Oral history interview with Owen Panner
Scope and Contents
This interview with Owen Panner was conducted by Michael O’Rourke in Portland, Oregon, on December 19, 2005. In the interview, Panner discusses mandatory sentencing and the effect of politics on the judiciary. He also talks about his plan to move to the District Court in Medford, Oregon. In addition, he discusses the structure and procedures of the District Court; technology in the courts; his involvement with the U.S. District Court Historical Society; and life on his Medford ranch.
Dates
- Creation: 2005 December 19
Creator
- Panner, Owen Murphy, 1924- (Interviewee, Person)
- O'Rourke, Michael (Filmmaker) (Interviewer, Person)
Conditions Governing Access
Collection is open for research.
Conditions Governing Use
Joint copyright is held by the Oregon Historical Society and the U.S. District Court of Oregon Historical Society. In Copyright – Educational Use Permitted: http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC-EDU/1.0/
Biographical note
Owen Murphy Panner was born in Chicago, Illinois, in 1924. He grew up in Oklahoma during the Depression. He attended the University of Oklahoma, but in 1943, before graduating, he joined the U.S. Army, serving until 1946. He met his first wife, Agnes Gilbert, while stationed in Los Angeles, California. After serving, he returned to the University of Oklahoma, where he graduated from its school of law in 1949. He moved to Bend, Oregon, where he practiced law from 1950 to 1980, was vice president of the Oregon State Bar from 1961 to 1963, and was on the Judicial Reform Commission of Oregon from 1971 to 1974. During his years as an attorney, he represented the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs. In 1979 he was appointed by President Jimmy Carter to the U.S. District Court in Portland, Oregon, where he served from 1980 to 2018. He was chief justice from 1984 to 1990, and took senior status in 1992. During his time on the court, he met his second wife, Nancy Hanson, while horse riding in Hillsboro. He died in 2018.
Extent
.1 Cubic Feet (1 videocassette (42 min., 59 sec.) + transcript (19 pages)) : Mini-DV
Language of Materials
English
Abstract
Oral history interview with Owen Panner conducted by Michael O'Rourke on December 19, 2005, as part of the United States District Court Oral History Project. Panner was a judge on the U.S. District Court of Oregon.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Gift of Donna Sinclair, Janaury 2008 (Lib. Acc. 26436).
Existence and Location of Copies
General
Forms part of the United States District Court Oral History Project.
Subject
- United States. District Court (Oregon) (Organization)
- United States District Court of Oregon Historical Society (Organization)
- Panner, Owen Murphy, 1924- (Person)
Genre / Form
Geographic
Topical
- Title
- Guide to oral history interview with Owen Panner
- Status
- Completed
- Author
- Sarah Stroman
- Date
- 2019
- 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
1200 SW Park Ave.
Portland OR 97205 United States
5033065204
5033065240
libreference@ohs.org