Oral history interview with Mervyn Stephenson

Collection

Identifier: SR 9674

Staff Only

Oral history interview with Mervyn Stephenson

Go to file

Scope and Contents

This oral history interview with Mervyn Stephenson was conducted by Linda S. Dodds at Stephenson’s home in Salem, Oregon, on July 7, 1982, as part of the Oregon Historical Society Research Library’s oral history program. At the time of the interview, Dodds’ name was Linda S. Brody. Stephenson’s wife, Marie Eva Stephenson, was also present.

In this interview, Stephenson discusses his family background and early life in Condon, Oregon. He speaks at length about building roads and bridges while working for the Oregon State Highway Department from 1919 to 1957. He talks about working on the Columbia River Scenic Highway and on covered bridges. He discusses funding sources for road and bridge construction, and talks about acquiring land near freeways for state parks. He shares his experiences working with his cousin Linus Pauling in a shipyard in Tillamook during World War I. He closes the interview by talking about how the Depression affected the work of the highway department.

Dates

Creation: 1982 July 7

Creator

Stephenson, Mervyn (Philip Mervyn), 1898-1983 (Interviewee, Person)
Dodds, Linda S. (Interviewer, 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, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/

Biographical note

Philip Mervyn Stephenson was born in Condon, Oregon, in 1898. In 1919, he earned a bachelor’s degree from the Oregon Agricultural College, now Oregon State University. That same year, Stephenson began working as a civil engineer for the Oregon State Highway Department. His career at the department was briefly interrupted during World War II, when he was recruited to serve on a committee tasked with planning a possible invasion of Japan. After the war, he worked for the U.S. Army to build and repair roads and bridges in the Philippines, then returned to the highway department, where he worked until 1957. After his retirement, he was appointed to the State Parks and Recreation Advisory Committee. He served on that committee for 12 years.

Stephenson married Marie Eva Prevost in 1927. He died in 1983.

Sources: Vital records on Ancestry.com; blog post on Mervyn Stephenson by the Oregon State University Special Collections & Archives Research Center, https://paulingblog.wordpress.com/2014/12/09/mervyn-stephenson-builder-of-bridges/; information provided by Stephenson in his interview.

Extent

0.1 Cubic Feet (2 audiocassettes (59 min., 37 sec.))

Language of Materials

English

Additional Description

Abstract

Oral history interview with Mervyn Stephenson conducted by Linda S. Dodds on July 7, 1982. Stephenson discusses building roads and bridges while working for the Oregon State Highway Department from 1919 to 1957.