INTERVIEWER
Schmidt, Rich
DURATION
1 hour 41 minutes 14 seconds
DATE
July 30, 2021
INTERVIEW SUMMARY
This interview is with Rachael Woody, who started the Oregon Wine History Archives at Linfield University. In this interview, she shares the history of the Oregon Wine History Archive itself. At the start, she speaks about her early life, education, and initial interest in archives. She takes us through her time at Pacific University where she studied History and Anthropology, and then through her time at Simmons University where she studied Archives Management. Rachael then describes the work she did after earning her Archives degree, which included working at the Smithsonian where she became a Project Manager and Program Coordinator responsible for promoting and organizing the Smithsonian Collections Blog.
Later, Rachael discusses her move back to Oregon and why she made the decision to become Director of Archives at what was then Linfield College. She talks about the establishing the Oregon Wine History Archive and goes over the steps they took to make it successful. She shares her favorite memories of the job, as well as the successes and difficulties that stand out. Rachael also discusses the initial goals of the Oregon Wine History Archive, going on to talk about how the archives has met those goals, what it has accomplished, and what she hopes it can do in its future.
This interview was conducted by Rich Schmidt at Ponzi Vineyards in Sherwood on July 30, 2021.
COMMENTS
Some oral history interviews are conducted on site and may contain background noise from nature, winery, or tasting room operations.