Oral history interview with Maggie St. James

Collection

Identifier: SR4500

Staff Only

Scope and Contents

This oral history interview with Maggie St. James was conducted by Jann Mitchell on June 26, 1985. In this interview, St. James discusses her mother, Dr. Ruth Barnett, and her mother's work as an abortion provider in Portland in the early 20th century. She describes Barnett’s skill as a doctor, her personality, and how she and her mother were treated by society and the press. She talks about Barnett’s multiple arrests, and about Barnett's relationship with Portland government and police. St. James also discusses the rise of anti-choice rhetoric at the time of the interview in 1985. She talks about her relationship with her mother, her marriages and divorces, and her experience as an abortion patient. She also discusses her life after her mother’s death. She closes the interview by speaking more about Barnett’s work as an abortion provider; talking about her children; and revisiting the topic of the rise of anti-choice rhetoric at the time of the interview in 1985.

Dates

1985 June 26

Creator

St. James, Margaret L., 1915-2009 (Interviewee, 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, http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/.

Biographical note

Margaret L. St. James, nee Cohen, was born in Seattle, Washington, in 1915. She was the daughter of Dr. Ruth Barnett, an abortion provider in Portland, Oregon. She was married ten times, and had four children, adopted two, and fostered one. She died in 2009.

Extent

.1 Cubic Feet (1 audiocassette (1 hr., 2 min., 54 sec.))

Language of Materials

English

Additional Description

Abstract

Oral history interview with Maggie St. James conducted by Jann Mitchell on June 26, 1985. St. James was the daughter of Ruth Barnett, an abortion provider in Portland, Oregon.