Collection

Oral history interview with Clyde Rice

• 1985-01-22 - 1985-03-13 (Creation)

.1 cubic feet; 13 audiocassettes (11 hr., 15 min., 46 sec.) + 5 photographs (color)

This oral history interview with Clyde Rice was conducted by Rick Harmon at Rice's home in Clackamas, Oregon, from January 22 to March 13, 1985. The interview was conducted in seven sessions. The audio on tapes 3, 4, 6, and 13 is affected by speed issues.

In the first interview session, conducted on January 22, 1985, Rice discusses his family background, particularly his father's flavor extract business. He talks about his early life in Portland and Salem, including his family's Christian Science faith, his social life, and his relationship with his family.

In the second interview session, conducted on January 29, 1985, Rice continues discussing his early life in Portland and Salem, including his family's Christian Science faith. He tells several anecdotes about his early school life; describes racism he observed; and shares his memories of World War I.

In the third interview session, conducted on February 7, 1985, Rice discusses his involvement with the Portland Art Museum School (now known as the Pacific Northwest College of Art), including the professors and curators. He talks about the artistic community in Portland and discusses his own art. He revisits the topic of racism that he observed and Portland politics in the early 20th century.

In the fourth interview session, conducted on February 14, 1985, Rice continues discussing Portland politics in the early 20th century. He then talks about homesteading in Clackamas County during the 1930s and describes clearing the land, hunting, and farming. He discusses returning to Portland a few years later and working for his father's flavor extract business. He talks about his marriage to Marguerite Evelyn "Nordi" Nordstrom, and about meeting his second wife, Virginia Lee Broms.

In the fifth interview session, conducted on February 21, 1985, Rice describes building a rammed earth house in the Mt. Scott neighborhood of Portland during the late 1930s. He speaks at length about his affair with Virginia Lee Broms. He also revisits the topic of working for his father's flavor extract business. He talks about spending time in Alaska before his divorce from Nordi Rice, his marriage to Virginia Lee Broms, and how both events affected his son.

In the seventh and final interview session, conducted on March 13, 1985, Rice continues discussing his development as an author. He describes the years-long process of writing and publishing his first novel, "A Heaven in the Eye." He also talks about plans to publish his other writings.

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/. Copyright to photographs has not been determined and use may require authorization from copyright holders.

• English

An additional interview with Clyde Rice, SR 67, and a collection of Rice's stories and poetry, Lib. Acc. 24926, are also held by the Oregon Historical Society Research Library.

Preferred citation: Oral history interview with Clyde Rice, by Rick Harmon, SR 1054, Oregon Historical Society Research Library.

Incomplete transcript (240 pages) is available for in-person use at the Oregon Historical Society Research Library.

Finding aid based on DACS (Describing Archives: A Content Standard), 2nd Edition.

Sarah Stroman

• Art--Study and teaching--Oregon--Portland
• Artists--Oregon
• Authors, American--Oregon
• Christian Science
• Flavoring essences industry--Oregon

• Harmon, Rick (Contributor)
• Portland Art Association (Portland, Or.). Museum Art School (Subject)
• Neufer, Nordi (Marguerite Evelyn), 1900-1963 (Subject)
• Rice, Virginia L. (Virginia Lee), 1920-2012 (Subject)

• Interviews
• oral histories (literary works)