Oral history interview with Randall B. Kester

Collection

Identifier: SR 11093

Staff Only

Scope and Contents

This oral history interview with Randall B. Kester was conducted by Donna L. Sinclair from February 21 to May 11, 2005, at Kester’s office in Portland, Oregon, as part of the United States District Court Oral History Project. The interview was conducted in three sessions and a transcript is available. Part of Session 3 was recorded on both audiocassette and videocassette.

In this interview, Kester discusses his family background and his career as a lawyer and justice on the Oregon Supreme Court, with a focus on cases regarding constitutional law, particularly Yasui v. United States, and his work as general solicitor of the Union Pacific Railroad.

Dates

2005 February 21-May 11

Creator

Kester, Randall B., 1916-2012 (Interviewee, Person)

Conditions Governing Access

Collection is open for research.

Conditions Governing Use

Joint copyright for this oral history interview is held by the Oregon Historical Society and the U.S. District Court of Oregon Historical Society. Use is allowed according to the following statement: In Copyright, Educational Use Permitted http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC-EDU/1.0/

Biographical note

Randall B. Kester was born in Vale, Oregon, in 1916. He grew up in Bloomington, Wisconsin, and in Ontario, Oregon. He attended Willamette University, graduating in 1937. He then attended the Columbia University Law School in New York, earning his law degree in 1940. He then returned to Oregon and practiced law at the Maguire, Shields & Morrison law firm in Portland. In October 1940, he and Rachael Woodhouse were married. He served on numerous bar committees, and became president of the Multnomah Bar Association. He participated as an amicus curiae in the case of Yasui v. United States during World War II. He served on the Oregon Supreme Court from 1957 to 1958, and became general solicitor for the Union Pacific Railroad in 1958. In 1979, he resumed partnership with Maguire, Shields, Morrison, Bailey & Kester, and became senior counsel for Union Pacific. He was active in numerous civic organizations, including the City Club of Portland, United Good Neighbors, the Oregon Symphony, the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry, the Portland Zoological Society, the World Forestry Center, and the Board of Trustees for Willamette University. He received many awards for service in the legal profession. He died in 2012.

Extent

0.1 Cubic Feet (6 audiocassettes (4 hr., 56 min., 28 sec.) and 1 videocassette (Mini-DV, 1 hr., 2 min., 39 sec.) + transcript (73 pages))

Language of Materials

English

Additional Description

Abstract

Oral history interview with Randall B. Kester conducted by Donna L. Sinclair from February 21 to May 11, 2005, as part of the United States District Court Oral History Project. Kester was a lawyer and served on the Oregon Supreme Court from 1957 to 1958.