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Oral history interview with Charles E. Wright

 Collection
Identifier: SR1237

Scope and Contents

This oral history interview with Charles E. Wright was conducted by Karen J. Park in the offices of Bullivant, Houser, and Bailey in Portland, Oregon, from April 29 to July 1, 1993. In this interview, Wright discusses his family background and early life in Portland, including his education, memories of World War I, social life, and working at First National Bank. He then discusses attending Yale, including his part-time jobs, his favorite subjects, and social life during Prohibition. He goes on to talk about attending Yale Law School. He describes some of his professors, including William O. Douglas, as well as some of his classmates. He talks about returning to Portland in 1933 and practicing law at Platt, Platt, Fales, Smith & Black, then later with the Bullivant firm in 1943. He describes the lawyers he worked with at the firms. He also talks about his marriage to Elisabeth Knowlton Strong and starting a family. He discusses working for the Securities and Exchange Commission in Seattle, Washington, from 1937 to 1943, including his frustration at the lenient sentences handed down for white-collar crimes. He also reflects on going to high school with Gus Solomon and on Solomon’s later judicial career; passing the Oregon bar; and his involvement with the Portland Art Association. He speaks at length about practicing law at the Bullivant firm in Portland, including his clients, the firm’s growth, and his interest in probate law. He also briefly talks about his feelings about the greater number of women practicing law since the women’s movement of the 1960s and 1970s. He closes the interview by talking about his children and grandchildren, and his plans for the future.

Dates

  • Creation: 1993 April 29-1993 July 1

Creator

Conditions Governing Access

Collection is open for research.

Conditions Governing Use

Joint copyright for this 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/vocab/InC-EDU/1.0/

Biographical note

Charles Edward Pares Wright was born in Portland, Oregon, in 1906. He graduated from Yale Law School in 1932 and passed the Oregon State Bar in 1933. He was a lawyer in Portland and worked in the regional office of the Federal Securities and Exchange Commission in Seattle, Washington, from 1937 to 1943. In 1937, he and Elisabeth Knowlton Strong were married; they later had three children. He later served on the board of the Portland Junior Symphony, was vice president of Catlin Hillside Schools, and was director of the Travelers Aid Society, the Portland Art Association and the Portland City Club. He died in 1999.

Extent

.1 Cubic Feet (5 audiocassettes (5 hr., 3 min., 51 sec.) + transcript (120 pages))

Language of Materials

English

Abstract

Oral history interview with Charles E. Wright conducted by Karen J. Park from April 29 to July 1, 1993, as part of the United States District Court Oral History Project. Wright was an attorney in Portland, Oregon.

Related Materials

Oral history interview with Charles E. Wright, by Elizabeth Buehler, SR 611, Oregon Historical Society Research Library.

General

Forms part of the United States District Court Oral History Project.

General

Handwritten index (2 pages) is available for in-person use at the Oregon Historical Society Research Library.

Title
Guide to oral history interview with Charles E. Wright
Status
Completed
Author
Sarah Stroman
Date
2020
Description rules
Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Language of description
Undetermined
Script of description
Code for undetermined script
Language of description note
Finding aid is written in English.
Sponsor
This project is supported in whole or part by the Institute of Museum and Library Services through the Library Services and Technology Act, administered by the State Library of Oregon.

Repository Details

Part of the Oregon Historical Society Research Library Repository

Contact:
1200 SW Park Ave.
Portland OR 97205 United States
5033065204
5033065240