This Tuesday, January 31, the latest edition of McMenamins’ free Old St. Francis History Pub is about Oregon’s first minimum wage law and the woman who helped to create it. It’s titled “Working Women: Caroline Gleason/Sister Miriam Theresa and Oregon’s First Minimum Wage Law” and is presented in conjunction with the Deschutes Historical Museum and the Oregon Historical Society.

Do you remember your first minimum wage job? In 1913, Caroline Gleason, later known as Sister Miriam Theresa, worked in Portland factories, surveyed working women across Oregon, and helped craft the nation’s first compulsory minimum wage law. Although that first version only applied to women and minors, Gleason’s work laid the foundation for the Fair Labor and Standards Act of 1938, and the minimum wage rates in place today.

Sounds interesting; I wonder if there is a correlation with women getting the vote in Oregon in 1912 (which then lead into statewide alcohol prohibition a few years later). The speaker is Janice Dilg:

Janice Dilg holds an MA in history from Portland State University and is the principal of HistoryBuilt, a historical consulting firm. She works with public agencies, non-profits, and historical organizations on a variety of public history programs, events, and products. Jan specializes in oral history and her projects include: the U.S. District Court of Oregon Historical Society, the Oregon State Capitol Foundation, and the oral history project for Oregon State University’s upcoming sesquicentennial anniversary, Oregon 150. Jan strives to create a more inclusive history for Oregon and the Pacific Northwest through her work.

The presentation is open to all ages and it’s free. It starts at 7pm, and the doors open at 5:30pm (presumably taking place in the theater, though it could be Father Luke’s Room as well).