Oral history interview with Frances D. McGill

Collection

Identifier: SR 819

Staff Only

Scope and Contents

This oral history interview with Frances McGill was conducted by Marian W. Kolisch at McGill’s home in Portland, Oregon, from May 21 to October 31, 1991. The interview was part of a series conducted by Oregon photographer Marian W. Kolisch to accompany portraits of Oregon artists, businesspeople, and politicians. The sound quality for Tape 2, Side 1 is extremely poor. The interview was conducted in five sessions.

In this interview McGill discusses her family background and early life in Portland, her college experience at the University of Oregon, and working as a teacher in Clatskanie, near Beaverton, and in Portland. She speaks at length about working as a school counselor for Portland Public Schools, and later on military bases in Germany, Italy, and Greece through the Department of Defense Schools. She talks about her retirement in 1973 and traveling Europe for the next year. She discusses her involvement with the Portland Art Museum, the Northwest Pilot Project, and the Multnomah County Library. She talks about her association with the family of John Reed. She closes the interview by reflecting on her life’s favorite moments.

Dates

Creation: 1991 May 21-October 31

Creator

McGill, Frances D. (Frances Dwane), 1901-1999 (Interviewee, Person)
Kolisch, Marian W. (Interviewer, Person)

Conditions Governing Access

Collection is open for research.

Conditions Governing Use

Copyright for this interview is held by the estate of Frances D. McGill. Use is allowed according to the following statement: In Copyright, http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/.

Biographical note

Frances Dwane McGill was born in Portland, Oregon, in 1901. She studied history at the University of Oregon, but dropped out during her second year when her mother was diagnosed with cancer. She worked as a teacher in Clatskanie and near Beaverton, Oregon, before returning to the University of Oregon, where she graduated in 1925. After her graduation, she returned to teaching at Portland Public Schools. She attended Columbia University, then worked as a counselor for Portland Public Schools until her retirement in 1966. She then worked as a school counselor for the Department of Defense Schools on U.S. military bases in Germany, Italy, and Greece until 1973. When she returned to Portland in 1975, she became involved with the Portland Art Museum, the Northwest Pilot Project, and the Multnomah County Library. She died in 1999.

Extent

0.1 Cubic Feet (5 audiocassettes (5 hr., 44 min., 29 sec.))

Language of Materials

English

Additional Description

Abstract

Oral history interview with Frances D. McGill conducted by Marian W. Kolisch from May 21 to October 31, 1991. McGill was a teacher in Portland, Oregon, from 1925 to 1944, a school counselor for Portland Public Schools from 1944 to 1966, and a school counselor for the Department of Defense on military bases in Europe from 1966 to 1973.