Oral history interview with Hans A. Linde, 2002 January 15-2004 February 3

Tape 1, Side 1, through Tape 2, Side 1. In the first interview session, conducted on January 15, 2002, Linde discusses his family background and early life in a Jewish family in Berlin, Germany, including his education, and shares his memories of German politics in the 1920s and 1930s. He describes how his family left Germany for Denmark in 1933.

Tape 2, Side 2, through Tape 4, Side 2. In the second interview session, conducted on January 22, 2002, Linde continues to discuss his family background and early life in 1920s Berlin, and his memories of politics in Germany. He talks about the lives and personalities of his parents, Bruno C. Linde and Luise Linde (nee Rosenhain). He then talks about his adolescence in Copenhagen, Denmark, from 1933 to 1937. He shares the reasons why his family immigrated to the United States in 1939, and describes the family's journey by car from New York to Portland, Oregon.

In the third interview session, conducted on September 17, 2002, Linde further describes the family's journey by car from New York to Portland, Oregon. He talks about adjusting to life in the United States, and speaks at length about his experiences at Lincoln High School, including his involvement in the student council and newspaper. He shares his memories of the national mood after Japan's attack on Pearl Harbor in 1942 and talks about the experiences of his Japanese American classmates during World War II. He shares his reasons for attending Reed College, and speaks at length about his college experiences in the 1940s. He also talks about working as an inspector at the Kaiser shipyards in Portland.

In the fourth interview session, conducted on September 24, 2002, Linde discusses his pre-marriage relationship with Helen Tucker. He then describes his service in the U.S. Army during World War II, including his experiences in the European Theater. He talks about his and Tucker's wedding in 1945, about the early years of their marriage, and about completing his bachelor's degree and writing his thesis at Reed College after his discharge from the Army.

In the fifth interview session, conducted on October 2, 2002, Linde discusses his law school experience at the University of California, Berkeley. He talks about living in Richmond, about classes he took, and about his work on the California Law Review. He talks about his interest in international law, and about world events during the time he was in law school, including the formation of the European Union and the Nuremberg Trials. He also talks about family members who were killed during the Holocaust. He then speaks at length about working as a law clerk for U.S. Supreme Court Justice William O. Douglas from 1950 to 1951. He talks about living in Washington, D.C., other law clerks he worked with, and cases he worked on. He speaks particularly about U.S. v. Dennis, in which Douglas was one of two justices to dissent from the Supreme Court's ruling upholding the conspiracy convictions of members of the Communist Party. He also briefly discusses his work for the United Nations General Assembly from 1951 to 1953.

In the sixth interview session, conducted on December 18, 2002, Linde continues to discuss his work for the United Nations General Assembly from 1951 to 1953. He talks about the practice of not hiring communists at U.N. offices based in the United States, about the Soviet Union's activities in the U.N., and about attending U.N. General Assemblies in New York City. He speaks about U.S.-Soviet relations, as well as national politics during this time period, and about the procedures of the U.N. He shares his reasons for leaving the State Department in 1953 and returning to Portland to find a job as a lawyer. He speaks about how federal power policy in the 1950s affected Oregon, and describes how he became a professor of law at the University of Oregon in 1954, and later a legislative aide to U.S. Senator Richard Neuberger.

In the seventh interview session, conducted on January 9, 2003, Linde speaks about the development of the United Nations, of the European Union, and of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. He also talks about the Space Race. He discusses teaching law at the University of Oregon in 1954. He talks about other faculty members, particularly law school dean Orlando Hollis, and describes the law school curriculum and how grades were assigned. He speaks at length about his work on Dick Neuberger's 1954 campaign for the U.S. Senate, describes election night, and talks about his experiences as Neuberger's legislative aide from 1955 to 1958. He describes Neuberger's personality, talks about his experience having Maurine Neuberger as a high school English teacher, and discusses the death of his mother in 1954.

In the eighth interview session, conducted on January 14, 2003, Linde speaks further about the death of his mother. He then speaks at length about his experiences as U.S. Senator Richard Neuberger's legislative aide from 1955 to 1958. He talks about the procedures for passing legislation and confirming judges and cabinet members in the U.S. Senate, and describes methods that senators use to hold up the process. He also describes the houses where he and his family lived while they were in Washington, D.C. He speaks about some of Neuberger's proposed bills, including one to protect squirrels in the Capitol and one to restrict billboards along interstate highways; about Neuberger's relationship with other legislators; and about committees he served on, particularly the Public Works Committee. He also talks about holding a hearing regarding U.S.-Canada water agreements. He talks about raising his daughter, about being recruited for jobs as a law professor, and about campaign finance laws.

In the ninth interview session, conducted on January 30, 2003, Linde continues to discuss his experiences as a legislative aide to U.S. Senator Richard Neuberger. He talks about the federal power policy during the administration of Dwight D. Eisenhower and how it affected Oregon, about Neuberger's opposition to the 1954 Klamath Termination Act, and about Neuberger's interactions with Senator Joseph McCarthy. He shares anecdotes to demonstrate Neuberger's personality and legislative style, and describes Neuberger's relationship with U.S. Senator Wayne Morse, as well as with other members of the Oregon congressional delegation. He speaks about the election of 1956, and describes a 1957 trip he and Helen Linde took to Europe.

In the tenth interview session, conducted on February 5, 2003, Linde continues to discuss his experiences as a legislative aide to U.S. Senator Richard Neuberger. He speaks further about Neuberger's relationship with other members of the Oregon congressional delegation. He shares his reasons for leaving his job with Neuberger and returning to Eugene in 1959, and his reaction upon learning of Neuberger's illness. He then discusses the 1958 elections, and Neuberger's re-election in 1960. He talks about returning to teaching law at the University of Oregon from 1959 to 1976. He talks about classes he taught, shares his experience spending a semester in the hospital with tuberculosis, and speaks at length about an effort in the 1960s to adopt a new Oregon constitution.

In the eleventh interview session, conducted on February 13, 2003, Linde discusses raising a family in Eugene, and continues to speak about teaching law at the University of Oregon from 1959 to 1976. He talks about the tenure of university president Arthur Fleming. He speaks at length about his work consulting on arms control and nuclear proliferation for the administration of President John F. Kennedy. He also talks about U.S.-Cuba relations in the early 1960s.

Tape 27, Side 1, through Tape 29, Side 1. In the twelfth interview session, conducted on February 18, 2003, Linde discusses teaching law to children in Eastern Oregon, and speaks further about his consulting work for the U.S. government. He talks about his experiences as an alternate delegate to the 1964 Democratic National Convention, and as a visiting professor at the University of California, Berkeley, the same year. He also talks about international politics leading up to the Vietnam War. He discusses the 1968 elections and talks about his friendship with Bob Straub. He returns to the topic of teaching law at the University of Oregon from 1959 to 1976. He talks about the reasons for the law school's increased enrollment and about the school's expansion during the 1960s.

Tape 29, Side 2, through Tape 31, Side 1. In the thirteenth interview session, conducted on February 26, 2003, Linde continues to speak about teaching law at the University of Oregon from 1959 to 1976. He talks about teaching in Fribourg, Switzerland, and at an institute in Germany, and about living in Europe with his family in 1968. He also describes European student protests that he witnessed, and talks about how the Vietnam War affected European public opinion on the United States. He talks about his work investigating the University of California's treatment of Marxist and feminist professor Angela Davis in the 1970s.

Tape 31, Side 2, through Tape 33, Side 2. In the fourteenth interview session, conducted on March 4, 2003, Linde continues to speak about teaching law at the University of Oregon from 1959 to 1976. He talks about some of the academic articles he had published in the 1970s. He speaks about his experiences teaching at Stanford University in 1972, and in Hamburg, Germany, in 1975, and about participating in a German celebration of the U.S. bicentennial. He also talks about the 1972 national elections. He talks about a textbook he wrote and used during his final year of teaching at the University of Oregon.

In the fifteenth interview session, conducted on March 12, 2003, Linde discusses a U.S. Supreme Court case in 1972 regarding espionage, and talks about his involvement in a lawsuit against the Oregon Bottle Bill. He speaks at length about the process of his appointment to the Oregon Supreme Court in 1977. He then begins to talk about his service as a justice on the court from 1977 to 1990, and discusses his first cases, including one that involved Portland General Electric.

In the sixteenth interview session, conducted on April 1, 2003, Linde continues to discuss his service as a justice on the Oregon Supreme Court from 1977 to 1990. He talks about his law clerks, and about the work of a judge's secretary. He discusses the rules and procedures of the state Supreme Court, including how the court decides what cases to hear. He also shares his opinion on campaign finance laws. He talks about the house he lived in in Salem. He discusses some cases the court heard, addresses criticism that he was an activist judge, and talks about some of the decisions the court made. He speaks about some of his activities during 1979.

In the seventeenth interview session, conducted on April 17, 2003, Linde discusses the heart attack he had in 1980. He describes his workload as a Supreme Court justice, talks about teaching law at Arizona State University for a term in 1983, and discusses laws and cases that improved outcomes for defendants. He speaks about his 1984 re-election campaign.

Tape 40, Side 1, through Tape 41, Side 1. In the eighteenth interview session, conducted on April 25, 2003, Linde continues to discuss his 1984 re-election campaign, and talks about the role of politics in the judicial branch. He speaks about the role of the Oregon Court of Appeals. He also talks about his fellow Supreme Court justices. He speaks about criminal justice and sentencing.

Tape 41, Side 2, through Tape 43, Side 2. In the nineteenth interview session, conducted on May 6, 2003, Linde discusses the stroke he had in 1985, talks about the death of his father in 1986, and discusses the 1986 election for a seat on the Oregon Supreme Court. He continues to discuss his service as a justice on the court from 1977 to 1990. He talks about his relationship with his fellow justices, shares his reasons for not seeking re-election in 1990, and discusses cases he heard, including a case regarding the death penalty.

In the twentieth interview session, conducted on May 15, 2003, Linde continues to discuss his service as a justice on the Oregon Supreme Court from 1977 to 1990. He speaks about the changes in the makeup of the court, shares his thoughts about the death penalty, and discusses his interest in tort law. He speaks at length about his involvement with the American Law Institute, and talks about the ALI style manual.

In the twenty-first interview session, conducted on May 27, 2003, Linde continues to discuss his involvement with the American Law Institute and the ALI style manual. He discusses the history of Oregon's ballot initiative system. He speaks about his return to teaching law after retiring from the Oregon Supreme Court in 1990, shares why he chose to teach at Willamette University, and talks about classes he taught. He also talks about his other retirement activities, including speaking engagements, consulting on law in Russia and China, and his involvement with Oregon Public Broadcasting.

In the twenty-second interview session, conducted on October 3, 2003, Linde discusses a trip to Australia in 1996. He shares his experience having bypass surgery while in Australia and talks about his recovery. He compares the Australian health care system to the U.S. system. He talks about the Port Arthur Massacre, a mass shooting that occurred while he was in Australia, and about the Australian government's response.

In the twenty-third and final interview session, conducted on February 3, 2004, Linde discusses his involvement with the Oregon Law Commission from 1997 to the time of the interview. He also talks about the application of law in the criminal justice system. He speaks further about his work as a legal consultant to the Chinese government in the 1990s and 2000s, and describes how the U.S. invasion of Iraq and the SARS epidemic interrupted that work. He discusses his role at Willamette University at the time of the interview, and talks about the development of the university's law school. He shares his thoughts on the U.S. Supreme Court's handling of the 2000 presidential election. He describes how American culture, language, and education systems have changed over the 20th century. He closes the interview by reflecting on his career.