This oral history interview with John P. Bledsoe was conducted by Donna Delo at Bledsoe’s office in Portland, Oregon, from January 13 to March 10, 1989, as part of the United States District Court Oral History Project. The interview was conducted in five sessions.

In this interview, Bledsoe discusses his family background and early life in Pocahontas, Arkansas, including a description of a childhood game he played called “Jumper Down”; the legal and judicial career of his father, John Louis Bledsoe; and his early education and social life. He also talks about his experience during the Depression. He then discusses his college life at the University of Arkansas and at Harvard Law School. He also discusses his Navy service during World War II, which interrupted his law studies. He briefly talks about his marriage to Helen Wieman and about their five children. He then describes his law career in Portland at the offices of Spears, Lubersky, Campbell & Bledsoe. He discusses his clients and cases he tried, including corporate cases involving the Oregon Journal and the Pacific Gas Transmission Company. He also talks about a trip he took to Iran with a client in the 1970s. He briefly describes each of the lawyers he worked with at his firm, as well as some of the judges he argued before. He also talks about his hobbies and involvement with social organizations, including the Arlington Club. He closes the interview by talking about the changes he’s seen in society over the 20th century, his heroes, and advice for aspiring lawyers.