Breadcrumb

  1. Home
  2. Library Collections
  3. Oral History Interviews
  4. Oscar L. Chapman Oral History Interviews

Oscar L. Chapman Oral History Interviews

Oral History Interviews with
Oscar L. Chapman

Assistant Secretary of the Interior, 1933-46; Under Secretary of the Interior, 1946-49; Secretary of the Interior, 1949-53.

Interview Transcripts

1972
April 14 | April 21 | April 28 | May 5 | May 19 | August 2 | August 18
August 25 | September 1 | September 11 | September 22 | October 4 | November 3

1973
January 12 | February 2 | February 9

Jerry N. Hess

See also Oscar Chapman Papers

[Notices and Restrictions | List of Subjects Discussed]

 


Notice
These are transcripts of tape-recorded interviews conducted for the Harry S. Truman Library. A draft of each transcript was edited by the interviewee but only minor emendations were made; therefore, the reader should remember that these are essentially transcripts of the spoken, rather than the written word.

Numbers appearing in square brackets (ex. [45]) within the transcript indicate the pagination in the original, hardcopy version of the oral history interview.  

RESTRICTIONS
These oral history transcripts may be read, quoted from, cited, and reproduced for purposes of research. They may not be published in full except by permission of the Harry S. Truman Library.

 


 

List of Subjects Discussed

 

 
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

A
Aberle, Sophie D.,
708-711, 715, 734, 736
Acheson, Dean,663-665, 739-741, 763-766, 768-774, 779-781
Adams, Sherman, 943, 944
Agriculture, Department of, 45, 470, 528
Agriculture as an issue in the 1948 Presidential election, 89-94
Agriculture policy, 881-885
Akers, Milburn P., 83, 435, 436
Alaska, 453, 454, 588, 681, 695
Ambassador Hotel, Los Angeles, California, 20
American Labor Party, 438
American Legion, 427, 791-803, 887, 888
Americans for Democratic Action, 134
Anacostia Bridge, Washington, D.C., 302, 306
Anderson, Clinton P., 470, 879, 880, 911, 912, 957, 958
Anderson, Marian, 280-287, 289-294, 296-298
Anderson, Patrick, 42, 43
Arab states and Israel, 765, 766-769, 774
Arizona Central Valley Project, 967
Aspinall, Wayne, 749-751

    B
    Barkley, Alben W.,
    77, 173, 175-180, 182, 186-189, 919
    Bartlesville, Oklahoma, 691
    Bartley, Ernest R., 490, 496-498, 501-503, 506, 516, 526, 535, 578
    Baruch, Bernard, 65, 328, 421, 624, 625
    Batt, William L., 171
    Beck, Dave, 344, 349, 350
    Berkeley, California, 95-97, 99, 100-104, 111, 142
    Bethune, Mary McCloud, 298
    Beveridge, Albert J., 263
    Biffle, Leslie, 182, 314, 318
    Birkhead, Kenneth, 171
    Black Hills, South Dakota, 684
    Blackmore, Dwight, 407
    Blythe, Joseph, 323
    Bone, Homer T., 860, 861
    Bonneville Dam, 99
    Bowles, Chester, 592, 593, 601, 612
    Boyle, William M., Jr., 71
    Brannan, Charles F., 89-91, 94, 108, 152, 214, 215, 812, 879-885, 955
    Brophy, William A., 714-716
    Brotherhood Day, 366, 367, 370
    Bureau of Indian Affairs, 2, 452, 667-737, 742, 745-747
    Bureau of Land Management, 580, 586, 587
    Bureau of Reclamation, 446, 449, 458, 459, 471
    Butte, Montana, 588
    Byrd, Harry F., Sr., 635-640, 930-932
    Byrnes, James F.­, 22-24, 69, 651-656, 658-660, 839-842, 921

      C
      Cabinet (Truman),
      623-629, 650-666, 811-819, 822-824, 825-852, 879-884
      Cain, Harry P., 474
      California, 1948 Presidential Election in, 81, 82, 95-97, 118-120, 411-417
      California, tidelands oil claims, 505, 530
      Carey, Idaho, 121
      Carlisle School for Indians, 735
      Carlton Hotel, Washington, D.C., 1
      Carpenter, Ferrington R., 553-556, 560, 564-567, 569-571, 572-574, 705-707, 749, 750, 894, 895
      Chambers of Commerce and the 1948 Presidential election, 427-430
      Chapman Poll on 1948 Presidential election, 425-432
      Cherokee Indians, 688, 692
      Cheyenne Indians, 690
      Cheyenne, Wyoming, 124-127, 230, 232, 235-242
      Chicago, Illinois, 244-251, 357, 358
      Chicago Sun, 435
      Chicago Sun&-Times, 83
      Chicago Tribune, 434, 904
      Childs, Marquis, 906
      Choctaw Indians, 688
      Civil rights, 195-201, 252, 253, 257-260, 274, 276, 277, 279-311, 600, 601, 785-788
      Clark, Tom, 314, 315, 318, 363
      Clawson, Marion, 587
      Cleveland, Ohio, 404, 405
      Clifford, Clark M., 33, 37, 41-45, 50-54, 68, 94, 98, 99, 102, 106, 107, 142, 145, 146, 148, 151-153, 171, 172,

      D
      Daley, Richard J.,
      245-248, 352, 353, 357, 907, 916, 917
      Daniels, Jonathan, 324, 325
      Daughters of the American Revolution, 281
      Daugherty, Harry, 378
      Davidson, C. Girard, 279, 280, 373, 374, 447, 449, 450, 466, 472, 474-477, 479, 481, 482, 486, 550, 696-698,

      E
      Early, Stephen T.,
      314, 318
      Ecuador, off-shore territorial limits of, 519
      Edwards, India, 871, 872, 875, 876
      Eisenhower, Dwight D., 134-139, 912, 938, 944, 952
      Elections, Presidential See: Presidential Elections
      Elk Hills Oil Reserves, 490
      Eskimos, 452-454
      Eugene, Oregon, 122, 132
      Ewing, Oscar R., 94, 108, 109, 192, 314, 316, 318, 700, 701

        F
        Fair Deal,
        592-597, 621, 622
        Fair Employment Practices Act, 618
        Fairfax County, Virginia, 934
        Fall, Albert, 376-378
        Farley, James A., 70-72, 193, 356
        Farm Bureau Federation, American, 883
        Federal Reserve System, 635
        Federal Security Agency, 700, 701
        Federal Works Program, 76
        Finance Committee-Democratic National Committee, 805, 806
        Finely, Forrest, 479
        Fish and Wildlife Service, 2
        Fitzpatrick, Paul E., 83, 436-439
        Florida, tidelands oil claims, 502-504
        Flynn, Edward J., 86, 439, 440
        Forest Service, U.S., 451, 470, 528
        Forrestal, James V., 325-328, 805-808
        Forsling, C.L., 576, 577, 580
        Fortas, Abe, 510, 512, 513, 549, 551
        Foss, Phillip O., 554, 561, 567, 578
        Frey, John W., 891-894
        Fuller, Helen, 165-167

          G
          Galbraith, J. Kenneth,
          522
          Garner, John N., 74, 75, 289-291
          Germany, 602
          Gillette, Guy M., 425
          Glass, Carter, 635, 636
          Grand Coulee Dam, 99, 102, 142, 207-209, 212
          Grand Junction Sentinel, 238, 239
          Gray, Georgia Neese Clark, 869, 870
          Grazing Service, U.S., 552-586, 704, 705, 747-755, 891-895
          Great Britain, influence in the Middle East, 44, 764, 765
          Green, Dwight H., 246, 248
          Greater Los Angeles Press Club,396
          Gruening, Ernest, 453, 712
          Gulf of Mexico oil leases, 497, 498, 517

            H
            Hainos Point,
            309
            Halifax County, Virginia, 255, 256, 273, 275-277, 633-635, 640, 933
            Hamby, Alonzo, 592, 593, 594
            Hannegan, Robert E., 26, 61, 70, 924, 925
            Harriman, W. Averell, 131, 170, 814-817
            Haskell Indian Institute, 734, 735
            Hastie, William H., 852, 853, 857
            Hatch, Carl A., 314, 318, 334, 335
            Henderson, Leon, 134
            Hitler, Adolph, 602, 605
            Hoeber, Johannes, 171
            Hoffa, James R., 343, 345, 346, 349, 350
            Hoffman, Paul G., 848
            Holmes, Basil M., 424
            Hoover, Herbert C., 135
            Hoover, J. Edgar, 487-489, 588
            Hopi Indians, 672
            Hopkins, Harry, 85, 970
            Housing, minority, 200, 201
            Howard University, 278-280, 299, 537
            Hoyt, Palmer, 239
            Hughes, Sarah, 875-877
            Humphrey-Biemiller Resolution, 276

              I
              Iceland, offshore territorial limits of,
              519
              Ickes, Harold L., 57-65, 72, 73, 76, 180, 283-289, 292-298, 310, 335, 336, 352, 375, 376, 418, 443, 444, 446,

              J
              Jacobson, Edward,
              46-48
              Japanese-American War Relocation Camps, 727-731
              Johnson, Frederick, 586
              Johnson, Jed, 747, 751
              Johnson, Louis A., 318, 320-327, 329-334, 336, 661, 791-795, 799-806, 808-811
              Johnson, Lyndon B., 173-175, 878
              Johnson, Vilas, 246
              Journal of American History, 592

                K
                Kansas,
                75
                Keeler, William W., 688, 690-694, 698
                Kefauver, Estes, 919, 920, 927
                Kennedy, John F., 854, 855, 927
                Kennelly, Martin H., 246, 248
                Kerr Gas Bill, 956-961
                Kerr, Robert, 959
                King's River Dam, California, 963, 964
                Kirwan, Michael, 347, 348
                Kissinger, Henry, 626
                Krug, Julius, 66, 311-313, 328, 371-375, 418-424, 443-445, 447, 448, 466, 478, 486, 580, 662, 663, 723, 724,

                L
                Land Management, Bureau of,
                580, 586, 587
                Lausche, Frank J., 404-409
                LeHand, Marguerite, 285
                Leviero, Anthony, 192, 314, 316, 323, 324
                Lewis, John L., 867
                Liberal political philosophy, definition of, 629-631
                Liberal Party, 161, 162
                Life magazine, 124, 127, 128, 231, 240
                Lilienthal, David, 465-468
                Lincoln, Abraham, 263-265, 267-270
                Lincoln Memorial, 282-295
                Lindsey, Benjamin, 110, 111, 242, 352, 368, 369
                The Loneliest Campaign, 95
                Los Angeles, California, 118-120, 142, 395, 396, 403
                Los Angeles Press Club, 118-120
                Lovett, Robert A., 844-847

                  M
                  MacArthur, Douglas,
                  944, 945
                  McCarran, Pat, 579-586, 747
                  McCarthy, Joseph R., 913, 949
                  McGhee, George C., 776
                  McGrath, J. Howard, 71, 77, 158, 159, 186, 187, 189, 190, 361-365
                  McKay, Douglas, 224, 939, 941-943
                  McKim, Edward P., 122, 228-230, 232, 234-236
                  McKinney, Frank, 71
                  McNutt, Paul V., 699, 700, 795-800, 802, 803
                  Madison Square Garden, 162, 438, 439
                  Magill, Mary T., 264
                  Maine, 193
                  Malone, George, 887-891, 895, 896
                  Mansfield, Mike, 348
                  Marshall, George C., 660, 661, 778, 780-790, 846
                  Marshall Plan, 661, 662, 946, 947
                  Marshall, Thurgood, 852, 854, 855, 857
                  Maw, Herbert B., 401
                  Mayflower Hotel, Washington, D.C., 34, 772
                  Mexico, 966, 967
                  Middle East, influence of Great Britain in the, 44, 764, 765
                  Mike Douglas TV Show, 49
                  Milford, Pennsylvania, 452
                  Miller, Nathan L., 441, 442
                  Minority rights, 195-201, 251-253, 257-260, 274, 276, 277, 279-311, 537, 538
                  Mitchell, Stephen A., 71
                  Morgenthau, Henry, Jr., 665, 666, 825
                  Mormon Tabernacle, 400-402
                  Morton, Rogers, 835, 836
                  Munoz-Marin, Luis, 865
                  Murphy, Charles S., 773, 834, 835
                  Murray, Philip, 344, 345
                  Muscle Shoals, 110, 631
                  Myer, Dillon S., 715, 726-729, 732-734

                    N
                    Nathan, Robert,
                    776
                    National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, 282
                    National Conference of Christians and Jews, 367
                    National Farmers Union, 880, 881, 883
                    National Guard, 237, 292
                    National Park Service, 2, 282, 283, 287, 300, 301, 310, 446, 447, 449, 458, 461, 514, 588-590, 639-649
                    National Plowing Match, 91-94, 380-383, 398
                    National Roosevelt Clubs, 592
                    Navajo Indians, 672, 676, 693
                    Nazism, 602, 605
                    Negroes, appointment to Federal office, 852-858
                    New Deal, 592-594, 597-599, 606, 617
                    New Hampshire Presidential primary of 1952, 919, 920
                    New York, Presidential election of 1948, 160-163, 436-440
                    New York Times, 81, 192, 314, 324
                    Nichols, John L., 592, 714, 722-724, 726
                    Niles, David K., 45, 46
                    Nixon, Richard M., 626, 834-836, 934, 935, 952, 953, 955, 966
                    Norris, George, 17, 18, 110, 630, 631
                    Nourse, Edwin G., 662

                      O
                      O'Boyle, Archbishop Patrick A.,
                      303, 304
                      Office of Education (Interior Department), 537
                      Ohio, Presidential election of 1948, 404-410
                      Oil and the Middle East, 765-769, 774-777
                      Oil policy, U.S., 830-832
                      Omaha, Nebraska, 121-124, 126, 127, 155, 228-231, 233-235, 240, 243
                      O'Mahoney, Joseph C., 77, 179, 189-191, 479-481
                      Oregon, 209-212, 216, 217
                      Organization of American States,523
                      Osage Indians, 690, 691, 693

                        P
                        Patton, James G.,
                        880-882
                        Pauley, Edwin W., 58, 59, 484, 490, 491, 508-511, 516, 540-543, 550
                        Pawhuska, Oklahoma, 691
                        Pawley, William D,. 314, 316, 318
                        Pepper, Claude H., 592, 601, 612
                        Perkins, Frances, 860, 867
                        Pershing, Warren, 315
                        Peru, offshore territorial limits, 519
                        Philippines, 2
                        Pinchot, Amos, 452
                        Pinchot, Gifford, 451, 452
                        Point IV, 946
                        The Politburo, 132, 133
                        Politics and Grass, 554
                        Porter, Paul A., 324, 325
                        Portland, Oregon, flood of 1948, 217, 218, 220-226, 385-387, 390-393, 403
                        Presidential election – (1940), 74, 75, 84, 85
                        Presidential election – (1944), 490, 922-925
                        Presidential election – (1948):

                        R
                        Rayburn, Sam,
                        172, 175, 877, 928, 929
                        Reclamation, Bureau of, 446, 449, 458, 459, 471
                        Reclamation Commission, 589
                        Reclamation development program, 213
                        Reclamation Service, 211, 221, 226
                        Red Cross, 209, 210, 219, 220, 222, 224, 393
                        Republican National Convention – (1912), 181
                        Republican National Convention – (1948), 100, 101
                        Reuther, Walter, 344, 345, 349
                        Roche, Josephine 867, 868, 871
                        Rockefeller, John D., Jr., 643, 647
                        Rocky Mountain News, 230, 238
                        Rogers, William, 626
                        Roosevelt, Eleanor, 288, 289, 546, 547
                        Roosevelt Forums, 593, 612, 613, 623
                        Roosevelt, Franklin D. 20-23, 25, 26, 54-56, 68, 69, 75, 76, 84, 85, 110, 174, 192, 193, 196, 197, 201, 202,

                        S
                        Salem, Oregon,
                        219
                        Salt Lake, Utah, 400, 401, 403, 575
                        San Francisco, California, 395, 396, 403, 411
                        Sawyer, Charles, 314, 318, 812, 813, 815, 817, 818, 822-824
                        Saylor, John P., 751
                        Schwellenbach, Lewis, 860
                        Sea resources, international territorial claims for, 519-524
                        Secret Service, U.S., 153, 235
                        Segregation, 639-641
                        Smith, George A., 400-402
                        Smith, Margaret Chase, 950, 951
                        Snake River Development Corporation, 642
                        Snake River Valley, 649
                        Snyder, John W., 65, 66, 811, 818, 819, 827, 828, 837
                        Social Security, 618, 622, 673, 677
                        Soviet Union, 168-170
                        Sparkman, John J., 928, 929
                        Sproul, Robert G., 95-97, 100, 183, 185
                        Stalin, Joseph V., 122, 132, 133
                        State Department:

                        T
                        Taft-Hartley Act, veto of,
                        350, 351
                        Taft, Robert A., 357
                        Taft, William Howard, 181, 182
                        Taylor, Edward T., 559
                        Taylor Grazing Act, 559, 560
                        Teachers Association (Iowa), 427
                        Teapot Dome, 376-378
                        Tennessee Valley Authority, 18, 66, 450, 631
                        Teton National Park, 649
                        Texas, tidelands oil claims, 493, 504, 505
                        The Tidelands Oil Controversy, 490, 510, 516, 517, 526, 527
                        Third term for President, tradition against, 659
                        35th Division Association, 123, 231-233
                        Thurmond, J. Strom, 160, 340, 341, 414
                        Tidelands oil, 490-518, 526-536, 539-544, 548-550
                        Tompkins, William J., 298
                        Townsend, John G., 637, 638
                        "Trail of Broken Treaties" ,  667
                        Truman, Bess Wallace, 119-121, 771
                        Truman Committee, 3-15
                        Truman Doctrine, 946
                        Truman, Harry S.:

                        U
                        United Auto Workers,
                        346
                        United Nations, 28, 34-38, 150
                        University of California, Berkeley, 95-97, 99-104, 111, 183-185
                        University of Colorado, 368
                        U.S.S. United States, 809

                          V
                          Vaughan, Harry H.,
                          129
                          Vermont, 193
                          Vice-Presidential nomination-Democratic (1944), 922-925
                          Viet Nam War, 952, 953
                          Vinson, Fred M., 819, 826, 827
                          Virginia, history of, 264, 265
                          Virginia, native types of, 783, 784, 786
                          Virginia, politics in, 253-257, 632-635
                          Virginia, racial discrimination in, 258-260, 274-276
                          Virgin Island, 537

                            W
                            Wallace, Henry A.,
                            19, 26, 61, 69, 70, 74, 82, 86, 87, 160, 163-168, 170, 414, 415, 417, 812, 813, 838, 839,

                            Y
                            Yalta Conference,
                            608
                            Yarborough, Ralph W., 777, 778, 876, 877

                              Z
                              Zimmerman, William R.,
                              714, 716-719

                                [Top of the Page | Notices and Restrictions | List of Subjects Discussed]