Margaret Russell Bates Hane (1910-1986) grew up in Macon and Atlanta, Georgia, and later attended USC where she received her Bachelor of Science degree in Journalism and Master's degree in Political Science. Her second Master's was in Pupil Personnel Counseling from California State University, Los Angeles.

This small collection, produced and assembled by Hane's daughter Barbara Hane Desforges, centers upon an oral history conducted by Desforges of her mother between 1979 and 1981. It provides a glimpse into the past of Hane's childhood and growing up years in Georgia in the early part of the twentieth century, as well as her subsequent life in California including her employment at USC and her marriage to Frank Hane. The story continues with financial problems during the Great Depression and Frank's gas stations and oil refinery business; the birth of the three daughters; Frank's arrest and imprisonment for dealing with stolen gasoline (later found innocent); Margaret's take-over of the oil business after her husband's death and then subsequent selling of the business to Exxon.