James Gillespie Oral History Interview

Oral history interview by Mary Heers with James Gillespie. Topics include: Generations of family members living in Ogden; His parents divorce and mother's second marriage; Various jobs throughout his life starting in junior high school; Joining the Airforce and serving two tours during the Vietnam War; Marriage and children; A career in Law enforcement; Joining the Ogden City Police Department; Working undercover for the Utah Liquor and Narcotics Law Enforcement; Attending the FBI National Academy; Joining the Utah Department of Corrections; His grandfather's work for Union Pacific; His father's work for the Ogden Defense Depot; James' plans to become a doctor before basic training, but changing plans after becoming a Military Policeman; His belief that everyone is human and deserves to be treated with respect.

Mr. James Gillespie talks about the Ogden area, where he grew up. He worked a variety of jobs as a teenager, then joined the Air Force and was part of the Military Police. After his military service, he was hired by the Ogden City Police Department. After a short stint with the Ogden City Police, he was hired to be an agent of the Utah Liquor Law Enforcement; eventually he became the director of Utah Liquor and Narcotics. After attending the FBI National Academy, he worked for the FBI, and then finally for the Utah Department of Corrections - eventually working as the Deputy Executive Director. He shares some experiences and memories working in law enforcement. He also talks about how he thought he would go into medicine and be a physician. He shares that the single, most important thing he learned while working was that every individual is human and should be treated with respect.