Archives Spotlight: Unique finds in the Department of Ecology collection

March 2, 2018 Secretary of State's Office

Washington State Archives’ records from the Department of Ecology make up a massive, sometimes intimidating collection documenting the agency’s efforts to protect and preserve Washington’s natural air, water and land resources. The collection contains nearly 8,000 cubic feet of records mostly dating from the 1970s to present. The subjects covered in the Ecology archives include toxic site cleanups, water quality and resources, shorelines management, air pollution, nuclear waste, and more. Over the past year, we have been working on a…

Archives Spotlight: The top secret Hanford Project

February 2, 2018 Secretary of State's Office

More than 51,000 people worked at the Hanford site between 1943 and 1945. Less than 500 knew what they were making. Plutonium is a radioactive element derived from uranium, and was discovered at the University of California, Berkeley, in 1941. Scientist Glenn Seaborg wrote a detailed description of plutonium and its potential uses. It could be a plentiful energy source, or used as a component in a major explosive weapon, he wrote. Of course, the creative insights fell upon deaf…

State employees pledge over $5.3 million through Combined Fund Drive

February 5, 2013 Secretary of State's Office

Despite yet another tough year, state employees in Washington proved once again that they could come together and help their community. The volunteers and donors of the Combined Fund Drive raised more than $5.3 million in 2012 for local, national and global charities through payroll contribution and agency fundraising events, nearly matching the total they generated in 2011. Once again, the University of Washington topped all higher education institutions by bringing in more than $2.1 million in pledges, eclipsing the…

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