Oral history interview with Drew D. Pettus [Transcript]
- SR2762_Transcript
- Item
- 2002-06-05
Part of Northwest Power Planning Council Oral History Project
Transcript. This oral history interview with Drew Pettus was conducted by Michael O'Rourke on June 5, 2002. The interview was conducted as part of the Northwest Power Planning Council Oral History Project, which documented the history and purpose of the Northwest Power Planning Council, now known as the Northwest Power and Conservation Council.
In this interview, Pettus discusses his family background and early life in Southern California and Bellingham, Washington, including his education and early political ambitions. He talks about his experience at Western Washington University, his association with U.S. Representative Lloyd Meeds, and his experience at the University of California, Berkeley. He speaks briefly about practicing law in Bellingham from 1974 to 1976, after graduating from the Northwestern School of Law. He then talks about working on Meeds' staff as associate counsel on the House Rules Committee, and describes life in Washington, D.C. He discusses serving as chief of staff for U.S. Representative Al Swift, and speaks at length about his work on the 1980 Northwest Power Act. He talks about the inclusion of fish protection and renewable energy sources in the act, about some of the people who also worked on the act, and about opposition to the act. He also discusses the formation of the Northwest Power Planning Council and the council's accomplishments. He closes the interview by talking about his activities since returning to private legal practice in 1989.
Pettus, Drew D. (Drew Douglas), 1946-