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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Stan Pocock Interview, September 1986
Stan Pocock (1923-2014) was a prominent rower and coach in Pacific Northwest rowing. He was born in Seattle and had an interest in rowing from an early age thanks to the legacy of his father, George Pocock (1891-1976) who was renowned for his design and construction of rowing shells. George Pocock was responsible for the construction of the rowing shells used by the University of Washington in their 1936 Olympic championship and supplied collegiate rowing shells across the nation. Stan attended the University of Washington and graduated with a degree in engineering. Stan carried in his father’s footsteps and became known for his own innovations, creating the first fiberglass rowing shell in 1961. He also became a successful rowing coach, leading eight crews to the Olympics during the 1950s and 1960s; coaching the University of Washington rowing team and acting as the first coach of the Lake Washington Rowing Club. In 2012, USRowing awarded Pocock the Medal of Honor, honoring his lifetime achievement in the field.
Identifier: spl_ds_spocock_01
Date: 1986-09-14; 1986-09-17
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Florence Min-Hsien Yang Kiang Interview, August 31, 1987
Min-Hsien Yang Kiang was a professor of nutrition who relocated to Seattle in her retirement. Kiang was born during World War I in Shanghai, China. Shortly afterwards her family moved to Peking where she grew up and later attended Peking Union Medical College with a focus on nutrition and nursing. Her husband, Heng-Pin Kiang, was a professor of international law at the National Central University. During World War II he advised the governor of the Bank of China and Representative of China Defense Supplies Chungking and also held the position of special assistant to the Foriegn Minister and Prime Minister. Between 1946 and 1947 he served as Secretary General of the China Institute of International Affairs. In 1948, Kiang joined the Republic of China's mission to the United Nations in New York and the couple moved to the United States. Their son, Heng-Pin Kiang was born shortly after their arrival. After the birth of her son, Kiang resumed her academic career, teaching at Hunter College and Columbia University. After her husband’s death in 1968, Kiang began working as a full time Professor of Nutrition and Food at Drexel University in Philadelphia where she stayed until her retirement. Following her retirement she moved to Seattle to be closer to her son, Heng-Pin.
Identifier: spl_ds_kiang_01_01
Date: 1987-08-31
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Dale Turner Interview, February 27, 1986
Rev. Dr. Dale Turner (1917-2006) served as the pastor of Seattle’s University Congregational Church from 1958 to 1982. Turner was born in Glen Dale, West Virginia and his family moved to Ohio shortly afterwards. Turner attended West Virginia Wesleyan College and pursued a career in coaching before deciding to change directions and study religion at the Yale Divinity School where he graduated in 1943. In 1948 he married his wife, Leone, and the couple moved to Kansas where Turner became the pastor for Lawrence’s Congregational Church and taught at the University of Kansas. In 1958, Turner moved to Seattle to become the minister for the University Congregational Church. He held the role for 24 years and was a vocal supporter of pacifism, gay rights and civil rights.
Identifier: spl_ds_dturner_01
Date: 1986-02-27
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Frank Cunningham Interview, September 15, 1986
Frank Cunningham (1922-2013) was a fixture in the Seattle rowing scene. Cunningham grew up in Lowell, Massachusetts and attended Harvard and was part of the varsity rowing team. He interrupted his college education to serve in the Marine Corps during World War II. Following the war he moved to Seattle where he began working at Boeing and met his wife, Jane. He earned his graduate degree in teaching from the University of Washington and began a career in education. He also coached the rowing team at Lakeside school where he was also a humanities teacher. Several of his students later became Olympian rowers. He received the medal of honor from the U.S. Rowing Association in 2010 and was included in their Hall of Fame. In 2012, he was honored by the Washington State Senate for his teaching and coaching career.
Identifier: spl_ds_fcunningham_01
Date: 1986-09-15
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Wallingford at Stone Way N. and Bridge Way N., April 27, 2004
Photograph shows businesses in the Stoneway Center business park on Stone Way N at Bridge Way N.
Identifier: spl_dor_00037
Date: 2004-04-27
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Norah Raymond Interview, May 15, 1988
Norah Raymond (1902-2002) came from a prominent Port Angeles family and was an active member of multiple Seattle organizations. She was born in Port Angeles to Thomas T. and Eva Aldwell. Thomas Aldwell was originally from Toronto and moved to Port Angeles in 1890. He became a prominent landowner in the area, served as Clallam County auditor and president of the Port Angeles Chamber of Commerce. He was also instrumental in advocating for the construction of the Elwah Dam. Norah Raymond attended Holy Names in Seattle and graduated magna cum laude from the University of Washington in 1922 with a degree in business administration. She married her husband, W. Lloyd Raymond ( -1941) in 1930. He was employed in the timber industry with a variety of companies including as Vice President of Rayonier, Inc., a pulp and paper company in Port Angeles. Raymond was active in the Seattle Golf and Tennis clubs, the Sunset Club and Children’s Hospital.
Identifier: spl_ds_nraymond_01
Date: 1988-05-15
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View of regrade north from Madison St. and 3rd Ave., ca. 1906
Piper and Taft Sporting Goods appears on the left. In the distances is wreckage of what may be the old Washington Hotel. Although the regrade started in 1903, James Moore, the owner of the Washington Hotel, refused to clear the property until 1906 when regrading of Second and Third Avenues were well underway.
Identifier: spl_dr_018
Date: 1906
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Map of the City of Seattle and Adjacent Territory Accompanying Report of Municipal Plans Commission, 1911
Map showing proposed city improvements under the Plan of Seattle, commonly known as the Bogue Plan. Designed by Virgil Bogue, Seattle's municipal plans director, the Bogue Plan proposed a series of improvements aimed at beautifying the city and making it making it more cohesive after years of rapid growth and industrialization. The plan worked in tandem with the Olmsted Brothers new system of parks, begun in 1903, and proposed new government buildings, an improved city center and an interurban road connecting the city together. The plan was rejected by voters in 1912.
Identifier: spl_maps_2444648_1
Date: 1911
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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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William McGuire and Jeannie Carson Interview, April 7, 1988
William “Biff” McGuire (1926-) and Jeannie Carson (1928-) were actors active with the Seattle Repertory Theater and married for over 50 years. During the interview they discuss their upbringing, their careers and their experiences working with each other. McGuire was born in New Haven, Connecticut and attended Hamden High School and the University of Massachusetts. He joined the Army during World War II where he was stationed in England and took his first acting role. McGuire acted in Broadway plays and films and often appeared in productions with his wife, Jeannie Carson, whom he married in 1960 after meeting her in a production of “Finian’s Rainbow” on Broadway. Carson (1928-) was born in Pudsey, England. She was discovered while performing in the musical “Love from Judy” in London and contracted to appear in the comedic television series “Hey Jeannie!” which aired in 1956. Jeannie and Biff joined the touring show of Camelot in 1961 where they played the roles of King Arthur and Guinevere. The couple spent 15 years with the Seattle Repertory Theater in Seattle.
Identifier: spl_ds_mcguirecarson_01
Date: 1988-04-07
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