Oral history interview with Nan M. Brewster, 1976 June 25
Table of Contents
Overview of the Collection
- Interviewee
- Brewster, Nan M. (Frances Ann Montgomery), 1903-2005
- Title
- Oral history interview with Nan M. Brewster
- Dates
- 1976 June 251976-06-251976-06-25
- Quantity
- 0.1 cubic feet, (1 audiocassette (54 min., 39 sec.))
- Collection Number
- SR 9568
- Summary
- Oral history interview with Nan M. Brewster conducted by Charles Digregorio on June 25, 1976. Brewster discusses the Gill and Montgomery family histories, and the history of the J.K. Gill Company in Portland, Oregon.
- 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
Frances Ann Brewster (née Montgomery, known as Nan M. Brewster in her life) was born in 1903 in Portland, Oregon. She was the granddaughter of bookstore founder Joseph Kaye Gill and the daughter of J. K. Gill company president William A. Montgomery. She studied at the University of Oregon and at the Museum Art School in Portland. In 1937, the Oregonian newspaper in Portland hired Brewster to write and illustrate a weekly column, titled "Faces and Places." The column ran on Sundays in the newspaper's society section. When the United States entered World War II, Brewster incorporated subjects relating to the homefront experience into her column, such as rationing, selling war bonds, and rolling bandages for wounded soldiers.
Brewster married William Lewis Brewster, Jr. (1905-1993) in 1931; the couple had two daughters. Nan M. Brewster died in 2005.
Sources: Obituary on OregonLive (accessed January 30, 2025), https://obits.oregonlive.com/us/obituaries/oregon/name/nan-brewster-obituary?id=19565564; vital records via Ancestry.com.
Other Descriptive Information
An incomplete transcript (16 pages) is available for in-person use at the Oregon Historical Society Research Library.
Content Description
This oral history interview with Nan M. Brewster was conducted by Charles Digregorio at the Oregon Historical Society in Portland, Oregon, on June 25, 1976, as part of the oral history program at the society's research library.
In this interview, Brewster speaks at length about her Montgomery and Gill family background, and talks about the history of the J.K. Gill Company. She discusses her early life in Portland, including her recreational activities and her social life. She talks about her education, about her career as a columnist and illustrator for Portland newspapers, and about her volunteer work for health organizations. She also talks about her marriage to William L. Brewster. She closes the interview by describing vacations at Seaview, Oregon.
Use of the Collection
Alternative Forms Available
Audio available online in OHS Digital Collections.
Preferred Citation
Oral history interview with Nan M. Brewster, by Charles Digregorio, SR 9568, Oregon Historical Society Research Library.
Restrictions on Use
Joint copyright for this interview is held by the Oregon Historical Society and the estate of Nan M. Brewster. Use is allowed according to the following statement: In Copyright – Non-Commercial Use Permitted, https://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC-NC/1.0/
Administrative Information
Names and SubjectsReturn to Top
Subject Terms
- Business enterprises--Oregon--Portland
Personal Names
- Brewster, Nan M. (Frances Ann Montgomery), 1903-2005
Corporate Names
- J.K. Gill & Co.--History
Family Names
- Gill family
- Montgomery family
Geographical Names
- Portland (Or.)--Social life and customs--20th century
Form or Genre Terms
- interviews
- oral histories (literary works)
Other Creators
-
Personal Names
- Digregorio, Charles (interviewer)
