This collection includes interviews detailing the political career of Mike Mansfield which spanned four decades (1943-1988). The interviews were conducted between 1998 and 2001 by Don Oberdorfer. Mansfield discusses the time he served in the U.S. Congress, the U.S. Senate, as Senate Majority Leader, and as U.S. Ambassador to Japan. Oberdorfer conducted these rare oral history interviews while researching his book Senator Mansfield: The Extraordinary Life of a Great Statesman and Diplomat (2003). The original interviews are held as Oral History collection OH 391 at Archives and Special Collections, Mansfield Library, University of Montana-Missoula.
This collection includes 22 interviews.
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Mike Mansfield Interview, July 20, 2001
Mike Mansfield
Mike Mansfield talks about attending the swearing in for Howard Baker at the White House and seeing Katharine Graham, the former publisher for the Washington Post. He and Don Oberdorfer briefly discuss Oberdorfer’s experience as a journalist at the Washington Post. Mansfield discusses his wife, ... Read More
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Mike Mansfield Interview, June 1, 2001
Mike Mansfield
Mike Mansfield and Don Oberdorfer talk briefly about the life of Kazuo Kawai, a Japanese-American newspaper editor, professor and author. Mansfield describes General Douglas MacArthur and his leadership during the American occupation of Japan. Mansfield offers his opinion of the potential remilitarization of Japan. He ... Read More
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Mike Mansfield Interview, April 20, 2000
Mike Mansfield
Don Oberdorfer begins the interview by describing his recent travels to China and to different archives and libraries to search for more sources for his book on Mike Mansfield. Mansfield discusses President Jimmy Carter’s policy against the proliferation and reprocessing of nuclear materials and the ... Read More
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Mike Mansfield Interview, February 18, 2000
Mike Mansfield
Mike Mansfield reflects on his wife Maureen Hayes Mansfield’s life and education. Then he offers his opinion on Japan’s present and future status, the role he thinks that the United States should play, and how the U.S. should approach relations with other Asian nations such ... Read More
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Mike Mansfield Interview, January 27, 2000
Mike Mansfield
Mike Mansfield discusses his first political campaign running for the U.S. House and his fundraising efforts that went along with it. He describes his relationship with Jim “Bim” Rowe, who supported and advised him during his campaigns in Montana. Mansfield also talks about his decision ... Read More
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Mike Mansfield Interview, July 21, 2000
Mike Mansfield
Mike Mansfield discusses his Navy career and his military experiences during and after World War One. He talks about his relations with the Anaconda Company and the Montana Power Company, noting he had little interaction with them. Mansfield briefly mentions the Bonneville Power Administration and ... Read More
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Mike Mansfield Interview, May 11, 2000
Mike Mansfield
Don Oberdorfer describes his trip to Tientsin (Tianjin), China, where Mike Mansfield was stationed as a Marine toward the end of World War One. Mansfield talks about his trip to Tientsin in 1946, when he visited the Marines’ headquarters. Both Oberdorfer and Mansfield discuss their ... Read More
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Mike Mansfield Interview, November 10, 2000
Mike Mansfield
Mike Mansfield discusses some of his relationships with different senators throughout his career, including George Aiken, Lee Metcalf, Hubert Humphrey, Everett Dirksen, Richard Russell, Henry Jackson, and Hugh Scott. He talks about Dirksen and Humphrey’s influence, which was critical to the passage of the Civil ... Read More
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Mike Mansfield Interview, October 10, 2000
Mike Mansfield
Mike Mansfield discusses the relations between Japan, China, South Korea, and North Korea. He talks with Don Oberdorfer about Oberdorfer’s upcoming trip to China and South Korea. Mansfield describes the recent political developments between North Korea and the U.S., including the possibility that the U.S. ... Read More
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Mike Mansfield Interview, April 9, 1999
Mike Mansfield
Mike Mansfield talks about some his relatives who are still in Montana—where they live, work, and his relation to them. Mansfield also recalls a couple times when he met with J. Edgar Hoover, the FBI Director from 1935 to 1972. Mansfield talks about his attempts ... Read More
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Mike Mansfield Interview, August 18, 1999
Mike Mansfield
Mike Mansfield talks about his wife, Maureen Hayes Mansfield’s, early life and how he met her when he moved to Butte to attend the School of Mines. Mansfield shifts to talking about his travels in China, recalling the interesting people and places he experienced during ... Read More
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Mike Mansfield Interview, July 24, 1999
Mike Mansfield
Mike Mansfield talks about how he met his wife, Maureen Hayes Mansfield. He talks about her family, her education, and how he was perceived by her father. Mansfield discusses their move to Missoula, getting married, and his education at the University of Montana. He talks ... Read More
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Mike Mansfield Interview, November 26, 1999
Mike Mansfield
Mike Mansfield talks about his parents and how little he knew about them. He notes his lack of interest in his genealogical background or contacting any distant relatives. Mansfield discusses his mother’s death when he was six years old and how his family moved to ... Read More
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Mike Mansfield Interview, October 20, 1999
Mike Mansfield
Mike Mansfield talks about his opposition to various Vietnam War tactics and decisions made during President Lyndon B. Johnson’s administration. He briefly addresses the way other authors have inaccurately portrayed some of his interactions with President Johnson. Mansfield explains why he talked about the war ... Read More
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Mike Mansfield Interview, October 23, 1999
Mike Mansfield
Don Oberdorfer interviews Mike Mansfield in his apartment where they discuss the décor, the photographs on the walls, and the history behind some of the items. Mansfield talks about the current Senate and attending prayer breakfasts while the Senate is in session. He also discusses ... Read More
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Mike Mansfield Interview, September 9, 1999
Mike Mansfield
Mike Mansfield talks about a variety of topics including his father’s construction accident, his friendship with Pete Meloy, and a discussion on China that Mansfield had with President Truman. Mansfield also discussed his habit of carrying up-to-date newspaper clippings at all times, which listed the ... Read More
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Mike Mansfield Interview, August 28, 1998
Mike Mansfield
Mike Mansfield discusses the Cold War, Japanese trading issues, and the relationship between the U.S and Japan. Mansfield gives his opinion on the current issues with the Japanese auto industry, unemployment, and the tax system. He also goes into his frustrations with Washington during his ... Read More
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Mike Mansfield Interview, February-July 1998
Mike Mansfield
Mike Mansfield describes his relationship with John F. Kennedy and Lyndon B. Johnson, especially regarding the Vietnam War. He talks about his childhood, running away from home before finishing eighth grade and joining up with the Oregon National Guard. He recalls his military service, when ... Read More
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Mike Mansfield Interview, July 24, 1998
Mike Mansfield
Mike Mansfield describes his relationship with President Lyndon B. Johnson, especially regarding the Vietnam War. He talks about how he constantly opposed the war and advised the president against escalating the conflict. He recalls a tense exchange with President John F. Kennedy over Mansfield's report ... Read More
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Mike Mansfield Interview, October 29, 1998
Mike Mansfield
Mike Mansfield talks about his time in Japan and tells stories of his attempts to influence the culture by pouring tea in place of the women who did so in Japan. They also discuss some of the artwork that Mansfield acquired during his life, including ... Read More
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Mike Mansfield Interview, October 8, 1998
Mike Mansfield
Mike Mansfield recalls his relationships with each of the Presidents who he served under. He talks about being seat mates with John F. Kennedy when they were both in the Senate. He also talks about how his relationship with JFK and Lyndon Johnson led to ... Read More
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Mike Mansfield Interview, September 10, 1998
Mike Mansfield
Mike Mansfield discusses an assignment from President Roosevelt to go to China in 1944. Mansfield describes the long trip and making stops throughout the Middle East and Western Asia. Mansfield also recalls the difficulties that Wisconsin Senator Joseph McCarthy stirred up during the 1950s, when ... Read More