Oral history interview with Reverend John T. Conner

Collection

Identifier: SR 9204

Staff Only

Scope and Contents

This oral history interview with Reverend John T. Conner was conducted by E. Paul Hovey in Portland, Oregon, on January 24, 1980. In this interview, Conner discusses his family background and early life on a farm in Iowa. He talks about his reasons for entering the Presbyterian clergy and about his education at McCormick Seminary. He shares his experiences serving as a pastor and starting a family in Detroit, Michigan, then serving as a minister in New Mexico. He then talks about moving to Oregon and serving as a campus minister at Westminster House at Oregon State University. He speaks at length about his experience as moderator of the General Assembly of the United Presbyterian Church, and also discusses his work relating to world hunger and world peace. He also talks about his recent heart surgery. He closes the interview by sharing his thoughts about the future of the United Presbyterian Church.

Dates

1980 January 24

Creator

Conner, John T., 1927- (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

Reverend John Thomas Conner was born in Carroll, Iowa, in 1927. In 1950, he graduated from the University of Iowa, and in 1953, he graduated from McCormick Seminary. In 1951, he and Kathryn Huber were married; they later had three children. He served as a pastor at a Presbyterian church in Detroit, Michigan. In 1957, the family moved to New Mexico. In the 1960s, they moved to Oregon, and Conner served as the campus minister at Westminster House at Oregon State University. He was elected moderator of the General Assembly of the United Presbyterian Church in 1977. He died in 1983.

Extent

0.1 Cubic Feet (1 audiocassette (42 min., 38 sec.))

Language of Materials

English

Additional Description

Abstract

Oral history interview with Reverend John T. Conner conducted by E. Paul Hovey on January 24, 1980. Conner was campus minister for Westminster House at Oregon State University and served as moderator for the General Assembly of the United Presbyterian Church in 1977.

Immediate Source of Acquisition

Gift of E. Paul Hovey, June 1981 (Lib. Acc. 28442).

Existence and Location of Copies

Audio available online in OHS Digital Collections.

General

A handwritten index (1 page) and summary (2 pages) are available for in-person use at the Oregon Historical Society Research Library.

Processing Information

This interview shares an audiocassette with an additional oral history interview also conducted by E. Paul Hovey. That interview, with Reverend Paul Wright, was cataloged separately as SR 9205.