Oral history interview with John R. Laidlaw, 1976 June 10

This oral history interview with John R. Laidlaw was conducted by Charles Digregorio at the Oregon Historical Society in Portland, Oregon, on June 10, 1976, as part of the oral history program at the society’s research library. Henry C. C. Stevens was also present and occasionally contributed to the interview. In addition to the audio recording of the interview, a transcript is available.

In this interview, Laidlaw speaks at length about his family background. He discusses his early life in Portland, Oregon. He talks about prominent families in early 20th century Portland, including the C. E. S. Wood family, and shares anecdotes from his life as a Catholic priest. He talks about serving as a pastor in Astoria during World War I. He also talks about his siblings, their families, and their careers. He closes the interview by sharing further anecdotes about his time as a priest.