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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Karl William Edmark Interview, January 7, 1986
Dr. Karl William Edmark (1924-1994) was a cardiovascular surgeon responsible for the invention of the heart defibrillator.
Identifier: spl_ds_wedmark_01
Date: 1986-01-07
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View north to regrade at 7th and Virginia, ca. 1906
Dwellings in the process of being lowered appear to the right.
Identifier: spl_dr_021
Date: 1906
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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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Denny Regrade, ca. 1906
Water jets and building being deconstructed at unidentified regrade location.
Identifier: spl_dr_013
Date: 1906
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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
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Madison Park, August 1996
Madison Park Beach overlooking Lake Washington, with view of the Evergreen Point Floating Bridge (also known as the 520 Bridge) in the distance and partial view of the park's bathhouse.
Identifier: spl_dor_00015
Date: 1996-08
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View north on 2nd Ave. from Pike St., ca. 1906
The building that appears on the far right is a series of row houses located at 2nd Ave. and Stewart. The same building can be seen in spl_dr_027.
Identifier: spl_dr_023
Date: 1906
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Spectators watching regrade work, ca. 1906
Billboard for Charley's Aunt, a production at the Pantages Theatre can be seen in background. Possible location is near the site of the Washington Hotel. Although the regrade started in 1903, James Moore, the owner of the hotel, refused to clear the property until 1906 when regrading of Second and Third Avenues were well underway.
Identifier: spl_dr_014
Date: 1906
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Train transporting regrade dirt on Westlake Ave., ca. 1906
Train on raised railroad on Westlake Ave. near Stewart St. It is likely the the train pictured is the Mount Moses, Denny Hill, Central and Westlake Valley Airline. The towers of St. James Cathedral can be seen in the distance on the left.
Identifier: spl_dr_031
Date: 1906
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Building at Occidental Ave. S. and S. Washington St., September 25, 1980
Northwest corner of Occidental Ave. S. and S. Washington St. shows the building previously known as the four-story Interurban Hotel until 1949 when it was damaged by an earthquake and partially collapsed. The Del Mar Building can be seen on the far left.
Identifier: spl_dor_00027
Date: 1980-09-25
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