Oral history interview with Scott Teitsworth

Collection

Identifier: SR 11333

Staff Only

Scope and Contents

This oral history interview with Scott Teitsworth was conducted by Jim Strassmaier from November 9, 2018, to January 3, 2019. The interview was conducted as part of the Oregon Labor Oral History Program, which collects oral histories of individuals who have advocated for working people of Oregon, and part of a series of interviews with firefighters. The interview was conducted in four sessions.

In this interview, Teitsworth speaks at length about his family background, and talks about his early life in New Jersey; talks about his experiences with LSD and other drugs; and discusses his marriage to Deborah Buchanan. He speaks about his association with Guru Nitya Chaitanya Yati and speaks at length about his Hinduism and about the teachings of the Bhagavad Gita. He then speaks about his career as a firefighter with the Portland Fire Bureau and with Tualatin Valley Fire and Rescue. He speaks at length about his work on his books about the Bhagavad Gita.

Dates

2018 November 9-2019 January 3

Creator

Teitsworth, Scott (Interviewee, Person)

Conditions Governing Access

Collection is open for research.

Conditions Governing Use

Copyright for this interview is held by the Oregon Historical Society. Use is allowed according to the following statement: Creative Commons - BY-NC-SA, http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/

Biographical note

Richard Scott Teitsworth was born in Beaumont, Texas, in 1951. A few years later, his family relocated to New Jersey. He went to New Canaan High School, graduating in 1969. He attended Stanford University for one quarter in 1970. He joined the Portland Fire Bureau in 1972, and then the Tualatin Valley Fire and Rescue in 1974, retiring in 1998. In 1977, he and Deborah Buchanan were married; they later had two children.

He authored the books "The Path to the Guru: The Science of Self-Realization According to the Bhagavad Gita" and "Krishna in the Sky with Diamonds: The Bhagavad Gita as Psychedelic Guide." He also edited the following works of Guru Nitya Chaitanya Yati: "That Alone: The Core of Wisdom, A Commentary on the One Hundred Verses of Self-Instruction of Narayana Guru" and "Love and Blessings: The Autobiography of Guru Nitya Chaitanya Yati."

Extent

0.1 Cubic Feet (8 audiocassettes (6 hr., 55 min., 1 sec.))

Language of Materials

English

Additional Description

Abstract

Oral history interview with Scott Teitsworth conducted by Jim Strassmaier from November 9, 2018, to Janaury 3, 2019, as part of the Oregon Labor Oral History Project. Teitsworth discusses his career as a firefighter and his work as an author.