ORAL HISTORY PROJECT
STORIES WORTH REMEMBERING
Capitol history as told by the remarkable Oregonians who helped shape our state.
Adopted in 2002, the Capitol Foundation’s oral history project allows influential Oregonians to share their perspectives about their contributions to state government and the people who helped them along the way. Preserving these stories — our shared history — is important.
The Capitol Foundation has collected dozens of histories so far, most produced by historian Janice Dilg of History Built. We invite you to get to know these prominent Oregonians by watching their interviews.
You help create a living history of our Capitol and its history when you support the Capitol Foundation. Thanks to you, generations into the future will learn about Oregon’s most important stories in the voices of the people who made it happen.
Oregon Governors
GOV. VIC ATIYEH
GOV. BARBARA ROBERTS
Statewide and Other Elected Officials
CHIEF JUSTICE WALLACE P. CARSON
SEC. BEV CLARNO
SUPERINTENDENT VERNE DUNCAN
MAYOR VERA KATZ
TREASURER TONY MEEKER
SEC. CLAY MYERS
ATTORNEY GENERAL HARDY MYERS
U.S. SEN. BOB PACKWOOD
JUSTICE BETTY ROBERTS
TREASURER BILL RUTHERFORD
Oregon State Legislators
SENATORS
PRES. JOHN BURNS
SEN. JANE CEASE
SEN. RON CEASE
SEN. JOYCE COHEN
PRES. GENE DERFLER
SEN. TED HALLOCK
SEN. LENN HANNON
SEN. KEN JERNSTEDT
SEN. STEPHEN KAFOURY
SEN. HECTOR MACPHERSON
SEN. MONROE SWEETLAND
SEN. CLIFF TROW
SEN. JACKIE WINTERS
REPRESENTATIVES
REP. PAUL HANNEMAN
REP. WINTON HUNT
REP. DENNY JONES
SPEAKER PHIL LANG
SPEAKER ROGER MARTIN
SPEAKER KAREN MINNIS
REP. NANCIE PEACOCKE FADELEY
REP. JOHN SELL
REP. NORM SMITH
REP. LOREN LASELLS STEWART
REP. TONY VAN VLIET
REP. GARY WILHELMS
Other Influential Oregonians
DAVE BARROWS
KATHLEEN BEAUFAIT
CHUCK BEGGS
SCOTT BURGESS
MARIBEL CADMUS
CAPITOL VOLUNTEERS
GERRY FRANK
MARY BETH HERKERT
TED HUGHES
KEN HUNT
JACK LANSING
GERRY LEWIN
ELLEN LOWE
JEFF MAPES
PAT MCCORMICK
JANET MCLENNAN
RICHARD MUNN
HENK PANDER
DAN SIMMONS
GERRY THOMPSON
FRED VANNATTA
ELISABETH WALTON POTTER
LEARN MORE CAPITOL HISTORY
OTHER INTERVIEWS OF OREGONIANS WITH CAPITOL CONNECTIONS
Other organizations are preserving our shared history by interviewing influential leaders with Capitol connections. Click the images below to learn about these inspirational Oregonians.
SEN. MARGARET CARTER
Interview by Oregon State University
REP. GEORGE EIGHMEY
Audio-only interview by Gay and Lesbian Archives of the Pacific Northwest
JUDGE JAMES A. REDDEN
Transcript of 1994 interview by Michael O’Rourke, Oregon Historical Society
