Western Washington university

The WWU Centennial Oral History Project was initiated in 1993 by a dedicated group of staff and faculty.

The stated goal of the project was the development of oral history interviews for use in the planned centennial celebration at Western Washington University, commemorating 100 years of scholarly achievement. The result was an invaluable set of interviews which document the history of the University and supplements the archival record. The history of WWU actually dates to 1893, when Washington State Governor, John H. McGraw, signed legislation approving the creation of the Bellingham Normal School, but due to lack of funding the school did not open until the fall of 1899. Bellingham Normal School became Western Washington School of Education in 1937, Western Washington State College in 1961, and finally achieved university status in 1977.

From the description of Western Washington University Centennial Oral History Project Records, 1975-2000 1988-2000. (Western Washington University). WorldCat record id: 72687142

Western Washington University's "The Great Depression and Its Fifty-Year Shadow" Symposium was a series of public programs, funded by a grant from the Washington Commission for Humanities, that took place during the fall of 1981. The programs were designed to explore how the Great Depression affected the community of Bellingham, Washington through first-hand accounts and analyses by historians, economists, and other scholars. The series culminated in the publication of a monograph edited by program director, Phyllis W. Bultmann, and published by the Center for Pacific Northwest Studies in 1982. Material for the publication was derived from the edited transcripts of audio recordings of the public programs.

Organizations which supported the series included the Retired Seniors Volunteer Program (RSVP), Whatcom Museum of History and Art, the Washington State Archives, the Bellingham Public Library, the Center for Pacific Northwest Studies, and KVOS-TV.

The first public program was a planning session with members of RSVP, six of whom volunteered to record their recollections of life during the 1930s. The planning session was followed by Roundtable Discussions and Town Hall Meetings in which members of the public were invited to share their experiences and interpretations of the Depression. The public meetings culminated in a two-day symposium with speakers that included scholars, elected officials, leaders of community institutions, journalists and members of the business community.

From the guide to the Western Washington University's "The Great Depression and its 50 Year Shadow" Symposium records, 1981-1982, (Western Washington University Heritage Resources)