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Shepherd family papers, 1931-2002

Overview of the Collection

Creator
Shepherd family
Title
Shepherd family papers
Dates
1931-2002 (inclusive)
Quantity
7.2 cubic feet, (16 document cases)
Collection Number
Mss 2988-15
Summary
Papers of Susan (Susie) M. Shepherd and her parents Ann M. and William K. Shepherd, primarily related to lesbian and gay issues in the 1970s and 1980s. Includes personal and family correspondence, legislative materials, files of the Portland Town Council, files on churches and religious groups, subject and clipping files, and a small number of photographs.
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

The collection is open to the public.

Languages
English
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Historical Note

Bill and Ann Shepherd became deeply committed to fighting for gay and lesbian civil rights in Portland, Oregon, after their daughter, Susie, came out to them in 1972. Bill was born July 25th, 1913 in Portland, and became a respected general practice lawyer. Ann was born December 30th, 1918 in Kansas City, Missouri, and had a background in journalism. Her family moved to Oregon in 1935, and later she returned after college in 1940 to work in Oregon. Bill and Ann met for the first time in 1937. After rekindling their friendship in 1944, they were married in November, 1945.

Together the Shepherds helped pave the way for tolerance of sexual minorities in Oregon. They fought every anti-gay ballot measure and candidate that arose. In 1976, Bill Shepherd founded the Portland Town Council Legal Resource group, a prelude to the Oregon Gay and Lesbian Law Group, to ensure justice for sexual minorities. Also in 1976, Ann Shepherd was appointed to Oregon Governor Robert Straub's Task Force on Sexual Preference. From then on the Shepherds spoke before church and civic groups to encourage parents and members to love and accept their gay and lesbian children.

Bill and Ann Shepherd were fighters for rights and what is right. In the 1960s Bill wrote and produced award-winning television programs for the Oregon State Bar, and in the 1980s he began assisting physically disabled Oregonians in gaining greater independence by founding the Blanche Fischer Foundation. He was also an active member of the First Presbyterian Church, serving as elder, chair of the church's board of trustees, member of the Menucha Commission and trustee of Holladay Park Plaza. Ann Shepherd was ordained an elder of the First Presbyterian Church in 1982, then deacon in 1995. She served on the board of Young Audiences and on the Community Advisory Committee of the Multnomah County Restitution Center. She was elected vice president in 1995, then president in 1998 of the Blanche Fischer Foundation. She participated in the demonstration at the U.S. Supreme Court in support of the Americans with Disabilities Act in 2000.

In 1977, the Shepherds, with Charles and Rita Knapp, formed the Portland chapter of Parents of Gays, later affiliated with the national organization Parents and Friends of Lesbians and Gays (PFLAG). Until his death in 1995, Bill Shepherd provided low-cost legal counsel to same-sex partners. Ann Shepherd "mothered" many gays and lesbians who had been rejected by their families and worked with concerned parents to better understand their children.

In 1985, the Shepherds received the Lucille Hart Award from the Right to Privacy political action committee. In 1997, Ann received the first Shepherd Award (named for her and her husband) from the Metropolitan Community Church, and OGALLA's Lifetime Achievement Award. In 2000, the Northwest district of the Universal Fellowship of Metropolitan Community Churches awarded Ann its Human Rights Award and, in December of that year, the Imperial Sovereign Rose Court invested Ann with the title of Immortal Legend of Diversity. In 2001, Ann Shepherd led Portland's Gay Pride Parade as Grand Marshal, and, also that year, she received the Vollum Humanitarian of the Year Award from the Ecumenical Ministries of Oregon.

The Shepherd's daughter Susan (Susie) Shepherd was born in 1949. She was educated at the University of Oregon (B.S., 1972) and also attended Portland State University and Stephens College in Columbia, Missouri. She was a volunteer for the V.I.S.T.A. program in Oklahoma, 1973-1974, taught school, and worked for various human rights and gay/lesbian organizations, including the Portland Town Council, and as a clerk for Judge Kathleen Nachtigal in Portland. In 1991 she married the artist K.T. Chase.

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Content Description

The collection consists of papers created by Bill and Ann Shepherd and their daughter Susan (Susie). There are three main groups of materials: personal correspondence, files from the Portland Town Council (PTC), and research files relating to various aspects of the struggle for lesbian and gay rights. Most materials date from the late 1970s and early 1980s, although there are scattered items from earlier and later periods.

Of special interest within the personal papers is correspondence between Susan Shepherd and her parents, including a large file of letters from Bill and Ann Shepherd to their daughter Susan, written while Susan was at college. Among the legislative files are research files and drafts for the Portland Town Council's "Legislative Guide to Gay Rights," produced in the late 1970s. Also included in this series is a fact sheet on homosexuality, texts of pro-gay resolutions, pamphlets for candidates and ballot measures, political articles, and letters to and from various government agencies and officials.The Portland Town Council materials document the group's activities in the late 1970s and include flyers, publications, and organizational files.

There are three series containing research and subject files. These are divided into series devoted to queer/gay related organizations, church and religious related materials, and general clippings. Of particular interest are newsletters of churches and religious groups, all of which document the response to the gay liberation movement by mainstream religious bodies in the U.S. Of interest among the general files are materials relating to the leather community. The collection ends with a small series of photographs, including images of Portland Pride parade of 2001, and a collage of images of Susan Shepherd.

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Use of the Collection

Restrictions on Use

The Oregon Historical Society is the owner of the materials in the Research Library and makes available reproductions for research, publication, and other uses. Written permission must be obtained from the Research Library prior to any use of reproductions. The Society does not necessarily hold copyright to all the materials in the collections. In some cases, permission for use of reproductions may require seeking additional authorization from the copyright holders.

Preferred Citation

Shepherd Family papers, Mss 2988-15, Oregon Historical Society Research Library

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Administrative Information

Arrangement

The collection is arranged in the following series:

  • Series A: Personal and family papers, 1931-1993
  • Series B: Legislative materials, 1966-1993
  • Series C: Portland Town Council files, 1976-1981
  • Series D: Queer-related Organization files, 1973-2002
  • Series E: Churches and Other Religious Organizations, 1973-2001
  • Series F: Clippings, General, 1940-1992
  • Series G: General files, 1945-1998
  • Series H: Photographs and ephemera, 1945-2001, undated

Custodial History

The collection was acquired first by the Gay and Lesbian Archives of the Pacific Northwest (GLAPN), and processed by students at Portland State University prior to being acquired by the Oregon Historical Society.

Acquisition Information

Acquired 2008, Library Accession 26475

Separated Materials

Artifacts, including leather hat and vest, t-shirts, political buttons, and two trophies, were transferred to the Artifacts Collection of the Oregon Historical Society Research Library.

Five audio cassette tapes were transferred to the Sound Recording Collections of the Oregon Historical Society Research Library: Tom Hall profile, 1977; Father John McNeil, 1976; Jerry Falwell, 1976; KKEY discussion, 1976; and Today Show, 1976, interview with Jean O'Jean.

Related Materials

An oral history interview with Ann Shepherd, conducted by Pat Young (with transcript), is available as Sound Recording 4141, Oregon Historical Society Research Library.

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Detailed Description of the Collection

The following section contains a detailed listing of the materials in the collection.

Finding aid prepared by Geoffrey B. Wexler; Collection processed by students of Christa Orth, Portland State University
2008

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