Series

Oral history interview with Bill Hedlund

• 1990-09-04 - 1990-09-25 (Creation)

.1 cubic feet 6 audiocassettes (5 hr., 31 min., 23 sec.) + 1 photograph (color, 4 x 6 in.)

This oral history interview with Bill Hedlund was conducted by Clark Hansen from September 4-25, 1990. In the interview, Hedlund discusses his family history and early life in Portland, Oregon, including notable people that his family knew, such as Oswald West; his memories of World War I; and his early involvement with the Democratic Party. He then discusses his experience during the Depression, and attending the University of Oregon and the Northwestern College of Law. He talks about his early career as a deputy U.S. marshal and on the Oregon Liquor Control Commission. He also discusses practicing law in Portland, then in the U.S. Attorney's office; the evolution of his political outlook; his father's political career; and his experience in the Coast Guard auxiliary during World War II. Hedlund then discusses his term in the Oregon House of Representatives from 1941 to 1942, including his campaign, his staff and office arrangements, and legislation. He then discusses working in the U.S. Attorney's office from 1943 to 1945, after leaving the Legislature. He also talks about his 33 years as a lobbyist, particularly for oil companies, from 1945 to 1977. He discusses issues the oil lobby was concerned with, including oil spills, gas additives, and environmental legislation. He also talks briefly about the plane accident that killed Secretary of State Robert S. Farrell, Jr., Senate President Marshall E. Cornett, and Governor Earl Snell. He discusses governors of Oregon and their staffs, as well as several legislators. He closes the interview by talking about the lobbying profession in more detail, particularly his work for oil companies, and his service as commissioner of the Oregon Liquor Control Commission from 1980 to 1987.

Copyright held by the Oregon Historical Society. Licensed under Creative Commons, BY-NC-SA: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/

• English

Oral history interview with Bill Hedlund, by Richard McConnell, SR 1113, Oregon Historical Society Research Library.

Preferred citation: Oral history interview with Bill Hedlund, by Clark Hansen, SR 1114, Oregon Historical Society Research Library.

Forms part of the Oregon Legislature Oral History Series.

Audio is incomplete. Tape 5, Side 2 is blank, but its original contents are reflected in a partial transcript (150 pages)

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

Sarah Stroman

• Oregon--Politics and government--20th century
• Legislators--Oregon
• Legislation--Oregon
• Lobbyists--Oregon
• Petroleum industry and trade

• Democratic Party (Or.) (Subject)
• Oregon. Legislative Assembly (Subject)
• Oregon Liquor Control Commission (Subject)

• Interviews