Fred A. Granata research papers, circa 1880-2010

The parish of St. Michael the Archangel Church began as Portland, Oregon's first Catholic house of worship in 1851. After changing location several times, a church was erected in 1894 at what would become SW Mill and 4th; this church still served the parish congregation in the early 21st century.

The St. Vincent de Paul Parish's Downtown Chapel was established in 1943, following two earlier attempts at running a Cathlolic parish in downtown Portland. It was located at 516 W Burnside Street until 1973, when US Bank purchased the property for its new headquarters; the chapel then moved to 601 W Burnside Street.

Following the surrender of Italy to the Allies in September 1943 and the subsequent reclassification of Italy from "enemy" to "cobelligerent," Italian prisoners of war interned in the United States were permitted to enlist in "Italian Service Units," wherein they would perform construction projects in the United States, and in return have greater privileges and freedom. One of these units, the 25th Italian Service Unit, was stationed at Vancouver Barracks in Vancouver, Washington.

James T. Brand (1886-1964) was an Oregon judge who served as Chief Justice of the Oregon Supreme Court from 1951 to 1953. More famously, though, he was one of the judges presiding over the "Judge's Trial," one of the twelve war crimes trials known as the "Subsequent Nuremberg Trials."

Japanese General Tomoyuki Yamashita (also written as Tomobumi Yamashita) was tried in late 1945 for war crimes committed in the Philippines. The defense claimed that Yamashita had not been aware of the atrocities, let alone condoned or ordered them. Yamashita was nevertheless found guilty and executed on February 26, 1946. The trial was notable for producing the controversial "Yamashita principle," whereby military commanders were to be held responsible for the actions of their troops, regardless of whether the commanders themselves were aware of said actions.

Robert M. Kerr was a Portland, Oregon, lawyer who served as a major during World War II, and acted as chief prosecutor in the Yamashita trial.