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Gerry Frank scrapbooks and memorabilia, circa 1880-2018

Overview of the Collection

Creator
Frank, Gerry
Title
Gerry Frank scrapbooks and memorabilia
Dates
circa 1880-2018 (inclusive)
Quantity
36.7 cubic feet, (3 record cartons; 1 flat box (20x24); 1 oversize folder (20x30); 140 loose volumes; 1 audio reel; 1 videotape)
Collection Number
Coll 855
Summary
Scrapbooks, photograph albums, photographs, papers, and ephemera compiled by or relating to Gerald W. "Gerry" Frank (1923-). Frank is a businessman from Oregon who worked at the department store Meier & Frank; opened a dessert shop in Salem, Oregon, named Gerry Frank's Konditerei; and was U.S. Senator Mark Hatfield's chief of staff.
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
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Biographical Note

Gerald "Gerry" Wendell Frank was born in Portland, Oregon, in 1923. He attended Stanford University, where he enrolled in the Reserve Officer Training Corps. He was called to active duty in the U.S. Army in 1943, and served in the European theater during World War II. During his Army training in California, he studied engineering at Loyola University. After his discharge in 1945, he remained in England and attended Cambridge University, where he earned a bachelor's degree in economics and a master's degree in politics.

After graduating, he returned to Portland and worked at the family business, the Meier & Frank department store. He opened and managed the Meier & Frank store in Salem, Oregon, in 1955. After the sale of Meier & Frank in 1965, Frank became involved with Mark Hatfield's political career, eventually becoming the senator's chief of staff. In 1981, he opened a dessert shop in Salem called Gerry Frank's Konditorei. He was a longtime contributor to the Oregonian newspaper and also authored a guidebook to Oregon, entitled "Gerry Frank's Oregon."

Frank died in March 2022.

Sources: Obituary in the Oregonian, March 14, 2022; oral history interviews with Gerry Frank, SR 1002 and SR 1324, Oregon Historical Society Research Library.

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Content Description

The collection consists of scrapbooks, albums, papers, and ephemera compiled by and relating to Gerald W. "Gerry" Frank, a businessman associated with Portland, Oregon, and Salem, Oregon. The bulk of the collection is scrapbooks and albums that contain newspaper clippings, correspondence, ephemera, and photographs documenting Frank's life and career. Much of the collection concerns the Meier & Frank department store that Frank's family founded and which he worked for in the 1950s and 1960s, including the store's Salem branch, which he managed. Meier & Frank materials include menus from the store restaurants, memorandums, advertisements, and training handouts.

The collection also documents Frank's involvement with Republican politics, particularly his relationship with Oregon Governor and U.S. Senator Mark O. Hatfield, and includes two reports for around-the-world fact-finding trips that Frank undertook for Senator Hatfield. Additional materials include scrapbooks concerning Frank's book "Where to Find It, Buy It, and Eat It in New York"; a scrapbook of Frank's weekly column in the Oregonian; personal photographs, correspondence, and ephemera; and autographed photographs of state and national political figures.

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Use of the Collection

Alternative Forms Available

Selected photographs are viewable online in OHS Digital Collections.

Preferred Citation

Gerry Frank scrapbooks and memorabilia, Coll 855, Oregon Historical Society Research Library.

Restrictions on Use

The Oregon Historical Society owns the materials in the Research Library and makes available reproductions for research, publication, and other uses. The Society does not necessarily hold copyright to all materials in the collections. In some cases, permission for use may require seeking additional authorization from copyright owners.

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Administrative Information

Arrangement

Collection is arranged in four series: Series 1. Scrapbooks; Series 2. Photo albums; Series 3. Meier & Frank materials; Series 4. Other papers and memorabilia.

Acquisition Information

Gift of Gerald W. Frank, October 2020 (RL2020-067).

Preservation Note

Radio broadcast and videotape require assistance to access. Contact library staff for assistance.

Related Materials

Gerry Frank papers, Mss 2832; Meier and Frank Company collection, Mss 2866; Oral history interview with Gerry Frank, SR 1002; and Oral history interview with Gerry Frank, SR 1324, Oregon Historical Society Research Library.

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Detailed Description of the Collection

Names and SubjectsReturn to Top

Subject Terms

  • Department stores--Oregon--Portland
  • Department stores--Oregon--Salem

Personal Names

  • Frank, Gerry
  • Hatfield, Mark O., 1922-2011

Corporate Names

  • Meier & Frank (Portland, Or.)

Geographical Names

  • United States--Politics and government--20th century

Jeffrey A. Hayes
2021

CC0

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