Harold S. Hirsch correspondence and memorabilia

Collection

Identifier: Coll838

Staff Only

Scope and Contents

The collection consists of correspondence, photographs, and ephemera relating to apparel businessman Harold S. Hirsch. The bulk of the materials relates to honors that Hirsch received in his later life. These honors include the "Harold Hirsch Day" celebration held at the Osborn & Ullman store at Lloyd Center in Portland, Oregon, on October 19, 1988; and Hirsch's induction into the U.S. Ski Hall of Fame in early 1990. Other items in the collection include biographical information about Hirsch; Hirsch's obituary; a postcard of the White Stag sign; and a framed portrait of Hirsch.

Dates

circa 1970-1990

Creator

Hirsch, Harold S., 1907-1990 (Person)

Conditions Governing Access

Collection is open for research.

Conditions Governing Use

The Oregon Historical Society owns the materials in the Research Library and makes available reproductions for research, publication, and other uses. The Society does not necessarily hold copyright to all materials in the collections. In some cases, permission for use may require seeking additional authorization from copyright owners.

Biographical Note

Harold S. Hirsch was born in Portland, Oregon, in September 1907. He studied anthropology at Dartmouth College and Oxford University, but the Great Depression forced him to work in the family tent business, Hirsch-Weis. Hirsch, who had skied while in college, began to make ski apparel using the name "White Stag," a literal translation of the name "Hirsch-Weis." The line became successful, and later branched out into other kinds of sportswear. Hirsch racially integrated his plants during World War II, and was active in efforts to hire people from underrepresented groups and combat prejudice in the workplace. Hirsch was a supporter of higher education, the Japanese Garden Society of Oregon, the Portland Youth Philharmonic, and the Nature Conservancy Foundation. Hirsch died in 1990.

Administrative History

Osborn and Ulland, Inc. was a retail firm based in Seattle, Washington. It had a store in the Lloyd Center in Portland, Oregon, and sold White Stag apparel beginning in the 1960s. The firm went out of business in 1995.

Extent

1.35 Cubic Feet (4 folders; 1 flat box (23x31.5))

Language of Materials

English

Additional Description

Abstract

Correspondence, photographs, and ephemera relating to honors that Harold S. Hirsch (1907-1990) received in his later life. Hirsch was a retail businessman and civic leader from Portland, Oregon, who founded the White Stag line of ski apparel.