Paul Mortenson Oral History Interview

In this interview, Paul Mortenson discusses his “idyllic” childhood growing up in Oregon. He describes the love he had for nature when he was a child, and touches on some of the major news events that took place during his youth, including the John F. Kennedy assassination. He explains that he enlisted in the military shortly after graduating from high school, and was then deployed to Vietnam. He touches on his experiences in Vietnam before turning to his post-military experiences. He notes that after returning to Oregon he attended college, and describes his educational experiences.

The interview then turns to Mortenson’s involvement in the timber industry in Oregon. He reflects on his job at Starker Forests, Inc., which was his first experience of the timber industry. He then discusses the various duties he had while working that job, including road maintenance and rent manager, and provides an overview of the different people he worked with while there. As he continues to describe his work with Starker Forests, Inc., Mortenson provides a brief tour of the property where the interview is taking place.

The interview concludes with additional comments from other Starker Forests workers, namely Rick Robinson, Dick Paul, Mark Gourley, Carol Stevie, Cameron Muir, Gary Springer, Ann Nelson, Gary Blanchard, and Barte Starker. They all provide an overview of the work they do at Starker Forests and reflect on their interactions with Mortenson.

Paul Mortenson was born in The Dalles, Oregon in 1945. He spent his childhood in Oregon and graduated from Wy’east High School. He enlisted in the United States Army in 1964 and was deployed to Vietnam shortly thereafter. After completing his tour of duty, he came back to Oregon and enrolled as a German major at the University of Oregon. He used this experience to become an English language instructor in Germany, before again returning to Oregon.

Upon his return he applied to and was hired at Starker, Forests, Inc., a job in which he would remain in for the rest of his career. At Starker Forests he worked in road maintenance, rent management, and accounting, among other positions. He married Genie Mortenson, (nee Sanderson) in 1976, with whom he raised a daughter, Laura Mortenson. The couple also ran the Paul and Genie Mortenson Forestry Expo to expose students in the Philomath school district to forestry activities. He passed away in 2013.