Collection is open for research.
Leo Adler was born in Baker City, Oregon, in 1895. In 1905, at around age 10, he began selling newspapers and magazines, including The Saturday Evening Post and Ladies Home Journal. Over time, he expanded his operation into a substantial magazine distribution business, with 2,000 outlets across seven states, and he ran the business until selling it in 1977. Adler was also a booster for the city of Baker, and was known as "Mr. Baker" for his efforts. He donated funds for the city's baseball field, high school and Little League baseball programs, and the local rodeo grounds. Adler died in 1993.
Sources: Vital records on Ancestry.com; information provided by Adler in his interview; "Leo Adler", by Adair Law, Oregon Encyclopedia,
An incomplete transcript (12 pages) is available for in-person use at the Oregon Historical Society Research Library.
Oral history interview with Leo Adler, by Charles Digregorio, SR 9677, Oregon Historical Society Research Library.
An additional interview with Adler, conducted by Shirley Tanzer in 1977, is held by the Oregon Jewish Museum and Center for Holocaust Education in Portland, Oregon, and is available online at
This oral history interview with Leo Adler was conducted by Charles Digregorio in Portland, Oregon, on November 10, 1977, as part of the Oregon Historical Society Research Library's oral history program.
In this interview, Adler discusses his family background and early life in Baker City, Oregon, including his work delivering and selling newspapers, traveling across Oregon by stagecoach, and people who lived in the area. He talks about his involvement in the local chamber of commerce and in the Anti-Defamation League. He discusses his interest in baseball and talks about some of the World Series games he attended. He also talks about the small Jewish community in Baker City.
Joint copyright for this interview is held by the Oregon Historical Society and the estate of Leo Adler. Use is allowed according to the following statement: In Copyright – Non-Commercial Use Permitted,