Oral history interview with John L. Schwabe, 2006 July 25-September 15

Overview of the Collection

Interviewee
Schwabe, John L. (John Leonard), 1919-2011
Title
Oral history interview with John L. Schwabe
Dates
2006 July 25-September 15 (inclusive)
Quantity
.1 cubic feet, (5 audiocassettes (2 hr., 4 min., 23 sec.))
Collection Number
SR 11097
Summary
Oral history interview with John L. Schwabe conducted by Gregory J. Miner from July 25 to September 15, 2006, as part of the United States District Court Oral History Project. Schwabe was an attorney 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
This project is supported in whole or part by the Institute of Museum and Library Services through the Library Services and Technology Act, administered by the State Library of Oregon.

Biographical NoteReturn to Top

John Leonard Schwabe was born in Nowata, Oklahoma, in 1919. He earned a degree in pre-law from Oklahoma State University in 1941. He then enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps and served in the Pacific theater during World War II. Before he shipped out in 1942, he and Jean Cooley were married; they later had four children. After his discharge in 1945, he studied law at Ohio State University, earning his degree in 1948. He then practiced law in Silverton, Oregon, before coming to Portland in 1952. He became a partner in the Portland law firm Schwabe, Williamson and Wyatt. He died in 2011.

Other Descriptive InformationReturn to Top

Forms part of the United States District Court Oral History Project.

Other Descriptive InformationReturn to Top

Incomplete transcript (83 pages) is available for in-person use at the Oregon Historical Society Research Library.

Content DescriptionReturn to Top

This oral history interview with John L. Schwabe was conducted by Gregory J. Miner from July 25 to September 15, 2006. The audio is incomplete; Tape 1 has been missing since 2015.

In this interview, Schwabe discusses some of the cases he worked on as a lawyer in Portland, Oregon; his involvement in various Portland civic organizations; and other Portland lawyers. He also talks about the buildings in which his law firm, Schwabe, Williamson, and Wyatt, was located; his love of fishing; and his children, their careers, and their families.

Schwabe discusses his early law career in Silverton, Oregon, and how he relocated to practice law in Portland in 1952. He talks about working as a trial lawyer, working on condemnation cases, and his involvement in urban renewal efforts in Portland. He talks about work he did in Nevada and Georgia, as well as his longtime friendship with President Jimmy Carter, whom he met when Carter was a Georgia state senator. He talks about lawyers he worked with, including Wendell Wyatt, and their subsequent careers. He closes the interview by talking about his favorite fishing spot.

Use of the CollectionReturn to Top

Alternative Forms Available

Audio available online in OHS Digital Collections.

Preferred Citation

Oral history interview with John L. Schwabe, by Gregory J. Miner, SR 11097, Oregon Historical Society Research Library.

Restrictions on Use

Copyright for this interview is held by the estate of John L. Schwabe. In Copyright: http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/

Administrative InformationReturn to Top

Acquisition Information

Gift of the U.S. District Court of Oregon Historical Society, June 2007 (Lib. Acc. 26270).

Related Materials

Oral history interview with John L. Schwabe, by Allison Gilbertson, SR 1242, Oregon Historical Society Research Library.

Detailed Description of the CollectionReturn to Top

Container(s) Description Dates
Cassette
2-3 Oral history interview with John L. Schwabe 2006 July 25
4-6 Oral history interview with John L. Schwabe 2006 September 15

Names and SubjectsReturn to Top

Subject Terms

  • Fishing--Oregon
  • Lawyers--Oregon--Portland
  • Urban renewal--Oregon--Portland

Personal Names

  • Carter, Jimmy, 1924-
  • Schwabe, John L. (John Leonard), 1919-2011

Form or Genre Terms

  • interviews

Other Creators

  • Personal Names
    • Miner, Gregory J. (interviewer)