McDonald, Myrtle 1998-07-24

Lubbock, Texas attorney Myrtle McDonald talks about working as a legal secretary and she talks about becoming a lawyer.

General Interview Information

Interviewee Name: Myrtle McDonald

Additional Parties Recorded: None

Date: July 24, 1998

Location: Lubbock, Texas

Interviewer: Fred Allison

Length: 1 hour 20 minutes

Abstract

Tape 1: McDonald, Myrtle, Born in Hamilton County, Texas in June 1941, Oldest of 4 children, Father Farmer, Moved to Lubbock, Texas because of the drought in central Texas, 1951, Worked construction and injured his elbow, Started working for a vending company, Education in Lubbock, Texas, Was a member of the first class at Monterey High School, Lubbock, Texas (mid 1950s), Characteristics, Student life, Holly, Buddy, Death, Baptist churches, Trinity Baptist Church, Memorial Baptist Church, Rules, Expansion, Monterey Shopping Center, McDonald, Myrtle (again), Education, Monterey High School (again), Home economics, Texas Tech University, Jobs during school, Worked for attorneys, Irvin, R. Briggs, Treadaway, Gordon, Quilliam, Reed, Bloomrosen, J.R., Stopped going to school, Worked for J.R. Bloomrosen and Gordon Treadaway, Co-op work, Legal secretary, Duties, Attorneys - Lubbock, Texas, Shaver, Wemar, Hurly, Dan, Sowder, Madison, Attorneys - Lubbock, Texas (continued), Davidson, Howard, Jones, Fliger, Brown and Morton Law Firm, Opinions, Bloomrosen and Treadaway, Split partnership, McDonald, Myrtle (again), Went to work for Bloomrosen, Great Plains Building, Moved to Texas Commerce Bank Building, 1964, Stopped working for Bloomrosen, May 1969, Went back to Texas Tech University, 1967, Gave birth to daughter, fall 1969, Graduated, May 1970, Commencement ceremonies called off due to the Tornado of 1970, Began school at Texas Tech University School of Law, fall 1970, Tornado of 1970 - Lubbock, Texas, Story, McDonald, Myrtle (again), Texas Tech University School of Law, Families reaction to attending, Husband, Difficulties, Attrition rate, Professors, Kirk, Maurice, Graduated, December 1972, Took the Bar exam, February 1973, Licensed, April 1973, Looking for a job, Applied with SEC, Lubbock, Texas District Attorney's Office, Griffon, Alton, Juvenile work.

Tape 2: McDonald, Myrtle, Lubbock, Texas District Attorney's Office (continued), Welfare work, Duties, Left district attorney's office, February 1976, Began working with J.R. Bloomrosen, Had partnership until April 1989, Jones, Charlie, Opinions, McDonald, Myrtle (again), Lubbock, Texas District Attorney's Office again, Juvenile robbery case, First jury case, Lubbock Bar Association, Characteristics, Memorial services for deceased lawyers, Lawyer tactics, Other bar associations,reputations, Dallas, Texas, McDonald, Myrtle (again), Reflections of career, Problems practicing law, Sexual discrimination, Competition for clients, [This side ends after 20 minutes].

Range Dates: 1941-1998

Bulk Dates: 1969-1989

Access Information

Original Recording Format:

Recording Format Notes:

Transcript:

---

Thank you for your interest in this oral history interview. Our oral history collection is available to patrons in the Southwest Collection's Reading Room, located on the campus of Texas Tech University. For reading room hours, visit our website. Please contact Reference Staff at least one week prior to your visit to ensure the oral history you are interested in will be available. Due to copyright issues, duplications of our oral histories can only be made for family members. If an oral history transcript has been made available online, the link will be provided on this page. More information on accessing our oral histories is located here. Preferred citation style can be found here.