Oral history interview with J. Carl Lenchitsky

Collection

Identifier: SR 9464

Staff Only

Scope and Contents

This oral history interview with J. Carl Lenchitsky was conducted by Linda S. Dodds at the Oregon Historical Society in Portland, Oregon, on July 19, 1982, as part of the oral history program at the society's research library. At the time of the interview, Dodds’ name was Linda S. Brody.

In this interview, Lenchitsky speaks at length about playing basketball and other sports at Oregon State University in the 1930s. He talks about playing in championships, about his teammates, and about his speech impediment. He then speaks about working for the Portland Police Bureau, describes how he worked to reduce arrests for petty crime, and talks about his role in creating the Portland Junior Safety Patrol. He also discusses working in the Portland shipyards during World War II. He then talks about his marriage to Margaret Joann Engel, about his work history after the war, and about the history of the Healy Heights neighborhood of Portland.

Dates

1982 July 19

Creator

Lenchitsky, J. Carl (Julius Carl), 1909-2002 (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

Julius Carl Lenchitsky was born in McKees Rocks, Pennsylvania, in 1909. From 1930 to 1934, he played basketball and other sports on an athletics scholarship at Oregon State University. In 1935, he began working for the Portland Police Bureau. In 1938, he and Margaret Joann Engel were married; they later had three children. During World War II, he worked in the Portland shipyards. After the war, he worked as a salesman for various businesses and also started several businesses. He died in 2002.

Sources: Information provided by Lenchitsky in his interview; vital records on Ancestry.com.

Extent

0.1 Cubic Feet (2 audiocassettes (1 hr., 4 min., 17 sec.))

Language of Materials

English

Additional Description

Abstract

Oral history interview with J. Carl Lenchitsky conducted by Linda S. Dodds on July 19, 1982. Lenchitsky discusses playing basketball and other sports at Oregon State University in the 1930s, and shares the history of the Healy Heights neighborhood of Portland, Oregon.