Donald Schmechel Oral History Collection
Watch oral histories with prominent figures in the Pacific Northwest including artists Jacob Lawrence and Kenneth Callahan; Governors Albert Rosellini and Dixy Lee Ray and Reverends David Colwell and Samuel McKinney.
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John Steiner Interview, February 12, 1988
John Steiner (1917-2003) was vice president and corporate director of product development at Boeing. Steiner was born in Seattle. He earned his Aeronautical Engineering degree from the University of Washington in 1940 and his masters from MIT in 1941 and began working at Boeing shortly afterwards, Steiner married his wife, Dorothy, in 1942 and the couple had three children together. During his career at 43 year career at Boeing, he helped develop many airplanes including the 707, 727 and 737. After leaving Boeing, Steiner served on the White House Aeronautical Policy Review Committee.
Identifier: spl_ds_jsteiner_01
Date: 1988-02-12
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George Revelle Interview, January 22, 1988
Judge George Revelle (1913-1999) was a King County Superior Court judge. He was born in Seattle and attended Roosevelt High School briefly before transferring to St. John’s Military Academy. He graduated from the Academy in 1931 and completed his law degree from the University of Washington in 1936. The following year he married Evelyn Hall Revelle and together the couple had two children. During World War II, Revelle served in Africa and Italy. Following the war, he began a private law practice in Seattle. In 1955, he was appointed as a Superior Court judge. Revelle was heavily active in the community of St. Mark’s Episcopal Cathedral, acting as the head of the church school and senior warden. He was also part of the leadership of many organizations including the Washington State Board Against Discrimination in Employment, Association of Superior Court Judges of Washington and National Conference of State Trial Judges. One of his most famous cases was the trial of Dave Beck, president of the Teamsters Union, who embezzled money from the union and was tried for tax evasion.
Identifier: spl_ds_grevelle_01
Date: 1988-01-22
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Fred Haley Interview, May 2, 1986
Fred T. Haley (1912-2005) was the president of Brown & Haley, the confectionary company founded by his father in 1912 that became well known for manufacturing Almond Roca. Haley was heavily involved in civil rights and education issues in Tacoma and nationwide. He served on the Tacoma School Board from 1954 to 1965 and worked for school desegregation and increasing diversity among the faculty. He was also heavily involved in establishing a Tacoma campus for the University of Washington. Haley’s deep interest in social causes was further demonstrated by his participation in the 1963 March on Washington. The American Civil Liberties Union honored Haley with their William O. Douglas award in 1985 for his work to promote civil rights and racial equality and protecting targets of McCarthyism in the 1950s.
Identifier: spl_ds_fhaley_01
Date: 1986-05-02
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Albert Bumgardner Interview, September 30, 1986
Albert Bumgardner (1923-1987) was a noted Seattle architect responsible for the design of buildings across Washington State. He grew up in Illinois and attended Illinois University where he received his bachelor’s degree in architecture in 1949. He moved to Seattle and started working with other architectural firms before starting his own in 1953. He served as the first chair of the Seattle Design Commission and helped protect Pioneer Square as the city’s first Historic District. Bumgardner designed several buildings on the campuses of Evergreen State College, the University of Washington, Central Washington University and Western Washington University. He also designed many private residences and buildings throughout Seattle including the Intiman Theater, Waterfront Place and Watermark Tower. He was president of the Seattle AIA Chapter from 1962 to 1962 and received the AIA Seattle Medal in 1987.
Identifier: spl_ds_abumgardner_01
Date: 1986-09-30
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Jacob Lawrence Interview, July 27, 1987
Jacob Lawrence (1917-2000) was an artist well known for his vivid and colorful paintings depicting African-American life. Lawrence was born in Atlantic City, New Jersey and moved with his family to Harlem at the age of 13. In 1935, in the midst of the Great Depression, Lawrence joined the Works Progress Administration (WPA) Artists’ Project which was his first paying job as an artist. He married Gwendolyn Knight, a painter and sculptor, in 1941. In 1943 Lawrence joined the United States Coast Guard where he helped transport troops to and from the European battlefields. Following his return from the war, he began teaching art as well as creating it. He first came to the West Coast in 1969 for a temporary teaching position at the California State University in Hayward. The following spring, he received an invitation to teach at the University of Washington where he was offered a permanent position. Lawrence and his wife moved from New York to Seattle in 1971. Both became instrumental in the Seattle arts scene, working with local organizations like the King County Arts Commission and the Washington State Arts Commission. Lawrence received many honors throughout his lifetime including the U.S. National Medal of Arts and the Washington Medal of Merit.
Identifier: spl_ds_jlawrence_01
Date: 1987-07-27
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Albert Rosellini Interview, April 22, 1986
Governor Albert D. Rosellini (1910-2011) served as the governor of Washington State from 1956 to 1965. Rosellini was born in Tacoma in 1910. In 1916, his family relocated to Seattle where they lived in the Rainier Valley neighborhood. Rosellini attended law school at the University of Washington. He was elected to the Washington State Senate in 1938. During his time as Governor, Rosellini focused on reforming the prison system to create a separate system for juvenile offenders. He also worked towards improving mental health services, road construction, and aid for higher education institutions.
Identifier: spl_ds_arosellini_01
Date: 1986-04-22
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Dwight Robinson Interview, October 23, 1985
Dwight E. Robinson (1914-1988) was a University of Washington economics professor noted for his study of fashion trends. Robinson earned his PhD from Columbia University in 1948 and became part of the University of Washington School of Business faculty in 1950. He was chair of the Business Department between 1965 and 1969. In 1963, he was awarded the John Simon Guggenheim award for his research on fashion and design. Robinson retired from the University of Washington in 1981.
Identifier: spl_ds_drobinson_01
Date: 1985-10-23
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John Clifford contract for employment with Pike Place Public Markets, Inc., January 1927
The contract presents the terms of John Clifford's employment as the Assistant Manager for Pike Place Public Markets, Inc. The contract stipulates that Clifford will work for the company for a period of ten years with a salary of $275 per month with additional stock benefits.
Identifier: spl_sh_00030
Date: 1927-01
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Frank Cunningham Interview, September 15, 1986
Frank Cunningham (1922-2013) was a fixture in the Seattle rowing scene. Cunningham grew up in Lowell, Massachusetts and attended Harvard and was part of the varsity rowing team. He interrupted his college education to serve in the Marine Corps during World War II. Following the war he moved to Seattle where he began working at Boeing and met his wife, Jane. He earned his graduate degree in teaching from the University of Washington and began a career in education. He also coached the rowing team at Lakeside school where he was also a humanities teacher. Several of his students later became Olympian rowers. He received the medal of honor from the U.S. Rowing Association in 2010 and was included in their Hall of Fame. In 2012, he was honored by the Washington State Senate for his teaching and coaching career.
Identifier: spl_ds_fcunningham_01
Date: 1986-09-15
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Laurene Gandy interview, April 6, 1987
Laurene Tatlow Gandy (1908-1993) was born in Denver, Colorado. She attended Colorado University for two years before transferring to Smith College where she earned her degree in English literature. She received her masters degree from the University of Denver and taught English there until she met and married in Joseph Gandy in 1937. Joseph Gandy was appointed as the president of the 1962 Century 21 Exposition and Laurene was often referred to as the fair’s “First Lady.” She served an important role hosting hundreds of visiting dignitaries and celebrities visiting the fair. Gandy was active in a variety of civic activities throughout her lifetime including serving on the board of the Seattle Symphony Orchestra, acting as president of the Seattle Children’s Home and helping to found the Seattle Center Foundation in 1977.
Identifier: spl_ds_lgandy_01_01
Date: 1987-04-06
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