Oral history interview with Abbot L. Mills, Jr.

Collection

Identifier: SR 9566

Staff Only

Scope and Contents

This oral history interview with Abbot L. Mills, Jr., was conducted by Charles Digregorio at the Oregon Historical Society in Portland, Oregon, on July 15, 1977, as part of the oral history program at the society’s research library.

In this interview, Mills discusses his family background and speaks at length about the life and banking career of his father, Abbot Low Mills, who later became the president of the First National Bank of Portland. He discusses his early life in the Couch Addition area of Portland, which is now part of the Nob Hill neighborhood, and talks about families who lived in the neighborhood. He also talks about the Ainsworth family background of his wife, Katherine Mills. He describes how he came to work at the First National Bank of Portland in 1922, and talks about his career in banking there and at the United States National Bank of Portland.

Dates

1977 July 15

Creator

Mills, Abbot Low, 1898-1986 (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 the estate of Abbot L. Mills, Jr. Use is allowed according to the following statement: In Copyright – Non-Commercial Use Permitted, https://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC-NC/1.0/

Biographical note

Abbot Low Mills, Jr., was born in Portland, Oregon, in 1898. In 1921, he earned a bachelor’s degree from Harvard University. The next year, he began working as a messenger for the First National Bank of Portland, where his father was president. In 1924, he and Katherine Ainsworth were married; they later had four children. In 1933, he became assistant president, and later vice president, of the United States National Bank of Portland, which later became U.S. National Bank of Oregon. In 1952, President Harry S. Truman appointed him to the board of governors of the Federal Reserve System. He served on the board until 1968, then returned to Oregon. He died in 1986.

Sources: Vital records on Ancestry.com.

Extent

0.1 Cubic Feet (1 audiocassette (1 hr., 4 min., 46 sec.))

Language of Materials

English

Additional Description

Abstract

Oral history interview with Abbot L. Mills, Jr., conducted by Charles Digregorio on July 15, 1977. Mills discusses his banking career and that of his father, Abbot Low Mills.