Oral history interview with Chuck and Betty Foster

Collection

Identifier: SR 9106

Staff Only

Scope and Contents

This oral history interview with Chuck Foster and Betty Foster was conducted by Kathleen D. Walsh in Portland, Oregon, on March 6, 1982, as part of the Oregon Historical Society Research Library’s oral history program.

In this interview, the Fosters discuss their early lives and how they met at Washington State University, and talk about their activities during World War II. Chuck Foster discusses his early career as a radio journalist for KIT in Yakima, Washington, and talks about the difference between radio and television reporting. Betty Foster describes the process of producing photographs and film for local news television. The Fosters discuss the news television shows that they created, produced, and broadcasted in Portland in the 1950s, first on a local UHF television station and then on KOIN-TV. Betty Foster shares her experiences as one of the only women in television broadcasting from 1953 to 1959, and talks about her career as a teacher at Grant High School in Portland. The Fosters talk about how broadcasting changed during their TV careers, about some of the news stories they covered, and about some of the people they met during their careers.

Dates

1982 March 6

Creator

Foster, Chuck (Charles Neal), 1920-2005 (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

Charles “Chuck” Neal Foster was born in Yakima, Washington, in 1920. Betty Nell Foster, nee Secrest, was born in Columbus, Ohio, in 1918. Both studied performing arts at Washington State University, and they married in 1940. The Fosters were both longtime radio and television newscasters. Chuck Foster was a radio broadcaster for KGW, and a television broadcaster for KOIN TV. Betty Foster was a reporter, photographer, and filmographer for KOIN TV from 1953 to 1959, and she later taught drama at Grant High School in Portland, Oregon. Chuck Foster died in 2005 and Betty Foster died in 2010.

Extent

0.1 Cubic Feet (1 audiocassette (56 min., 28 sec.))

Language of Materials

English

Additional Description

Abstract

Oral history interview with Chuck Foster and Betty Foster conducted by Kathleen D. Walsh on March 6, 1982. The Fosters were long-time television and radio news broadcasters in Portland, Oregon.

Existence and Location of Copies

Audio available online in OHS Digital Collections.

Related Materials

The Charles Neal Foster collection, an unprocessed collection including television news scripts and photographs, is designated Accession 25891, Oregon Historical Society Research Library.