Identity elements
Reference code
Name and location of repository
Level of description
Item
Title
Oral history interview with John Helmer, Jr. [Sound Recording 01]
Date(s)
- 1994-08-27 (Creation)
Extent
Audiocassette; 00:30:42
Name of creator
Biographical history
John Helmer, Jr., was born in Portland, Oregon, in 1923. He attended the University of Oregon, but left in 1943, when he entered the U.S. Air Force during World War II. He served as a bomber pilot in the Pacific Theater. After his discharge in 1946, he returned to Portland. In 1948, he and Beverly Carroll were married; they later had three children. He worked at his father's store, John Helmer Haberdasher in downtown Portland, and in 1956, he purchased the store. In 1982, he sold the store to his son, John Helmer III. Helmer died in 2011.
Content and structure elements
Scope and content
Tape 1, Side 1. This oral history interview with John Helmer was conducted by Jim Strassmaier at the Oregon Historical Society in Portland, Oregon, on August 27, 1994. The interview was one of a series of brief oral histories created to accompany the Oregon Historical Society's World War II exhibit that same year. In this interview, Helmer discusses his family background, including his parents' experiences as immigrants from Sweden and the origins of his family name. He talks about his early life in the Albina and Overlook neighborhoods of Portland, Oregon, including working at his father's store, John Helmer Haberdasher; his education; and his involvement in sports. He talks briefly about working in a sawmill after high school. Helmer then speaks at length about his service as a bomber pilot in the U.S. Air Force in the Pacific Theater during World War II. He describes his training, flying missions out of Okinawa, Japan, and his experience as part of the occupation of Japan. He talks about returning to Portland after his discharge in 1946, his marriage to Beverly Carroll in 1948, and taking a trip to Europe in 1952. He also discusses his family's political beliefs. He talks about purchasing John Helmer Haberdasher in 1956, his attempts to expand the business, and how the recession of the 1980s affected the store. He discusses the difference between a large department store and a small family-run business. He talks about his children, their families, and their careers. He also describes his and Beverly Helmer's retirement activities. He closes the interview by reflecting on how his experiences in World War II affected him. Photographs of John Helmer, Jr., are included with the interview. They were taken by Jim Strassmaier at the time of the interview, both inside and outside the John Helmer Haberdasher store in Portland.
System of arrangement
Conditions of access and use elements
Conditions governing access
Copyright for this interview and photographs 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/
Physical access
Technical access
Conditions governing reproduction
Languages of the material
- English
Scripts of the material
Language and script notes
Finding aids
Acquisition and appraisal elements
Custodial history
Immediate source of acquisition
Appraisal, destruction and scheduling information
Accruals
Related materials elements
Existence and location of originals
Existence and location of copies
Related archival materials
Related descriptions
Notes element
Specialized notes
Alternative identifier(s)
Description control element
Rules or conventions
Sources used
Access points
Subject access points
Place access points
Name access points
- Strassmaier, James (Contributor)