This oral history interview with Leslie E. Poole was conducted by Curtis Johnson on October 31, 1980, at Poole’s home in Portland, Oregon. The interview was conducted as part of the Drive-in Restaurants of Portland Oral History Project, a series of interviews that Johnson conducted about the history of Portland drive-ins, with a particular emphasis on Tik-Tok and Yaw's Top Notch.

In this interview, Poole discusses his early life in Oregon and his experience in the U.S. Navy during World War I. He talks about his early career as a structural engineer for various construction companies in the Pacific Northwest. He discusses why he liked engineering and talks about working with different construction materials, including concrete and steel. He speaks about working with Fred Meyer Inc., and describes the techniques he used in designing buildings for the company. He then speaks at length about his design for Bart’s Drive-in in Portland. He talks about his design process and closes the interview by sharing his experience getting his engineering license.