This oral history interview with Helen Nickum was conducted by Gregory Karnes in seven sessions from January 25 to April 7, 2011. The interview was conducted for the Oregon Labor Oral History Program, which collects oral histories of individuals who have advocated for working people of Oregon, including public figures, union members, and workers. Accompanying the audio recording is a small quantity of documents that Nickum discusses in the interview.

In this interview, Nickum discusses her family background and early life in Portland, Oregon; talks about her experience studying secretarial sciences at the University of Oregon; and describes how she became secretary for Senator Richard Neuberger. She talks about moving to Washington, D.C., in 1954, and about her life there. She speaks extensively about running her secretarial business, Helen Nickum and Associates, Inc., and shares her reasons for closing the business and returning to Portland in 1971. She discusses her involvement in a class action lawsuit against U.S. Bank for sex discrimination, and speaks about her involvement in the women’s movement and feminist groups in Portland. She then speaks about her work as executive secretary for Amalgamated Transit Union Local 757. She talks about people she worked with, including Ron Heintzman and Susan Stoner, and shares her reasons for retiring in 2006. She then talks about her retirement activities, particularly her work transcribing oral history interviews for the Oregon Historical Society Research Library. She speaks extensively about people she met, vacations she took, and performances she saw over the course of her life.