This oral history interview with Riki P. Sheehan was conducted by Michael O’Rourke from June 2-11, 1988, as part of the Senator Mark O. Hatfield Oral History Series. The interview was conducted in three sessions; collection includes a transcript.

In this interview, Sheehan discusses her work on the staff of U.S. Senator Mark Hatfield from 1974 to the time of the interview. She talks about issues on which she disagreed with Hatfield, including on U.S.-Israeli relations and abortion; describes her duties as a legislative assistant; and discusses Hatfield’s personality and spirituality. She talks about cases she worked on when she first joined Hatfield’s staff, speaks at length about Hatfield’s chairmanship of the Senate Appropriations Committee and her work on that committee’s staff, and discusses a real estate scandal that affected Hatfield in 1984.