check this out!"
Handwritten notes mentions "sound effect filter-" "Glitch phasing"
Handwritten notes mentions "Party Room", "Crosby",
mug shot, newspaper clippings, perpetual calendar
Handwritten notes concerning failures.
Accompanies audio tape in box/file 4/6
Covering rules governing conduct of local nominations
OR vs. Crosby; OR vs. Maloney; OR vs. Langley; US vs. Elkins & Clark
Copies and original newspaper clippings from the Oregonian and Oregon Journal. Wallace Turner and Portland Crime Investigation noted on original wrapping surrounding the articles. Note, "Do NOT destroy Jan 1962" and "Hold for Casscadden indefinitely."
These are the negatives of the primary source documents represented as prints in boxes 16, 17, & 18. Individual negative rolls are numbered and coded, however up to four different coding systems have been identified. The meaning and relationship of the different coding systems has not been identified. There is a relationship between the codes used on the negatives and for the prints.
Original arrangement unknown.
Approximately 200 rolls of photographic negatives. These are the negatives of the primary source documents represented as photographic prints in boxes 16, 17, & 18. Individual negative rolls are numbered and coded, however up to four different coding systems have been identified. The meaning and relationship of the different coding systems has not been identified. There is a relationship between the codes used on the negatives and for the prints.
As much as possible original arrangement and grouping maintained.
Photographs of primary source documents used by the reporters during the investigation. Photographs are found either stapled or grouped together by type, date, or in sequence. The photographs were arranged by the reporters. Each grouping of photographs is coded and numbered, some multiple times. The origin and meaning of the coding was unknown at the time of processing.