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Lezak, Sidney I., 1924-2006 English
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Oral history interview with Kristine Olson

This oral history interview with Kristine Olson was conducted by Kenneth R. Perry from October 24 to December 7, 2005. In this interview, Olson discusses her family background and early life in Queens, New York, including her early education, her childhood pets, and her experience moving to a more affluent neighborhood at age 13. She also talks about her experience growing up in a neighborhood that was equal parts Jewish and Catholic. She discusses her early involvement in Democratic politics, particularly her activities during the civil rights movement. Olson talks about her experience at Wellesley College in Boston, Massachusetts, including her involvement in several student political organizations, such as the Students for a Democratic Society, Wellesley Against Racism, and ETHOS. She also discusses her social life and acquaintanceship with Hillary Rodham Clinton. She briefly talks about attending Yale Law School. Olson then discusses living in the Cosey Beach Commune in the 1970s, meeting Jeff Rogers and their subsequent marriage, and beginning her law career as a clerk for U.S. District Court Judge Robert Zampano. She describes moving to Oregon in 1973 and clerking for U.S. District Court Judge James Burns.

Olson discusses working as an assistant U.S. attorney with Sid Lezak from 1974 to 1984. She talks about taking time off to have children and the flexibility the U.S. attorney's office afforded her. She describes her poor relationship with Lezak's successor, Charlie Turner, and how his reaction to her handling of the prosecution of Black Panther Kent Ford resulted in her departure from the U.S. attorney's office. She then describes her appointment as U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon in 1994, including opposition from Charlie Turner, her interview with Attorney General Janet Reno, and her confirmation hearing. She describes the differences between how she and Turner ran the U.S. attorney's office, particularly Turner's emphasis on drug and pornography laws as opposed to her emphasis on civil rights and environmental laws. She talks about her admiration for Sid Lezak and Janet Reno, her brief experience working with Attorney General John Ashcroft, and her reasons for leaving office in 2001. She discusses working as legal counsel for Oregon Congressman Earl Blumenauer from 2001 to 2003.

Olson talks about her retirement activities, including her involvement with numerous civic organizations. She also talks about her friendship with Grand Ronde Tribal Council member Kathryn Harrison and about writing Harrison's biography, "Standing Tall." She also discusses her second marriage to Les Swanson. Olson closes the interview by describing some of her most influential professors, including Tom Emerson at Yale and Ingrid Staller at Wellesley.

Olson, Kristine

Oral history interview with Jack G. Collins

This oral history interview with Jack G. Collins was conducted by Sarah Ryan in 1998. In this interview, Collins discusses his family background and early life in Waukegan, Illinois, including working at the town's sewage treatment plant. He also discusses the family background of his wife, Janine Decker. He then discusses attending Princeton University, particularly his experiences in the Navy Reserve Officer Training Corps. He also talks about serving in the Navy during the Korean War after graduation, from 1952 to 1954. He describes his and Janine Decker's courtship and later marriage. He speaks briefly about attending Harvard Law School. He then talks about relocating to Oregon, passing the Oregon bar, and working as a law clerk for Oregon Supreme Court Justice Walter Perry. He describes his fellow law clerks, as well as working on a draft of the Oregon Post-Conviction Hearing Act. He describes the careers of many of the lawyers he's known while in private law practice in Oregon. He also speaks at length about the kinds of cases he tried, including Revolutionary War land scrip cases.

Collins discusses his admiration for John F. Kennedy and becoming an assistant U.S. attorney in 1963. He talks about working under U.S. Attorney Sidney Lezak. He also discusses his family, salary, and living situation during this time period. He briefly shares his memories of the 1962 Columbus Day storm and the 1980 eruption of Mount St. Helens. He talks about some of the cases he prosecuted, including cases on maritime matters and mail fraud. He describes becoming first assistant U.S. attorney and how his duties changed. He talks about cases he worked on as first assistant, including regarding foreclosures and urban renewal, pornography, and the environment. He speaks at length about protests against the Vietnam War and during the civil rights movement, and how the U.S. attorney's office handled related cases. He also talks about the planning of the Vortex music festival in 1970; the FBI investigation of Dan Cooper (also known as D.B. Cooper) and the hijacking of Flight 305 in 1971; and the bombing of the Bonneville towers by a man calling himself "Jayhawker" in 1974. He describes his secretaries. He talks about white-collar crime, civil rights enforcement, and the use of blue boxes for wire fraud. He also discusses Rajneeshpuram and several of the cases related to the activities of the Rajneeshees. He talks about the War on Drugs, which was ramped up under the George H.W. Bush administration, and some of the related cases he worked on. He describes fighting and investigating wildfires; his dealings with the Bonneville Power Administration and the Northwest Power Planning Council; and civil forfeiture. He also discusses Native American fishing rights.

Collins discusses his retirement in 1995, including his retirement party. He talks further about Janine, her career as a librarian, and her later diagnosis with Cushing's Disease. He then talks about his children, their families, and their careers. He talks about teaching administrative law at Lewis and Clark College and Portland State University, his involvement with the Korean United Presbyterian Church, and his stance on the legalization of marijuana. He closes the interview by reflecting on the changes in the way the U.S. attorney's office operates, his most difficult cases, and his admiration for some of the people he's worked with.

Collins, Jack G. (Jack Gore), 1930-2010

Oral history interview with Donal D. Sullivan

This oral history interview with Donal D. Sullivan was conducted by Michael O'Rourke in Sullivan's chambers at the U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Portland, Oregon, on July 6, 2006. In the interview, Sullivan discusses his early career as a lawyer in Salem, and as assistant district attorney with Sid Lezak in the Multnomah County district attorney's office in Portland, then as a clerk for the U.S. District Court of Oregon. He describes working with judges Gus Solomon and William East. Sullivan also talks about serving as a bankruptcy judge. He closes the interview by talking about his personal life and family.

Sullivan, Donal D. (Donal Dennis), 1931-2009