Oral history interview with Peter Marsh by Joshua Wright conducted 05/28/2015. From the very beginning, Tacoma was met with illness in the form of typhoid. Disease would continue to wage war against the residents of the City of Destiny until the Fannie C. Paddock Memorial Hospital and St. Joseph Hospital were built in 1882 and 1891, respectively. Both organizations developed meaningful relationships with their community and ignited a behind-the-scenes competition which would benefit both patient and physician. Almost 100 years later, Tacoma was cared for predominantly by primary care physicians. It had just started to see an influx of medical specialists via Madigan Army Medical Center when the city was hit by HIV in 1983. With no effective cure at the time, Tacoma did its best to cope with the disease and its associated complications, and the infectious disease specialists were on the forefront. One of these few physicians was Dr. Peter Marsh. Born in Chicago in 1949, he was inspired to become a doctor as a young boy by the Dr. Kildare film series. Arriving in Tacoma in 1981, he would find himself in the middle of handling the AIDS epidemic, supporting patients as best as he could before they succumbed to the disease; that is, until the introduction of antiretroviral medications. Now able to effectively cure patients, Dr. Marsh found new life in his work and continued to serve his community until retirement in 2015. With the epidemic under control, Tacoma still utilizes what it learned from that chaotic era to stand prepared for anything thrown its way.

Oral history interview with Philip H. Red Eagle by Jordan Woolston conducted 05/02/2017. Philip H. Red Eagle was born in 1945 in Tacoma, Washington. His mother, Marian Steilacoom, of Salish decent, was born near Port Angeles, Washington. Philip's father, Philip Red Eagle, a member of the Dakota Tribe, was born near the Missouri River on the Fort Peck Indian Reservation in Montana. Phillip spent the first fourteen years of his life in Tacoma, attending Stanley and McCarver schools before moving to Sitka, Alaska with his family in 1959. Philip joined the Navy shortly after graduating from high school, serving in Vietnam for five years from 1969-1973. After Vietnam, Philip returned to Washington and began undergraduate studies at the University of Washington where he earned two bachelor's degrees. The return to civilian life after the war affected Philip and he struggled with PTSD and related issues like depression and insomnia. Philip found that art, writing, and taking part in the revival of his culture helped him confront his PTSD and over the last 30 years Philip has contributed greatly to the revival and expansion of Indigenous culture in the Pacific Northwest.

Oral history interview with Laurie Arnold by TeyAnjulee Leon conducted on 04/25/2017. The child of left leaning social activists, Laurie Arnold grew up during a time of great change in the country and the Tacoma community. The same year Laurie started first grade, McCarver Elementary in Tacoma became the first magnet school in the country and began the desegregation process of Tacoma Public Schools. Though Laurie only attended through fifth grade, her experiences there lasted a lifetime. Throughout her educational journey, Laurie attended many schools, and the one that remained clearest in her memory was McCarver. One of her fondest memories was Friday Activities, and she could still recall the teachers she had as well which teams she belonged to. Laurie lived in Hilltop most of her childhood and only spent about seven or eight years away before returning home to Tacoma for good. In that time, she lived and attended schools in Seattle until age fourteen. Roughly a month into her ninth grade year, Laurie dropped out of school and moved to Florida until age seventeen. Upon her return, Laurie completed her GED, Associates, Bachelors, and Masters degrees all in the South Puget Sound region. She taught at the Tacoma Urban League for many years before she found her way to Bates Technical College where she currently works. Laurie continues to serve the Tacoma community and is a proud Hilltop native.

Oral history interview with Bob Gallucci by Dian Hathaway conducted April-June 1991. The collection contains two interviews with Bob Gallucci, in which he discusses his experiences growing up as a second generation Italian American within a first generation immigrant extended family household in the Hilltop neighborhood of Tacoma, Washington during the pre- and post World War II years. Gallucci describes the attitudes of his immigrant parents, what life in Hilltop was like during the early and mid twentieth century, the current (1990s) problems of Hilltop, and his reasons for becoming active in issues relating to peace and social justice.

Oral history interview with Carrie Little by Jessica Dvorak conducted 05/13/2011. Carrie Little discusses the recent revival of community-based agriculture and shares her personal connection to several community gardening projects in and around Tacoma. She describes the development of the Guadalupe Land Trust, a local organization that manages community garden plots on Hilltop, and also talks about Mother Earth Farm in Puyallup.

Oral history interview with Lyle Quasim by Baboucarr Lowe conducted 05/07/2007. Lyle Quasim discusses civil rights issues in America and shares his history of social activism. Areas of focus include his time in the Air Force and his work with Shelter Half, an underground anti-war organization run by GIs. He also touches on his work with the Safe Streets Campaign and other local civic programs.

Oral history interview with Charles Walker by Michelle F. Treat conducted 04/24/1991. Long-time resident Charles Walker reflects back on thirty years of Hilltop history and describes the areas shifting demographics during the 1960s, 70s, and 80s. A retired businessman, Walker focuses in particular on the K Street Business District and the local economic impact of the 1970s recession. He also comments on his work with the Tacoma Urban League, the Black Businessmen's Association, and the Now, Mr. Lincoln program.

Oral history interview with James Walton by Julian L. McGilvery conducted 05/14/2014. James L Walton, the first African-Ameican city manager in Washington State, recounts his experiences growing up in rural, segregated Texas, in the Vietnam War and involvement in the Mother's Day Disturbance of 1969.

Oral history interview with Bill Otto by Megan Aprile conducted 05/06/1991. The interview discusses Bill Otto's family and German heritage, his work in the lumber industry and as a family farmer. He also describes childhood activities in Longbranch, Washington, including playing baseball on a championship youth league baseball team in Pierce County.

Oral history interview with Alicia Pike by Kyle Chapman conducted 05/08/2015. This project focuses on the significance of zoos and local volunteer groups on the promotion and successful implementation of conservation efforts. More specifically, this project focuses on the efforts of Point Defiance Zoo and Aquarium as well as the Point Defiance chapter of the American Association of Zoo Keepers. This project includes an interview with fulltime keeper and Point Defiance AAZK president, Alicia Pike, who assisted in providing significant insight into the last fifteen years of conservation efforts in Tacoma. Ms. Pike has been working in the zoological field and an active member of AAZK for over a decade. She has worked at several zoological facilities in both Washington and Oregon. Furthermore, she has been directly involved in the implementation and success of several conservation efforts, including the red wolf breeding program at Point Defiance Zoo and Aquarium. In the context of the zoo, she assists in the care, breeding, and maintenance of the Sumatran tigers, lowland anoa, small-clawed otters, and clouded leopards as well as the care for other endangered species at the zoo. She has lead and continues to lead many of the keeper talks at Point Defiance Zoo and Aquarium, providing information and facilitating Q&A sessions with the community so as to inspire local participation and promotion of wildlife conservation. As both an active member and president of Point Defiance AAZK, Ms. Pike has helped organize and lead several local conservation efforts that work directly with members of the local Tacoma community. Over the course of our interview, Ms. Pike not only discussed the significance of Point Defiance Zoo and Aquarium and AAZK as facilitators of conservation, but also discussed at great length the relation between these organizations and Tacoma, describing Tacoma's general receptiveness to the work of conservation efforts and citizen scientists.