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Tag: Gov. John Spellman

Legacy Washington and WTBBL partner to make books available to a Broader Audience

Legacy Washington and WTBBL partner to make books available to a Broader Audience

Hundreds of audio books are produced in the studios of the Washington Talking Book & Braille Library (WTBBL) Audio Book Production Department. These books, narrated by volunteers, are normally only available to WTBBL patrons and patrons of other National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped network libraries. But a collection of Legacy Washington titles produced in audio format by WTBBL is now available on the Washington Anytime Library platform for public libraries. These titles are published by, and…

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Former Gov. John Spellman visits Capitol.
Former Gov. Spellman visits WA Capitol

Former Gov. Spellman visits WA Capitol

More than three decades after serving as Washington’s governor, John Spellman returned to Olympia to tour the Governor’s Mansion and Capitol and meet with current Gov. Jay Inslee. Before seeing the governor, 90-year-old Spellman, along with two of his sons, a grandson and a granddaughter, stopped by our office to meet with staff, including two alumni from Spellman’s gubernatorial staff – State Archivist Steve Excell, who served as Spellman’s chief of staff, and Patrick McDonald, who was an intern and…

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Governors’ executive orders over the years

Governors’ executive orders over the years

  Gov. Dixy Lee Ray issued several executive orders in 1980 that related to the Mount St. Helens eruption. (Photo courtesy of Washington State Archives) They might lack the authority and consensus of legislatively approved state laws, but executive orders are a powerful way that Washington’s governors have made things happen in state government over the years. Executive orders are formal orders issued by the governor, generally to cabinet agencies statewide, requiring that certain actions be taken. They may have…

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Historian/journalist John Hughes honored by state

Historian/journalist John Hughes honored by state

After being praised by Secretary Wyman (left), John C. Hughes addresses the crowd at a reception honoring him in Wyman’s office. (Photo courtesy of Laura Mott)  John C. Hughes was honored by the state Senate and Secretary of State Kim Wyman on Tuesday for his robust 50-year career in journalism and doing critically acclaimed oral history for Legacy Washington. A large delegation from Grays Harbor and dignitaries, colleagues and friends from Olympia filled the ornate Senate gallery as Sens. Jim…

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When Husky legend Don James visited Capitol

When Husky legend Don James visited Capitol

(Photo courtesy of Washington State Archives) The passing of legendary University of Washington football coach Don James last Sunday at age 80 after a battle with pancreatic cancer was a sad moment for UW football fans everywhere. James, who led the Huskies to six Rose Bowls and a co-national championship with Miami in 1991  during his 18-year career in Seattle, will be remembered during the Huskies’ homecoming game with California Saturday night. The UW is holding a memorial service for…

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Classic governor bill-signing photos: Ray and Spellman

Classic governor bill-signing photos: Ray and Spellman

(Photos courtesy of Washington State Archives.) It’s Day 3 of our weeklong series of blog posts featuring classic State Archives photos of previous Washington governors signing bills into law. Today’s subjects are Dixy Lee Ray and John Spellman. The top photo shows Ray at a well-attended bill-signing ceremony in the Legislative Building Rotunda either in the late 1970s or in 1980. Then-Lt. Gov. John Cherberg is at right. The bottom photo features Spellman putting his signature on legislation in his…

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Governors’ bill-signing pens over the years

Governors’ bill-signing pens over the years

For the past couple of weeks, Gov. Jay Inslee has been busy signing bills into law as proud legislators and bill supporters cluster around and watch each pen stroke. As is customary, the governor shakes hands, poses for photos and hands out souvenir  pens with his name on them as a keepsake to be used or framed. Since it’s “bill-signing season” here in Olympia, here’s a look at the collection of the bill-signing pens used by Washington governors going back…

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Hot off the press: New book on Governor John Spellman

Hot off the press: New book on Governor John Spellman

A new book about former Washington’s last Republican governor,  “John Spellman: Politics Never Broke His Heart,” is being launched by The Legacy Project  in the  Office of the Secretary of State. The author is Legacy Project’s chief historian, John C. Hughes, a former editor and publisher for the Aberdeen Daily World. He’s no stranger to storytelling; this is Hughes’ seventh book he has penned since accepting his position in 2008.  Among his other projects were biographies of U.S. Senator Slade…

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