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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Jeanette Williams Interview, May 1988
Jeanette Williams (1914-2008) was a Seattle native who spent 20 years serving on the Seattle City Council. Williams attended Mercer Grade School and Queen Anne High School. She was a skilled violinist and attended Cornish School of Music, the University of Washington and the American Conservatory of Music in Chicago. Before embarking on her political career, Williams played for the Chicago Philharmonic and formed a quartet that went by the name Swinging Strings. In 1962, Williams became the first woman to chair the King County Democrats. In 1969, she won a seat on the Seattle City Council, championing the creation of Magnuson Park and programming for senior citizens. During her tenure on the council, Williams introduced legislation to protect gay, lesbian and transgender citizens from discrimination in employment and housing. She was also instrumental in obtaining funding for construction of the West Seattle bridge helped the city to acquire Kubota Garden as a park. She remained on the council until 1989.
Identifier: spl_ds_jwilliams_01_01
Date: 1988-05
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Josiah Collins VI Interview, January 19, 1988
Josiah Collins VI (1908-1990) came from a pioneering Seattle family and was active in real estate. He graduated from Yale University and served in the Army during World War II. Following the war, Collins was involved in Seattle real estate with the firm Yates, Riley & MacDonald and as a member of several organizations including the Seattle Real Estate Board, Building Owners and Managers Association, Society of Residential Appraisers and American Right of Way Association. He married Dorothy Priscilla (Patsy) Bullitt Collins in 1947 and together they had three sons.
Identifier: spl_ds_jcollins_01
Date: 1988-01-19
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Fred Bassetti Interview, January 24, 1987
Fred Bassetti (1917-2013) was a Seattle native and part of the “Northwest School” of architects. He attended Garfield High School and received his bachelor's degree in architecture from the University of Washington in 1942. During the war, he worked for the Federal Public Housing Authority. In 1946, he graduated from Harvard with his masters degree in architecture. Upon his return to Seattle, he worked for Naramore Bain Brady Johanson from 1946 to 1947 before creating his own architectural firm. Bassetti was responsible for the design of projects such as the Henry M. Jackson Federal Building, the Seattle Municipal Tower and Lakeside School among others.
Identifier: spl_ds_fbassetti_01
Date: 1987-01-24; 1987?
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Dixy Lee Ray Interview, August 23, 1986
Dixy Lee Ray (1914-1994) was a Tacoma native, scientist and the first female governor of Washington State. She graduated from Mills College in 1937 and earned her doctorate in biology from Stanford University in 1942. After completing her education, Ray taught at the University of Washington and served as the director of the Pacific Science Center, helping to define its direction in the wake of the 1962 World’s Fair. In 1972, President Nixon appointed Ray as chairman of the Atomic Energy Commission where she remained until 1975. Ray became of the Governor of Washington in 1976.
Identifier: spl_ds_dray_01
Date: 1986-08-23
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Jesse Epstein Interview, January 22, 1988
Jesse Epstein (1910-1989) was a lawyer and the first director of the Seattle Housing Authority. Epstein was born in Russia and his family moved to Great Falls, Montana in 1913. Epstein attended the University of Washington where he graduated with a degree in political science in 1932 and a law degree in 1935. He became the director of the Seattle Housing Authority in 1939 and held that role throughout World War II until 1945. During his tenure as director he supervised the development of Yesler Terrace which was the first housing project in Seattle. Yesler Terrace also notable for the fact that it was not segregated according to race (in contrast to many other housing options in the country). In 1945 Epstein became the Regional Director for the Federal Housing Authority (FHA) and became the West Coast Director the following year. In 1948 he left his position at FHA and refocused on his legal career. Epstein was heavily involved in multiple community organizations including Neighborhood House, the Mountaineers and the Washington Wilderness Association.
Identifier: spl_ds_jepstein_01
Date: 1988-01-22
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Ted Schuchat Interview, February 29, 1988
Theodore L. Schuchat (1923-2014) was a journalist and speechwriter who worked for the federal government for over 30 years. Schuchat was born in Warrenton, West Virginia and grew up in Baltimore. He attended West Virginia University where he was President of his class. Schuchat’s education was interrupted due to World War II when he joined the Army and served as a radarman. After the war he worked for an advertising agency in New York before resuming his college career at the New School. After graduating from college, he moved back to Washington D.C. and began working for the federal government in 1950. There he worked for the Interior Department and also wrote speeches for political figures. He also worked as a freelance writer with a focus on topics such as health, welfare and retirement. He was the author of syndicated column for the North American Newspaper Alliance. Outside of work, Ted served as the first president of Temple Micah in Washington, D.C. Schuchat moved to Seattle in 2005.
Identifier: spl_ds_tshchuchat_01
Date: 1988-02-29
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Ibsen Nelson Interview, 1988
Ibsen Andreas Nelson (1919-2001) was a Seattle architect known for his historical preservation efforts and his designs for buildings such as the Museum of Flight and the Inn at the Market. He also designed many residential homes, including one for his friend and prominent Pacific Northwest artist Morris Graves. Originally from Ruskin, Nebraska, Nelson served in the army during World War II and received two bronze stars. Following the war, he attended the University of Oregon which he graduated from in 1951 with his degree in architecture. He worked briefly at Naramore, Bain, Brady and Johanson in Seattle as a draftsman before opening his own architectural firm in 1953. Nelson was a member of the Seattle Design Commission, and served as president of both the Allied Arts of Seattle and the Seattle Municipal Arts Commission.
Identifier: spl_ds_inelson_01
Date: 1988-04-06; 1988-04-12
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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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Pine St. Apartments, March 1979
Seattle - 500 block Pine Str. E. - Apartment building has been renovated.
Identifier: spl_wl_apt_00061
Date: 1979-03
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Roland Trafton Interview, 1986
Roland Trafton (1920-2005) was CEO of Safeco Corporation and a leading figure in local philanthropic efforts. Trafton was born in Venice, California and his family moved to Washington when he was young. He attended the University of Washington, leaving during World War II to serve in the Army Air Corps. Upon his return to the University after the war, he earned his law degree. Trafton married his wife Rose Marie in 1943 and together the couple had five children. In 1952, Trafton began working at Safeco where he held a number of positions before becoming CEO in 1979. During his time with the company he created the Safeco Art Collection which became home to works from many Pacific Northwest artists. Trafton retired from Safeco in 1979. He was heavily involved in charitable projects, fundraising for many local organizations such as the Pacific Science Center, Seattle Art Museum, Children’s Hospital and the 5th Avenue Theatre. His interests also extended to the outdoors where he was an experienced mountaineer and marathon runner.
Identifier: spl_ds_rtrafton_01
Date: 1986
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