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Oral history interview with Bertha Holt, circa 1984
Overview of the Collection
- Interviewee
- Holt, Bertha
- Title
- Oral history interview with Bertha Holt
- Dates
- circa 198419841984
- Quantity
- .1 cubic feet, (1 audiocassette (50 min., 57 sec.))
- Collection Number
- SR 1059
- Summary
- Oral history interview with Bertha Holt conducted by an unidentified interviewer, circa 1984. Holt founded the adoption organization Holt International Children's Services with her husband, Harry Holt.
- Repository
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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 NoteReturn to Top
Bertha Marian Holt was born in Des Moines, Iowa, in 1904. She attended the University of Iowa and earned a nursing degree around 1925. In 1927, she and Harry Spencer Holt, her cousin, were married. Growing up in a large family, she had always planned to have a large family of her own. The couple had four children and adopted eight from South Korea. The couple lived in Firesteel, South Dakota, until 1937, when they settled in Lane County, Oregon. Together, she and Harry Holt founded the adoption organization Holt International Children's Services in the wake of the Korean War. They successfully lobbied to change the laws surrounding international adoption. Bertha Holt tells her family's story in the book "The Seed from the East." She died in 2000.
Content DescriptionReturn to Top
This oral history interview with Bertha Holt was conducted by an unidentified interviewer circa 1984. The interviewer's questions have been edited out.
In this interview, Holt discusses her early life and marriage to Harry Holt. She speaks at length about adopting children from South Korea and founding Holt International Children's Services with Harry Holt. She talks about the death of Harry Holt. She describes her passion for her work facilitating intercounty adoption from South Korea.
The audio recording ends with a 1961 audio letter that Harry Holt sent to Martha Sue, one of the children whose adoption he helped to arrange. In the audio letter, Holt talks about his work helping orphaned children in Seoul, South Korea, and tells the story of Martha Sue's adoption process.
Use of the CollectionReturn to Top
Alternative Forms Available
Audio available online in OHS Digital Collections.
Preferred Citation
Oral history interview with Bertha Holt, SR 1059, Oregon Historical Society Research Library.
Restrictions on Use
Copyright for this interview is held by Holt International Services. Use is allowed according to the following statement: In Copyright: http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/.
Administrative InformationReturn to Top
Names and SubjectsReturn to Top
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