Forms part of the United States District Court of Oregon Oral History Project.
Collection is open for research.
Edwin Junior Peterson was born in 1930 in Gilmanton, Wisconsin. His family moved to Eugene, Oregon, in 1944 due to his severe asthma. He studied music at the University of Oregon, graduating in 1951. He served in the U.S. Air Force during the Korean War. After his discharge in 1954, he studied law at the University of Oregon, earning his degree in 1957. He met Barbara Lee while in law school, and they married in 1957; Peterson later adopted her two children, and the couple had another two children. He then joined the Portland, Oregon, law firm Tooze, Kerr, Peterson, Marshall & Shenker. Peterson divorced in the late 1960s, and in 1971, he remarried to Anna M. Perrault, nee Chadwick, who had joined the law firm as a receptionist in 1968. In 1979, Governor Vic Atiyeh appointed Peterson to the Oregon Supreme Court. In 1981, he was elected chief justice, a position he held until 1991. During his time on the Oregon Supreme Court, he focused on improving the efficiency of courts and combating racial and ethnic biases in the courts. For his work, he was awarded the American Judicature Society's Herbert Harley Award in 1992. Peterson resigned from the court at the end of 1993. He later became a Distinguished Jurist in Residence at Willamette University. Peterson died in 2023.
Sources: Oral history interview with Edwin J. Peterson, SR 11201, Oregon Historical Society Research Library; articles in the Oregonian, 1979-1994.
Forms part of the United States District Court of Oregon Oral History Project.
Oral history interview with Edwin J. Peterson, by Jeffrey C. Dobbins, SR 11201, Oregon Historical Society Research Library.
Justice Edwin Peterson papers, Coll 766, Oregon Historical Society Research Library.
This oral history interview with Edwin J. Peterson was conducted by Jeffrey C. Dobbins in Salem, Oregon, from August 21 to December 11, 2007, as part of the United States District Court of Oregon Oral History Project. The interview was conducted in thirteen sessions. Throughout the interview, Peterson refers to photographs and letters. Copies of some, but not all, of these items are included in the related U.S. District Court of Oregon Historical Society collection, Coll 560.
In this interview, Peterson discusses his family background in Gilmanton, Wisconsin, including his memories of rural life during World War II, and moving to Oregon in 1944. He talks about studying music at the University of Oregon, describes his service as a personnel officer in the U.S. Air Force during the Korean War, and discusses attending the University of Oregon Law School. He speaks at length about practicing of law with the Tooze, Kerr, Peterson, Marshall & Shenker firm in Portland. He discusses serving on the Oregon Supreme Court from 1979 to 1993, and about serving as chief justice from 1983 to 1991. He reads entries from his journals detailing this part of his career. He closes the interview by talking about his activities since retiring in 1993.
Exhibits mentioned in the interview were separated to the U.S. District Court of Oregon Historical Society collection, Coll 560, Oregon Historical Society Research Library.
Joint copyright for this interview is held by the Oregon Historical Society and the U.S. District Court of Oregon Historical Society. Use is allowed according to the following statement: In Copyright – Educational Use Permitted:
Tape 1, Side 1, through Tape 2, Side 1. In the first interview session, conducted on August 21, 2007, Peterson discusses his family background in Gilmanton, Wisconsin, including the local creamery managed by his father; his childhood activities; and his early education. He also talks about his memories of rural life during World War II.
In the second interview session, conducted on August 28, 2007, Peterson continues to discuss his early life in Gilmanton, and his memories of life during World War II. He then discusses having asthma and moving to Oregon in 1944 in an effort to improve his health. He looks at photographs of his home and family in Gilmanton and discusses them.
In the third interview session, conducted on September 4, 2007, Peterson discusses his high school experience in Eugene, Oregon. He talks about studying music at the University of Oregon, including his social life and his summer activities.
In the fourth interview session, conducted on September 11, 2007, Peterson continues to discuss his college experiences at the University of Oregon, including his involvement with the Young Republicans. He describes his service as a personnel officer in the U.S. Air Force during the Korean War, particularly his experience in administration. He shares his memories of the Cold War.
In the fifth interview session, conducted on September 18, 2007, Peterson discusses attending the University of Oregon Law School. He talks about the dean, Orlando Hollis; his social life; and his summer jobs. He talks about relocating to Portland to practice law at Tooze, Kerr, Peterson, Marshall & Shenker.
Tape 11, Side 1, through Tape 12, Side 1. In the sixth interview session, conducted on September 25, 2007, Peterson discusses practicing law in Portland. He speaks at length about cases he tried, about fellow lawyers, and about judges he argued before. He particularly focuses on trial preparation and procedures.
Tape 13, Side 1, to partway through Tape 14, Side 2. In the seventh interview session, conducted on October 9, 2007, Peterson speaks further about University of Oregon Law School Dean Orlando Hollis, then continues to discuss practicing law in Portland. He also talks about his involvement with the Oregon State Bar, and his friendship with Clay Myers.
Partway through Tape 14, Side 2, through Tape 15, Side 2. In the eighth interview session, conducted on October 16, 2007, Peterson continues to discuss practicing law in Portland. He reflects on his career as a lawyer, talks about cases he worked on, and discusses settling out of court. He shares an anecdote about his appointment to the Oregon Supreme Court in 1979.
Tape 16, Side 1, to partway through Tape 17, Side 1. In the ninth interview session, conducted on October 23, 2007, Peterson discusses the procedures of the Multnomah County Circuit Court and the Oregon Court of Appeals, and talks about judges who served on those courts. He also shows the interviewer, Jeffrey Dobbins, his collection of photographs and speaks about them at length.
Partway through Tape 17, Side 1, through Tape 18, Side 2. In the tenth interview session, conducted on October 30, 2007, Peterson continues to discuss his photograph collection. He then speaks about his service as a justice on the Oregon Supreme Court from 1979 to 1993. He describes his fellow justices on the court. He discusses the procedures of the Supreme Court, cases he heard, and his re-election in 1980.
Tape 19, Side 1, to partway through Tape 20, Side 2. In the eleventh interview session, conducted on November 6, 2007, Peterson continues to discuss his service as a justice on the Oregon Supreme Court from 1979 to 1993. He talks about serving as chief justice from 1983 to 1991, including implementing an integrated court system, the court's budget, and the court's staff. He reads entries from his journals detailing this part of his career.
Partway through Tape 20, Side 2, to partway through Tape 22, Side 1. In the twelfth interview session, conducted on November 13, 2007, Peterson continues to discuss his service as a justice on the Oregon Supreme Court from 1979 to 1993, and serving as chief justice from 1983 to 1991. He talks about implementing the uniform trial court rules. He also discusses the changes in technology, rules of professionalism, and diversity training. He reads additional entries from his journals detailing this part of his career.
Partway through Tape 22, Side 1, through Tape 24, Side 1. In the thirteenth and final interview session, conducted on December 11, 2007, Peterson closes the interview by talking about his activities since retiring in 1993, including teaching at the Willamette University Law School and working as a mediator.