Oral history interview with Jim Towey
Scope and Contents
This oral history interview with Jim Towey was conducted by Jim Strassmaier on June 2, 1988. In this interview, Towey discusses his family background and early life in Jacksonville, Florida, including his Catholic upbringing. He talks about studying law at Florida State University, including working summer jobs and playing basketball. He then discusses his decision to forgo the practice of law and instead follow a spiritual calling to Washington, D.C. He describes how he came to be part of U.S. Senator Mark Hatfield’s staff in 1982; his duties as a legislative assistant and later legislative director; and some of the other members of the senator’s staff. Towey relates a few anecdotes regarding Hatfield’s personality and spirituality. Using abortion legislation as an example, he describes the way the staff would engage with Hatfield on specific legislation and how the senator made decisions. He also describes working on improving conditions for refugees and the abuses he witnessed, as well as his feelings on President Ronald Reagan's agenda in general. Towey speaks at length about a real estate scandal during Hatfield’s 1984 re-election campaign and how they dealt with it. He closes the interview by discussing Hatfield’s spiritual life.
Dates
- 1988 June 2
Creator
- Towey, Jim (Interviewee, Person)
Conditions Governing Access
Collection is open for research.
Conditions Governing Use
Joint copyright for this interview is held by the Oregon Historical Society and Willamette University. Use is allowed according to the following license: Creative Commons - BY-NC-SA: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/
Biographical note
Harry James "Jim" Towey II was born in Indiana in 1956. Within his first year of life, his family moved to Jacksonville, Florida. He attended Florida State University, earning his bachelor’s degree in 1978, and a law degree in 1981. He came to Washington, D.C., to take part in the founding of a religious educational institute, which never materialized. He briefly served as an aide to Florida Senator Lawton Chiles, but soon moved to Senator Mark Hatfield’s office. He was a legislative assistant for Hatfield from 1982 to 1984, then legislative director until 1988. In 1992, he and Mary Sarah Griffith were married; they later had five children. He also served as legal counsel to Mother Theresa from 1985 to 1997; was secretary for the Florida Department of Health and Rehabilitative Services from 1993 to 1995; led the non-profit organization Aging with Dignity from 1996 to 2002; was director of the White House Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives from 2002 to 2006; was president of St. Vincent College from 2006 to 2010; and was president and CEO of Ave Maria University from 2011 to 2020.
Extent
.1 Cubic Feet (4 audiocassettes (3 hr., 45 min., 38 sec.) + transcript (100 pages))
Language of Materials
English
Abstract
Oral history interview with Jim Towey conducted by Jim Strassmaier on June 2, 1988, as part of the Senator Mark O. Hatfield Oral History Project. Towey was an aide to Hatfield.
Existence and Location of Copies
General
Forms part of the Senator Mark O. Hatfield Oral History Project.
- Abortion -- Law and legislation -- United States
- Hatfield, Mark O., 1922-2011
- Oral Histories
- Oregon
- Political Campaigns
- Political Campaigns -- Oregon
- Refugees -- Government policy -- United States
- Towey, Jim
- United States -- Politics and government -- 20th century
- United States. Congress. Senate
- interviews
Creator
- Towey, Jim (Interviewee, Person)
- Strassmaier, James (Interviewer, Person)
- Title
- Guide to oral history interview with Jim Towey
- Status
- Completed
- Author
- Sarah Stroman
- Date
- 2020
- Description rules
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
- 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
1200 SW Park Ave.
Portland OR 97205 United States
5033065204
5033065240
libreference@ohs.org