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Oral Histories from the Mazama Library and Historical Collections
The Mazamas began collecting oral histories in the 1980s in an effort to document the history and culture of the Mazamas and mountaineering in the Pacific Northwest.
About Oral Histories
Project purpose
The mission of the Mazama Oral History Project is to get, organize, and preserve information and stories related to Mazamas development, history, and activities to expanding and enriching the organization's current written records. The personal perspectives provided by interviewees will help researchers, scholars, members, and the interested public to broaden their understanding of the Mazamas and its unique history and contributions.
What are they?
Oral histories are planned, pre-researched interviews with participants of past events. The term can include products such as audio or video recordings as well as electronic or print transcriptions of such an interview. Recording the recollections of first-hand participants in events, oral histories are a valuable primary source document in historical research. Often, oral histories reveal the unique stories of participants in larger events and can include different perspectives or more details than secondary source histories of the events.
When were they digitized?
In 2016 the Mazama Library worked with a local organization to digitize our entire collection of oral histories.
Are transcripts available?
Transcripts are available for all of the records in our collection. Contact the LHC Manager for access.
Recordings
Margaret Redman
Margaret Redman
Biography
Margaret Griffin Redman (1885-1991) joined the Mazamas in 1915 and became one of the organization's most devoted members, attending a record 26 annual outings over her long life. Born in Dakota Territory and trained as a teacher, Margaret moved to Portland in 1911 after hearing glowing reports about the Northwest from visitors to the Lewis and Clark Exposition. She made her qualifying climb of Mt. Hood in 1915 and climbed it three times that first year alone, completing twelve Mt. Hood ascents total. A pioneering woman climber, she made the first women's ascent of Rooster Rock in 1915 and climbed peaks throughout the Cascades including Mt. Jefferson, Mt. Adams, and the Three Sisters. In 1929, she married fellow Mazama Frank Redman, and the couple spent their honeymoon on the Three Sisters outing.
Beyond climbing, Margaret served three years on the Mazama Executive Council, wrote numerous articles for the Mazama Annual and Portland newspapers, and was an active correspondent for climbing events. She belonged to the Pine Needle Club, the Mazama Chorus, and contributed to many Mazama activities throughout her life. Even after she stopped climbing in her later years, Margaret remained devoted to the organization, attending meetings and events well into her second century of life. At her 105th birthday celebration, she presented the Mazamas with a permanent trophy cup to honor members who best represented the organization's purposes in arts or literature. Margaret was posthumously awarded the Parker Cup at the 1991 Annual Banquet, recognizing her extraordinary lifetime of service to the Mazamas.
