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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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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Mary Todd Interview, May 15, 1987
Mary Allen Todd was born in Rockingham, North Carolina in January 1940. She was a teacher known for her love of Shakespeare.
Identifier: spl_ds_mtodd_01
Date: 1987-05-15
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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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Helmut Eppich Interview, February 6, 1987
Helmut Eppich (1933-) was born in Yugoslavia. Together with his twin brother, Hugo, Helmut 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_heeppich_01
Date: 1987-02-06
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Ralph Anderson Interview, May 25, 1987
Ralph Anderson (1924-2010) was a Seattle architect known for his work with historic preservation efforts in Pike Place Market and Pioneer Square. Anderson attended Queen Anne High School and graduated with his architecture degree from the University of Washington in 1951. He worked as a draftsman for Paul Hayden Kirk from 1951 to 1954 before forming his own firm. During the 1960s and 1970s, he led helped restore several buildings in Pioneer Square including the Union Trust Building, the Pioneer Building and the Grand Central Hotel. His restoration efforts extended to Pike Place Market in the 1970s, focusing on the Smith Block, Butterworth Building and Alaska Trade Building.
Identifier: spl_ds_randerson_01_01
Date: 1987-05-25
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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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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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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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R. Duke Watson Interview, May 8, 1986
R. Duke Watson (1915-2010) was born in Alton, Illinois. He grew up with a heavy interest in the outdoors and first visited Seattle on family trips to the West Coast. He attended the Western Military Academy and the University of Illinois where he graduated with a degree in forestry in 1937. Watson moved to the Pacific Northwest shortly after to pursue a career in the timber industry. When World War II began, Watson enlisted in the Army where he served with the Tenth Mountain Division and became a major. On his return from the war, Watson married his wife, Marillyn Black and started his own lumber wholesale business. His interest in the outdoors continued throughout his lifetime and he became one of the founders of the Crystal Mountain ski area and a significant figure in the early history of North Cascades mountaineering.
Identifier: spl_ds_rwatson_01
Date: 1986-05-08
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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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