Oral history interview with Caroline P. Stoel
Scope and Contents
This oral history interview with Caroline P. Stoel was conducted by Adair Law from October 30 to December 5, 2006. Along with the interview recordings, the collection includes an incomplete transcript.
In this interview, Stoel discusses her family background and early life in Lexington, North Carolina, including her early education and childhood friends. She talks about attending Duke University, including her social life. She then talks about her experience as one the few women attending the Duke University Law School. She also discusses meeting Thomas B. Stoel and their subsequent marriage. She describes the sexism she faced when trying to begin her legal career in Portland, Oregon. She talks about working and raising young children while Thomas Stoel was serving in the U.S. Navy during World War II. She discusses her involvement in her children’s education in the Riverdale School District; her acquaintanceship with Richard Nixon; and her decision to return to college. She closes the interview by talking about her children, their careers, and their families.
Dates
- 2006 October 30-December 5
Creator
- Stoel, Caroline P. (Interviewee, Person)
Conditions Governing Access
Collection is open for research.
Conditions Governing Use
Copyright for this interview is held by the estate of Caroline P. Stoel. In Copyright: http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/
Biographical note
Caroline Mary Stoel, nee Phillips, was born in Lexington, North Carolina, in 1914. She graduated fourth in her class at Duke University Law School. While at Duke law, she met fellow student Thomas B. Stoel, and they married in 1938; they later had four children. The couple settled in Portland, Oregon, and Caroline Stoel passed the Oregon bar in 1938. She was the only woman to do so that year. Due to discrimination, she was unable to practice law. She instead worked as a secretary for the Unitarian Church for many years. She later earned a master’s degree in history at Portland State University. She was a published author and was active with the League of Women Voters of Portland, Planned Parenthood of the Columbia-Willamette, the Columbia River Gorge Trust, the Oregon Historical Society, and the PSU Foundation. She was the first woman to be president of the World Affairs Council. She was also chair of the Nature Conservancy's Oregon chapter and the Oregon Council for the Humanities, and a founding board member of the U.S. District Court of Oregon Historical Society and Portland Center Stage. She died in 2007.
Extent
.1 Cubic Feet (3 audiocassettes (2 hr., 41 min., 19 sec.) + transcript (68 pages))
Language of Materials
English
Abstract
Oral history interview with Caroline P. Stoel conducted by Adair Law from October 30 to December 5, 2006, as part of the United States District Court Oral History Project. Stoel was a founding board member of the U.S. District Court of Oregon Historical Society.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Gift of the U.S. District Court of Oregon Historical Society, July 2018 (Lib. Acc. 29310).
Existence and Location of Copies
A digitized version of the audio is available for in-person use at the Oregon Historical Society Research Library.
General
Forms part of the United States District Court Oral History Project.
Creator
- Stoel, Caroline P. (Interviewee, Person)
- Law, Adair (Interviewer, Person)
- Title
- Guide to oral history interview with Caroline P. Stoel
- Status
- Completed
- Author
- Sarah Stroman
- Date
- 2020
- 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