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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Robert J. Block Interview, July 30, 1987
Robert Block (1922-1996) was a managing partner of the accounting firm Laventhal and Horvath and an active civic leader in Seattle. Block grew up in Chicago and attended the University of Illinois. He served in the Navy during World War II and was stationed in Seattle which was where he met and married his wife, Marian Friedman. Over the course of his accounting career, Block acted as president of the Washington State Board of Accountancy, the National Association of State Boards of Accountancy and the Washington Society of CPA’s. Block was also active in his community, serving as president of Temple De Hirsh and vice president of the Seattle Opera.
Identifier: spl_ds_rblock_01
Date: 1987-07-30
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Ed Dunn Interview, August 6, 1985
Edward Dunn (1904-1991) was involved with Seattle Trust and Savings Bank and in import and export business. He also served on the board of the Mount St. Vincent Foundation. Dunn’s father was prominent in the formation of the fishing industry in the Northwest.
Identifier: spl_ds_edunn_01
Date: 1985-08-06
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Philip McCracken Interview, February 8, 1987
Philip McCracken (1928-) is a Washington artist known for his animal and bird sculptures. McCracken was born in Bellingham, Washington and grew up in Anacortes. He graduated from Anacortes High School in 1947. McCracken began studying pre-law at the University of Washington but interrupted his education to serve as an Army reservist during the Korean War. When he returned to his studies, he decided to switch his major to art. He graduated from the University of Washington in 1954. After graduation McCracken traveled to England to become an apprentice to the famed British sculptor Henry Moore. On the ship to England, he met his future wife, Anne. The couple moved to New York where Morris Graves helped introduce him to local galleries. In 1955 they decided to move back to the Pacific Northwest and settled into their Guemes Island home. McCracken’s work is featured in many galleries and museums such as the Tacoma Art Museum and the Seattle Art Museum. In 1994, he was awarded the Washington Governor’s Art and Heritage Award.
Identifier: spl_ds_pmcracken_01
Date: 1987-02-08
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Margaret Baillargeon Interview, August 27, 1987
Margaret Sheldon Ames Baillargeon (1898-1991) was a patron of the Seattle arts and served as a patron of many organizations. She served as president of the Cornish Foundation and as president of the Seattle Tennis Club board. Margaret’s stepfather, Edward Ames founded the Ames Shipbuilding & Drydock Company in 1916. Her husband, John Baillargeon worked in a variety of roles in Seattle’s lumber and shipbuilding industry, serving as secretary-treasurer of the C.D. Stimson Company, president of the J.A. Baillargeon Company, the Stimson Mill Company and the Ames Shipbuilding & Drydock Co.
Identifier: spl_ds_mbaillargeon_01_01
Date: 1987-08-27
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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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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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Milton Katims Interview, May 10, 1986
Milton Katims (1909-2006) was a skilled violist and conductor, leading the Seattle Symphony for over two decades. Katims was born in Brooklyn, New York and attended Columbia University. He taught viola classes at schools such as Julliard, Northwestern University, and the University of Washington. He married his wife, Virginia Peterson, in 1940. In 1943, Katims joined the NBC Symphony Orchestra, a radio orchestra that performed weekly broadcasts, and served as the assistant conductor. He also composed his own music and played with ensembles including the Budapest String Quartet and the New York Piano Quartet. Katims conducted symphonies internationally in locales such as Montreal, Boston, Philadelphia and London. He was the conductor of the Seattle Symphony from 1954 to 1976, helping the symphony to grow in prominence. He played a critical role in garnering support to convert the city’s Civic Auditorium to the Opera House, which was shared by the Seattle Symphony, Seattle Opera and Pacific Northwest Ballet. Following his time in Seattle, Katims moved to Houston where he worked as the Artistic Director for the University of Houston School of Music for eight years. Following his retirement, he returned to Seattle.
Identifier: spl_ds_mkatims_01
Date: 1986-05-10
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Victor Steinbrueck Interview, 1984
Victor Steinbrueck (1911-1985) was a prominent Seattle architect, noted for his leadership in preserving public outdoor space and historic areas such as Pike Place Market and Pioneer Square. Steinbrueck was born in Mandan, North Dakota and his family moved to Seattle in 1913. His father worked as a machinist and was active in local labor unions and his mother was a teacher. Steinbrueck graduated from the University of Washington with his bachelor's degree in architecture in 1935. During the 1930s, Steinbrueck worked for the Works Progress Administration and the Civilian Conservation Corps, creating artwork depicting federal projects and life in CCC camps. He later produced multiple books featuring sketches of Seattle scenes. Between 1935 and 1937, he began working with private Seattle architectural firms before starting his own practice in 1938. One of his first major jobs was helping to design the Yesler Terrace Housing Project. During World War II, Steinbrueck served in the Army before returning to Seattle in 1946 and joining the University of Washington architecture faculty. In 1950, Steinbrueck married his first wife, Elaine Worden and the couple eventually had four children together. After divorcing Elaine, he married his second wife, Marjorie Da Silva in 1964. Steinbrueck’s architectural designs ranged from creating private family residences to contributing to the design of the Space Needle for the 1962 Seattle World’s Fair. During the 1960s and 1970s, Steinbrueck led campaigns to help protect and preserve Seattle’s historic buildings which were being threatened by urban development plans. His leadership resulted in the creation of the Pioneer Square Historic District in 1970 and the Pike Place Market Historic District in 1971. Steinbrueck continually advocated for the importance of including thoughtful public spaces in Seattle’s urban landscape. He helped push for a public plaza to be included in the Westlake Center development and also helped to design several public parks including the area that now bears his name at Pike Place Market.
Identifier: spl_ds_vsteinbrueck_01; spl_ds_vsteinbrueck_02
Date: 1984-10-15; 1984-11-17; 1984-11-19
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