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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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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Richard Gilkey Interview, June 14, 1986
Richard Gilkey (1925-1997) was a painter and sculptor who was part of the Northwest School of Artists. Gilkey was born in Bellingham, Washington. His family moved to Seattle when he was 12 and he attended Ballard High School. During World War II, Gilkey served with the Marine Corps and was discharged because of injuries in August 1944. Following the war, he began to develop an interest in artwork and was particularly inspired by the work of fellow Pacific Northwest artists Mark Tobey and Guy Anderson. His work was featured in the 1948 Northwest Annual Exhibition and in 1958 Gilkey was awarded a Guggenheim Fellowship, allowing him to travel through Europe and further develop his skills. In 1975, he purchased a Skagit Valley home and developed an art studio where his work was increasingly inspired by the surrounding environment. His painting came to a sudden halt when he was in a car accident in 1984, which left him unable to paint for three years due to crushed vertebrae. He slowly made his way back into the art world and was awarded the Washington State Governor’s Art Award in 1990. The same year he was awarded the grand prize in the Osaka Triennale 1990 exhibit. Notice of the award came on the same day that a Skagit River levee broke and flooded his home and studio. Following a severe lung cancer diagnosis in 1997, Gilkey drove from Seattle to Jackson Hole, Wyoming with his revolver and committed suicide near Togwatee Pass. Gilkey’s works have been featured internationally and included in collections of institutions such as the Seattle Art Museum.
Identifier: spl_ds_rgilkey_01
Date: 1986-06-14
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John Rupp Interview, March 24, 1988
John Rupp (1913-1996) was a Seattle native and a prominent attorney, active in a variety of organizations. Rupp graduated from the University of Washington Law School in 1937 and joined his father’s firm McMicken Rupp & Schweppe. During World War II, Rupp served in the United States Navy and acted as an aide to the Commander of the North Pacific Fleet. Rupp was president of the Seattle Bar Association from 1956 to 1957 and served on the Washington State Transportation Board from 1957 to 1963. In 1962 Rupp became vice president and counsel for Pacific Northwest Bell. He acted as president of the Washington State Bar Association from 1966 to 1967. In 1989, Pacific Northwest Bell disbanded and Rupp joined the firm of Preston Gates & Ellis. Rupp was also an active member of the Washington State Board of Education, the Seattle Historical Society, the Seattle Yacht Club and the Seattle Municipal League.
Identifier: spl_ds_jrupp_01
Date: 1988-03-24
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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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Eleanor Reed Interview, August 24, 1987
Eleanor Henry Reed (1911-1996) was an active member of Seattle’s charitable community. Reed was on the board of the Children’s Hospital for 20 years and also a member of the Sunset Club and the Junior League. She married William G. Reed in 1935 and the couple had 3 children together. Reed served as president of the Simpson Logging Company from 1943 to 1971. Her father, Paul Henry, was the founder of Henry Gallery at the University of Washington.
Identifier: spl_ds_ereed_01_01
Date: 1987-08-24
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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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Samuel McKinney Interview, August 17, 1987
Reverend Samuel McKinney (1926-2018) was pastor of Mt. Zion Baptist Church for 40 years and a major leader in Seattle’s civil rights movement. McKinney was born in Flint, Michigan and raised in Cleveland, Ohio. He served in the Air Force during World War II and in 1949 graduated from Morehouse College where one of his classmates was Martin Luther King Jr. In 1952 he graduated from Colgate Rochester Divinity School and in 1953 married his wife Louise. Together the couple moved to Seattle in 1958 where McKinney became the pastor of Mt. Zion. McKinney was a tireless advocate for social and civil rights causes. He was one of the founders of the Seattle Opportunities Industrialization Center, an organization providing job training; helped start Seattle’s first black-owned bank to help community members obtain home loans after discirimation from other banks; advocated for Seattle’s fair housing act as a member of the Seattle Human Rights Commission and participated in civil rights marches and demonstrations nationwide.
Identifier: spl_ds_smckinney_01
Date: 1987-08-17
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Pietro Belluschi Interview, November 24, 1986
Pietro Belluschi (1889-1994) was an architect based for many years out of Portland, Oregon. Belluschi was born in Ancona, Italy and came to the United States in 1923 as an exchange student at Cornell University. Belluschi was known for his modern approach to architecture and the design of buildings such as the Equitable Building in Portland and the Pan Am Building in New York City. Over the course of his career, Belluschi designed over 1,000 buildings. He also served as the dean of the MIT School of Architecture and Planning from 1951 until 1965. The American Institute of Architects awarded him their Gold Medal in 1972.
Identifier: spl_ds_pbelluschi_02
Date: 1986-11-24
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