Forms part of the Senator Mark O. Hatfield Oral History Project.
Collection is open for research.
Jennifer "Jenna" Lynn Dorn was born in Nebraska in 1950, and grew up in La Grande, Oregon, and Corvallis, Oregon. She moved to New Haven, Connecticut, where she worked in advertising. She was legislative assistant to U.S. Senator Mark Hatfield from 1977 to 1981. She and Dave Oldfield were married for a number of years; they divorced while she was serving on Hatfield's staff. She went on to hold several positions in the federal government, including associate deputy secretary for the U.S. Department of Transportation from 1985 to 1987, and then assistant secretary for policy in the U.S. Department of Labor from 1989 to 1991.
Forms part of the Senator Mark O. Hatfield Oral History Project.
Incomplete transcript (139 pages) is available for in-person use at the Oregon Historical Society Research Library.
Oral history interview with Jenna L. Dorn, by Clark Hansen, SR 1322, Oregon Historical Society Research Library.
This oral history interview with Jenna L. Dorn was conducted by Clark Hansen at the Union Pacific Building in Washington, D.C., from June 13-15, 1988. In this interview, Dorn discusses her family background and early life in La Grande, Oregon. She discusses moving to New Haven, Connecticut, and her involvement in the women's movement. She talks about how she joined the staff of U.S. Senator Mark Hatfield in 1977; her work as a legislative assistant; and other members of Hatfield's staff, particularly Gerry Frank. She discusses legislation that she worked on for Hatfield, particularly regarding women's rights and the environment. She discusses how Hatfield communicated with his constituency, and Hatfield's efforts against budget cuts by the Reagan administration while he was serving on the Appropriations Committee. She talks about Hatfield's working relationship with U.S. Senator Bob Packwood and other members of the Oregon congressional delegation. She relates some anecdotes to demonstrate Hatfield's personality and spirituality. She also talks about leaving Hatfield's staff to work with Elizabeth Dole. She closes the interview by discussing the interpersonal relationships of Hatfield's staff.
Joint copyright for this interview is held by the Oregon Historical Society and Willamette University. Use is allowed according to the following license: Creative Commons - BY-NC-SA: