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.
-
Samuel McKinney Interview, August 17, 1987
Reverend Samuel McKinney (1926-2018) was pastor of Mt. Zion Baptist Church for 40 years and a major leader in Seattle’s civil rights movement. McKinney was born in Flint, Michigan and raised in Cleveland, Ohio. He served in the Air Force during World War II and in 1949 graduated from Morehouse College where one of his classmates was Martin Luther King Jr. In 1952 he graduated from Colgate Rochester Divinity School and in 1953 married his wife Louise. Together the couple moved to Seattle in 1958 where McKinney became the pastor of Mt. Zion. McKinney was a tireless advocate for social and civil rights causes. He was one of the founders of the Seattle Opportunities Industrialization Center, an organization providing job training; helped start Seattle’s first black-owned bank to help community members obtain home loans after discirimation from other banks; advocated for Seattle’s fair housing act as a member of the Seattle Human Rights Commission and participated in civil rights marches and demonstrations nationwide.
Identifier: spl_ds_smckinney_01
Date: 1987-08-17
View this item -
[Wood pile]
Fay Chong was born in Canton, China in 1912. He worked primarily in printmaking and in watercolor. He and his family moved to Seattle in 1920. He attended Edison High School where he was a classmate of George Tsutakawa. Chong worked on the Public Works of Art Project in the 1930's with Robert Bruce Inverarity, Jacob Elshin and Julius Twohy. Chong taught art at Cornish College for the Arts, Seattle Community College, Washington Senior High School and Ingraham High School. He received a Bachelor's degree from the University of Washington in 1968 and an MAT from the University of Washington in 1971. He died suddenly of a stroke in 1973.
Identifier: spl_art_C455Wo
Date: 1949
View this item -
Pietro Belluschi Interview, November 24, 1986
Pietro Belluschi (1889-1994) was an architect based for many years out of Portland, Oregon. Belluschi was born in Ancona, Italy and came to the United States in 1923 as an exchange student at Cornell University. Belluschi was known for his modern approach to architecture and the design of buildings such as the Equitable Building in Portland and the Pan Am Building in New York City. Over the course of his career, Belluschi designed over 1,000 buildings. He also served as the dean of the MIT School of Architecture and Planning from 1951 until 1965. The American Institute of Architects awarded him their Gold Medal in 1972.
Identifier: spl_ds_pbelluschi_02
Date: 1986-11-24
View this item -
Hugo Eppich Interview, April 15, 1987
Hugo Eppich (1933-) was born in Yugoslavia. Together with his twin brother, Helmut, Hugo moved to Canada in 1953. They founded Ebco Industries Ltd in 1956 which specializes in metal fabrication. In 1990, the brothers received the BC Business Entrepreneurs of the Year award.
Identifier: spl_ds_hueppich_01
Date: 1987-04-15
View this item -
Sam Smith Interview, April 28, 1988
Sam Smith (1922-1995) Smith was born in Gibsland, Louisiana. He was stationed in Seattle during World War II while serving in the Army. Following the war’s conclusion, he decided to stay in Seattle and attended Seattle University where he earned a degree in social science in 1951 and the University of Washington where he earned a degree in economics in 1952. After graduating, he began a career at Boeing. In 1958, Smith was elected to the Washington House of Representatives, becoming the third African-American to earn a seat in the State House. During his time there, he championed a bill banning discrimination in home sales and rentals based on race or religion. In 1967, Smith left the legislature to pursue a seat on the Seattle City Council. He became the first African-American to serve on the council and remained there until 1991. During this time on the city council he promoted an open housing initiative and ran for mayor four times.
Identifier: spl_ds_ssmith_01_01
Date: 1988-04-28
View this item -
Baist's Real Estate Atlas of Surveys of Seattle, Wash - Plate 5
Baist Real Estate atlases of Seattle were published in 1905, 1908, and 1912. The atlases show property ownership (for large tracts), plats, block and lot numbers, streets, buildings, sewers, water mains, electric railways, and steam railroads.
Identifier: spl_maps_341191.5
Date: 1905
View this item -
Eugene Wright Interview, April and May 1988
Eugene Wright (1913-2002) . Wright was born in Seattle and attended TT Minor Elementary and Broadway High School. Wright earned his law degree from the University of Washington in 1937 and joined his father’s law firm following graduation. He married his wife, Esther Ladley, in 1938 and the couple had two children. During World War II, Wright joined the army and served as a Colonel in the South Pacific, leading Nisei soldiers. Wright was honored with multiple awards during his time in the service including the Bronze Star. Following the war, Wright remained a member of the U.S. Army reserve for twenty years. Upon his return to Seattle, he resumed his law career. In 1948, Wright began serving as a temporary Municipal Court Judge and in 1954 he was appointed to the King County Superior Court where he stayed for 12 years. In 1966, Wright left the court to become vice president of Pacific National Bank. Wright returned to the bench i 1969 when President Nixon appointed him to the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, a position that he held until his death in 2002. Wright was active in his local church, St. Stephen's Episcopal Church, and enjoyed gardening.
Identifier: spl_ds_ewright_01
Date: 1988-04-18; 1988-04-19; 1988-05-10
View this item -
[Cloth print]
Fay Chong was born in Canton, China in 1912. He worked primarily in printmaking and in watercolor. He and his family moved to Seattle in 1920. He attended Edison High School where he was a classmate of George Tsutakawa. Chong worked on the Public Works of Art Project in the 1930's with Robert Bruce Inverarity, Jacob Elshin and Julius Twohy. Chong taught art at Cornish College for the Arts, Seattle Community College, Washington Senior High School and Ingraham High School. He received a Bachelor's degree from the University of Washington in 1968 and an MAT from the University of Washington in 1971. He died suddenly of a stroke in 1973.
Identifier: spl_art_C455Cl
View this item -
Baist's Real Estate Atlas of Surveys of Seattle, Wash - Plate 10
Baist Real Estate atlases of Seattle were published in 1905, 1908, and 1912. The atlases show property ownership (for large tracts), plats, block and lot numbers, streets, buildings, sewers, water mains, electric railways, and steam railroads.
Identifier: spl_maps_341191.10
Date: 1905
View this item -
Bernice Stern Interview, August 18, 1987
Bernice Stern (1916-2007) was a Seattle native, the first woman to be elected to the King County Council and a community leader involved in many fields. Stern attended Broadway High School and the University of Washington. Following her marriage to Edward Stern in 1935, she became involved with the Council of Jewish Women at local and national levels. She participated in the Seattle Open Housing Campaign in 1959 and advocated heavily for women’s rights issues throughout her career. She was elected to the King County Council in 1970 and served until 1979. In the interview she discusses her life and involvement with the Council of Jewish Women, League of Women Voters, and Planned Parenthood, as well as work with blind children, aid to European Jews after World War II, and the civil rights movement of the 1960's.
Identifier: spl_ds_bstern_01
Date: 1987-08-18
View this item