Photographs of Richard H. Jones, circa 1988

This oral history interview with Richard H. Jones was conducted by Jim Strassmaier in three sessions from December 11, 1987, to January 13, 1988, in the Pioneer Courthouse in Portland, Oregon, as part of the Senator Mark O. Hatfield Oral History Project. The collection includes two copies of a black and white photograph of Jones taken at the time of the interview.

In this interview, Jones discusses his family background and early life in Colorado, including his early education. He then talks about teaching history at Reed College in Portland, Oregon, and becoming acquainted with Mark Hatfield and Gerry Frank. He discusses his involvement in Hatfield’s 1958 campaign for Oregon governor, and describes Hatfield’s accomplishments as governor, including on education. He discusses Hatfield’s relationship with the state Legislature, and talks about the attempt to revise the Oregon constitution in the early 1960s. He discusses Hatfield’s involvement with national Republican politics in the 1960s, particularly his involvement in the Goldwater and Nixon presidential campaigns. He also talks about Hatfield’s opposition to the Vietnam War, and how his own views aligned with Hatfield’s. He speaks extensively about his involvement with Hatfield’s senatorial campaigns, and closes the interview by discussing Hatfield’s support for the National Rifle Association.