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Tag: Legacy Project

No Heritage Center just yet

No Heritage Center just yet

Washington’s newly adopted $3.7 billion  construction budget doesn’t  greenlight construction of the long-planned and previously approved Washington State Heritage Center on the Capitol Campus. The project, championed by Secretary of State Sam Reed, Senator Karen Fraser, heritage groups, and newspapers across Washington, is designed to bring together the State Archives, State Library, an education center, visitor experience, history exhibits and other features in a consolidated facility at the gateway to the Capitol grounds. It was not in competition with other operating…

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5 Questions about the new Nancy Evans book

5 Questions about the new Nancy Evans book

One of the Legacy Project’s oral histories has become the program’s first printed book. The biography and oral history of Nancy Evans, Washington’s remarkable former first lady, is now available for purchase. John Hughes, the Legacy Project’s chief oral historian, wrote the biography and conducted the oral history interviews with Mrs. Evans. Here’s his take on this fascinating project: 1) Why would the average person want to pick up this book? In other words, what’s in it for me? Nancy Evans…

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Oscar time: Booth’s ‘last campaign’ film nominated

Oscar time: Booth’s ‘last campaign’ film nominated

It’s a story well known in Washington state, and now the subject of a short documentary that’s up for an Academy Award Sunday evening.  It’s called “The Last Campaign of Governor Booth Gardner,” a reference to the popular former governor’s debilitating battle with Parkinson’s and his crusade to legalize physician-assisted suicide. This “last campaign” is also recounted in a Legacy Project biography now nearing completion. It’s called “Booth Who?” and is written by chief historian John Hughes. It will be…

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Comcast Newsmakers: Sam Reed

Comcast Newsmakers: Sam Reed

Comcast Newsmakers talks with Sam Reed about the various functions of his office. It’s a good summary of the (rather odd) variety of functions the Office of the Secretary of State performs: elections, corporations, charities, archives, legacy project, the state library. The Washington State Library gets excellent treatment, both time-wise and praise-wise. If you’re impatient, you can skip ahead – we’re covered from 1:01 – 2:16.

Legacy Project honors civil rights pioneer

Legacy Project honors civil rights pioneer

Lillian Walker, who has been fighting for civil rights ever since the early 1940s in Bremerton, is the most recent subject of the Office of Secretary of State’s Legacy Project.  Secretary Reed and the Legacy Project team held a reception in her honor on Tuesday to celebrate her story and contribution to Washington State. Read Lillian Walker’s oral history and biography online now for free.

5 Questions with the Chief Oral Historian

5 Questions with the Chief Oral Historian

John Hughes, the state’s Chief Oral Historian for the Legacy Project, talks about getting to know Washington’s remarkably judicious judge Robert F. Utter — and why you should read his new oral history. Q. There are tons of fascinating Washingtonians. Why did you pick Robert F. Utter to be the subject of the Legacy Project’s latest oral history? The Legacy Project’s charter is to compile oral histories of former members of the executive branch – governors, lieutenant governors, secretaries of state, etc. –…

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New ‘legacy’ honor for first woman justice

New ‘legacy’ honor for first woman justice

Washington’s state Supreme Court was an all-male bastion until the arrival of Carolyn Dimmick back in 1981, nearly a year before Sandra Day O’Connor joined the U.S. high court. Dimmick, still going strong at 79 as a federal judge, is honored in a new oral history and profile from The Legacy Project.  The treatment includes a full oral history interview, a profile, a bio box, photos (including Dimmick and O’Connor in the same frame), and more. It’s free … and a mouse…

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K-No’s story earns Rolling Stone spread

K-No’s story earns Rolling Stone spread

Washington’s recently launched Legacy Project — oral history for the cool and the famous among us — and rocker Krist Novoselic (K-No) was one of the first three out of the gate.  No less than rock bible Rolling Stone mag has taken note … Chief historian John Hughes, who knows a bunch about the rock scene and wrote the oral history and a profile, says, “Well, we didn’t get our picture on the COVER of Rolling Stone (as Dr. Hook famously sang in his 1970s…

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Off the launchpad …

Off the launchpad …

Quite a party in Secretary Sam Reed’s office yesterday afternoon!   What a motley crew of folks — powerful pols, ink-stained wretches, County Auditors,  rock fans, Grange activists, history buffs and a surprise guest or two all joined to honor the likes of rocker Krist Novoselic, trailblazing female journalist Adele Ferguson and African-American-Cuban-Native American jurist Charles Z. Smith.  See photos of the event here. It was the launch of Washington’s new free, online oral history program called the Legacy Project, which is part of the cool new Washington…

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Rocker helps re-launch oral histories

Rocker helps re-launch oral histories

Washington’s new Legacy Project debuts at the Capitol Tuesday afternoon — and on a computer screen near you.  This is the re-launch of oral histories of some of the fascinating people who make this such a cool state.  And it will be done in a fresh new way, breezy, readable and compelling, and will be published free and online. The first three will be unveiled Tuesday at 2 p.m. by Secretary of State Sam Reed and the project’s chief historian…

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