Burford, Ida N.

Ida N. Burford was the Curator-Director of the State Capitol Historical Association from 1953-1961. The Washington State Capitol Historical Association was organized by the Washington State Legislature in 1941. The Clarence and Elizabeth Lord residence was designated as the location for the purpose of housing the Museum. The duties of the Washington State Capitol Historical Association were "to collect books, maps, charts, papers, relics and other material illustrative of the history of the state. In particular, of the progress and development of the territorial capitol and the state capitol at Olympia" and to "shelf, store and safely keep" these historical materials "perpetually in trust for the use and benefit of the people of the State of Washington." Over the past 50-plus years the Association has evolved and transformed in many positive ways and still maintains the focus on preserving the legacies of our history. From 1941 to 1993 the Washington State Capitol Historical Association evolved, curiously, in name. The "Capitol" became the "Capital" Historical Association. It is clear in the original documents that the founders of the Association meant to be more inclusive "capital" but the legislation was written "Capitol" and for many years that spelling held. In about 1976 the spelling was changed to "Capital" reflecting the proper spelling for the word. The initial curator, Ida Burford, followed by others, provided the direction in leadership which brought on an evolutionary role as a cultural leader. The legacy of leadership continues in the merging of the State Capital Historical Association with the Washington State Historical Society in 1993. Today, the Washington State Capital Museum is a museum of the Washington State Historical Society.