Oral history interview with Gerry Pratt

Collection

Identifier: SR9

Staff Only

Scope and Contents

This oral history interview with Gerry Pratt was conducted by Charles Digregorio at the offices of the Fred Meyer Savings and Loan Association in Portland, Oregon, on January 29, 1979.

In this interview, Pratt tells stories about his family background and early life in Vancouver, Canada, including his education and his summer jobs. He talks about beginning his career in journalism at the Canadian Press, the Vancouver Sun, and the Toronto Telegram. He then discusses his career in journalism at the Oregonian newspaper and working as business editor. He speaks at length about his friendship with Fred G. Meyer. He describes his work as the president of Fred Meyer Savings and Loan, and the ways in which the banking field is changing. He also discusses his career as a television journalist. He closes the interview by talking about his plans for the future.

Dates

Creation: 1979 January 29

Creator

Pratt, Gerry (Interviewee, Person)
Digregorio, Charles (Interviewer, 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 Barbara Pratt Blackhurst. Use is allowed according to the following statement: In Copyright, http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/.

Biographical note

Gerry Pratt was born in Vancouver, Canada, in 1927. He began his career in journalism at the Canadian Press, the Vancouver Sun, and the Toronto Telegram. In 1950, he and Barbara June Holstead were married; they later had three children. In 1954, he became a U.S. citizen, and the next year he began working for the Oregonian newspaper in Portland as a waterboy, eventually becoming the business editor. He was a writer for several newspapers around Portland, and was a contributor to the public radio program All Things Considered as well as multiple TV programs. He served as president of the Fred Meyer Savings and Loan Association, and sat on the board of several organizations, including the Meyer Memorial Trust. He died in 2016.

Extent

.1 Cubic Feet (1 audiocassette (1 hr., 35 sec.) + transcript (33 pages))

Language of Materials

English

Additional Description

Abstract

Oral history interview with Gerry Pratt conducted by Charles Digregorio on January 29, 1979. Pratt was a journalist for the Oregonian newspaper in Portland and president of the Fred Meyer Savings and Loan Association.