A Festive Celebration of the USDCHS Oral History Program
By Brady Yamin The U.S. District Court of Oregon Historical Society (USDCHS) hosted a celebration of its Oral History Program on June 25, 2026, at the Mark O. Hatfield U.S. Courthouse to honor Senior Judge Susan Graber of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit and Senior U.S. District Judge Anna J. Brown. Judges Graber and Brown read excerpts from and shared stories about their USDCHS oral histories, reflecting on their personal journeys, family histories, and challenges faced and overcome over several decades. USDCHS President Douglas Pahl of Ashurst Perkins Coie welcomed a packed Courtroom 9A, a historic courtroom for Judge Brown, who recalled presiding over two…
Judge Anna J. Brown: “Fundamentally inclined toward solving problems” –Lifetime Service Award 2019
By Adair Law The U.S. District Court of Oregon Historical Society is pleased to honor Judge Anna J. Brown with its 2019 Lifetime Service Award. This article is based on research, interviews, and conversations with Judge Brown, her colleagues, and friends. All photos are courtesy of Judge Brown unless noted. Like millions of people displaced by World War II, Judge Anna J. Brown’s parents, Adalbert and Margarete Jaeger, sought a new life in America. On February 7, 1952, Adalbert’s 43rd birthday, he and Margarete, with their daughters Irmgard (7) and Rita (3) and Adalbert’s older brother, Franz Jaeger, boarded the SS Homeland in Hamburg, Germany en route to Portland,…