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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David Colwell Interview, December 4, 1985
Reverend David G. Colwell (1916-2001) served as pastor of Plymouth Congregational Church in downtown Seattle from 1967 until his retirement in 1982.
Identifier: spl_ds_dcolwell_01
Date: 1985-12-04
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Eulalie Merrill Wagner Interview, July 14, 1986
Eulalie Merrill Wagner (1904-1991) was a philanthropist well known for the gardens of her 10 acre Tacoma estate, Lakewold. She was born in Seattle and attended St. Nicholas School and the Masters School, a preparatory school in Dobbs Ferry, NY. She married George Corydon Wagner (1895-1979) in the 1920s. They moved to Lakewold in 1938. Both Wagner and her husband had family ties to the local lumber industries; through her husband’s side with the St. Paul & Tacoma Lumber Company and through her side with the Merrill & Ring Lumber Company. She was an avid golfer and served as president of many organizations such as the Tacoma Art Museum, Tacoma Garden Club and Tacoma Junior League. She also supported the University of Washington Arboretum, helped to develop the native plant garden at Point Defiance Park in Tacoma and created the Wagner Endowment for Nursing Education at Tacoma General Hospital.
Identifier: spl_ds_ewagner_01
Date: 1986-07-14
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R. Joseph Monsen Interview, October 1, 1986
R. Joseph Monsen (1931-) was an economics professor who began teaching at the University of Washington in the 1960s. Monson and his wife, Dr. Elaine Monsen, were well known art collectors, amassing collections of Asian Art, photography, and ceramics. Together, the couple established the Joseph and Elaine Monsen Photography Collection at the Henry Art Gallery in 1979.
Identifier: spl_ds_rmonsen_01
Date: 1986-10-01
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John Ellis Interview, March 3, 1987
John Ellis (1928-) is a native Seattleite who was the head of Puget Sound Power and Light. Ellis attended John Muir Elementary School, Franklin High School and the University of Washington. He received his bachelor’s degree in 1950 and his law degree in 1953. Ellis became the vice president of Puget Power in 1970 and was promoted to the position of president in 1976. He retired from the company in 1992. Following his retirement he was heavily involved in Seattle’s baseball scene, serving as chairman and CEO of the Seattle Mariners and leading a campaign to fund a new baseball stadium.
Identifier: spl_ds_jellis_01
Date: 1987-03-03
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Letter from Edward S. Curtis to Harriet Leitch, November 17, 1950
Letter from Edward Curtis to Harriet Leitch, discussing his journey with Ella McBride and the Mazamas to the summit of Mount Rainier. He shares that it was on a similar guided tour of Rainier that he met the men who would later invite him to join the Harriman Expedition to Alaska as the photographer. Curtis encourages Leitch to review the volumes describing the Expedition so that she may see the photographs he took of the journey. He adds that his daughter Billy has been forced to return from Australia prematurely due to the sudden ill health of her husband.
Identifier: spl_esc_018
Date: 1950-11-17
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Alexander Bill Interview, January 19, 1988
Dr. Alexander (Sandy) H. Bill Jr. (1914-1996) was a pediatric surgeon who worked at both Providence Hospital and Children's Orthopedic Hospital. Bill was born in Massachusetts and attended Harvard University where he received his medical degree. In his position at Seattle Children’s Hospital, Bill became chief of surgery and led research endeavors studying childhood cancer. He and his wife, Sally, had six children together and often went sailing as a family. Bill also served as Board President of the Bush School. Alexander and Sally Bill also played important roles in land preservation in the San Juans, helping to establish the San Juan Preservation trust, and donating land in Lopez Village which now serves as the location of a community garden, children’s center and farmer’s market. The couple first bought land on Lopez Island in 1964 and moved there full time in 1980 after their retirement.
Identifier: spl_ds_abill_01
Date: 1988-01-19
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Nevada Falls in Yosemite, ca. 1897-1900
No caption is provided for the photograph but it appears to show Nevada Falls in Yosemite. Pillsbury had a lifelong interest in the park and established his own photograph studio there in 1897.
Identifier: spl_ap_00196
Date: 1897?; 1900?
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Aurora Bridge from Smith St. dead end, October 2, 1958
View of the Aurora Avenue Bridge looking north, taken from the dead end of Smith Street in East Queen Anne.
Identifier: spl_dor_00008
Date: 1958-10-02
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White-Henry-Stuart Building being demolished, November 14, 1975
View from University St. looking north on 4th Ave. The White-Henry-Stuart Building appears on the right covered with scaffolding.
Identifier: spl_dor_00020
Date: 1975-11-14
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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
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