Bricks for South Tacoma Library

Mayor Harold Tollefson examines gifts from Tacoma's sister city, Kitakyushu (formerly Kokura) on January 11, 1964. He is holding a letter from the Japanese city. The young man on the picture's right is believed to be John Delp, University of Puget Sound student, who had studied in Japan at Kitakyushu University from April-August, 1963. The other young man is possibly Leslie Hagmann, former UPS student of mathematics. Hagmann was the first representative of UPS to visit the Kitakyushu campus since a sister university relationship was established early in 1961.

Tollefson, Harold M., 1908-1985; Mayors--Tacoma--1960-1970; Gifts;

6th Ave and Pine St. Trueblood 1723.

4-H Beauty Queens; photograph taken on May 22, 1964. Six women sit in the front row with three of them wearing contestant ribbons. Eighteen women stand in the back row, some of them holding up one arm to the back wall, as if measuring something. Trueblood #1064

4-H clubs; Youth organizations; Beauty contestants; Clothing & dress--1960-1970;

trueblood # 2097

Mayor Harold Tollefson points out an interesting picture in his photo album to a Japanese visitor from Tacoma's sister city, Kitakyushu, on February 5, 1965. The young man is believed to be a student. Linn Johnson, a University of Puget Sound letterman, shares a smile with the mayor and his visitor. Johnson had spent a month in Japan in the spring of 1964 as a student at Kitakyushu University. He and returning college student Nobuyuki Fujimoto boarded the vessel Sanyo Maru in Bellingham for the trip to Japan. Fujimoto, possibly the young man above, had spent eight months at the University of Puget Sound. (TNT 3-19-64, A-6)

Tollefson, Harold M., 1908-1985; Mayors--Tacoma--1960-1970; Johnson, Linn; Photograph albums;

Mayor Ben Hanson presented Dr. Saburo Tomita, director of the Kokura, Japan, Hospital, with a key to the city on September 28, 1961, in front of Tacoma General Hospital. Kokura is Tacoma's sister city. Dr. Tomita delivered a letter of greeting and gift from Kokura Mayor Nobuo Hayashi and in return, received a key to the city from Mayor Hanson. From L-R are Sylvia Sass and Dr. David H. Johnson of the Sister City Committee, Dr. Tomita, Dr. Sumiho Wada, Mayor Hanson and Thomas Takemura. Dr. Tomita had toured Tacoma General the previous day and had visited Mountain View General Hospital on the 28th. (TNT 9-28-61)

Hanson, Ben; Mayors--Tacoma--1960-1970; Tomita, Saburo; Foreign visitors--Japan; Keys (Hardware); Sass, Sylvia; Johnson, David H.; Wada, Sumiho; Takemura, Thomas;

Mayor Harold Tollefson, photo album resting on one knee, admires a beautifully attired Japanese doll on November 19, 1965. This may have been the doll presented to the mayor on July 22, 1965, by seven Kitakyushu students visiting Tacoma. The two women in the picture have not been identified. Mayor Tollefson had visited Kobe, Japan, in November, 1963, as part of the Japanese-American Conference of Mayors & Chamber of Commerce Officials and had sent progress reports to the News Tribune. Harold Tollefson would serve three terms as Tacoma's mayor.

Tollefson, Harold M., 1908-1985; Mayors--Tacoma--1960-1970; Dolls; Photograph albums;

In September of 1962 Mayor Harold Tollefson (far right) was photographed with three members of Tacoma's Sister City committee. He was showing them the People to People Citation that Tacoma received at the 1962 American Municipal Association congress that was held that year in Philadelphia. The citation was awarded to Tacoma for its Sister City program and its "excellent manner in promoting goodwill." From left to right are Sister City committee members Thomas Takemura, Sylvia Sass and Dr. John Moore. (TNT 8-22-62)

Awards; Tollefson, Harold M., 1908-1985; Mayors--Tacoma--1960-1970; Takemura, Thomas; Sass, Sylvia; Moore, John;

The Urban Renewal Committee met on January 12, 1965. Among those present were historian Murray Morgan at blackboard; Mayor Harold M. Tollefson in dark suit and City Manager David Rowlands flank Mr. Morgan.

Meetings--Tacoma--1960-1970; Committees--Tacoma--1960-1970; Morgan, Murray, 1916-2000; Mayors--Tacoma--1960-1970; Tollefson, Harold M., 1908-1985; Rowlands, David; Urban renewal;

Fern Hill

On April 12, 1961, former mayor "Big John" Anderson, Mayor Ben Hanson, and Chamber of Commerce president Herbert F. Syford examined the 36' totem pole which had been carved and painted as a gift to the City of Kokura, Japan, from its sister city, Tacoma. The totem pole was on display at the Narrows fire station on Sixth Avenue. The cedar log was donated by Cascade Pole Co. and hauled to the 9th & A fire station headquarters where it was carved and painted by Stadium High School English teacher, Bud Cairns. Only the lower part of the totem pole is seen in the above photograph; characters representing Tacoma's seaport and lumber industries, forest products, commercial fishing, boating, water sports, and rich agriculture in addition to a sketch of the Narrows Bridge, were all found on the totem. "Big John" Anderson led a tour group to Japan in June, 1961, where he expected to present the totem pole, however, due to shipping difficulties, the totem did not actually arrive in Kokura until August. The U.S. Marines came to the rescue by delivering the approximately 2,500 pound totem in a R4Q "Flying Box Car" to Kokura. (TNT 9-24-61, TNT 4-16-61, TNT 3-5-61)

Totem poles--Tacoma; Anderson, John H.; Hanson, Ben; Mayors--Tacoma--1960-1970; Syford, Herbert;

Kokura, Japan, one of Tacoma's sister cities, sent a miniature Shinto shrine to the City of Tacoma in 1961 as a token of their friendship. Toyosuke Nogami, a resident of Kokura, was commissioned to hand-carve the shrine; he journeyed to the Japan Alps to select the best Japanese cypress for the job. When it arrived, the shrine was put on display in the "solarium" adjacent to the second floor lobby of the County-City Building. The elaborately carved shrine also included a gate and two lantern posts which were damaged slightly during shipping. A terrace behind the Washington State Historical Society museum on Stadium Way was chosen as the permanent site of the shrine. It was dedicated there in May, 1962. Pictured above with the Shinto shrine are Sylvia Sass (kneeling, center left) and Thomas Takemura (kneeling, center right) of the Sister City Committee.

Shrines--Tacoma; Wood carvings; Sass, Sylvia; Takemura, Thomas;

Mayor Harold Tollefson bows his head while shaking the hand of Mrs. Motohiko Kanai on April 22, 1964, outside the County-City Building. Her husband, the Japanese governor of Washington's sister prefecture, Hyogo, and Washington governor Albert Rosellini both smile. She is wearing an exquisite silk kimono while also carrying a modern handbag. Governor Kanai was presented with a key to the city by Mayor Tollefson. (TNT 4-22-64, C-16)

Tollefson, Harold M., 1908-1985; Mayors--Tacoma--1960-1970; Rosellini, Albert D.; Governors; Kanai, Motohiko; Kanai, Motohiko--Family;

Arrival of Japanese governor and wife at County-City Building. Motohiko Kanai and his wife in conversation with Washington State Governor Albert D. Rosellini and a state trooper in front of the County-City Building on April 22, 1964. They had just arrived via Lincoln Continental. Kanai, governor of Washington's sister prefecture, Hyogo, met with city, county and port officials at a brief reception in Mayor Harold Tollefson's office. Prior to their departure for Olympia, the Kanais were presented the key to the City of Tacoma and a framed picture of Tacoma's port. (TNT 4-22-64, C-16)

Kanai, Motohiko; Kanai, Motohiko--Family; Governors; Rosellini, Albert D.; Guests--Tacoma; Lincoln automobile;

Sylvia Sass of Tacoma's Sister City Committee, and Mayor A.L. Rasmussen listen as a Japanese visitor speaks on September 9, 1969. The man was believed to be from Tacoma's sister city, Kitakyushu. Mrs. Sass and husband Lloyd had visited Japan in 1968, where she was invited to speak to English classes at Kitakyushu University.

Sass, Sylvia; Rasmussen, Albert Lawrence; Mayors--Tacoma--1960-1970; Foreign visitors--Japan;

Sixth Avenue near Mildred, looking west. Trueblood #1822

Streets--Tacoma--1960-1970; Business districts--Tacoma--1960-1970;

Sixth Avenue near Mildred, looking east. Trueblood #1822

Streets--Tacoma--1960-1970; Business districts--Tacoma--1960-1970;

Ruston Way waterfront. Railroad crossing at left. Photograph taken on March 3, 1965.

Streets--Tacoma--1960-1970; Railroad crossings--Tacoma--1960-1970;

Ruston Way. Trueblood #1194

Streets--Tacoma--1960-1970;

Visitors from Kokura, Japan, were presented with Douglas fir seedlings from their sister city, Tacoma. They are pictured on November 16, 1961, prior to departure on United Airlines. Man on right is Thomas Takemura of the Sister City Committee; stewardess has been identified as C.M. Herron of Los Angeles. The three young men are Kazama Tsunomachi, Shinichi Tanaka, and Hiromi Yokota; they were all students from Kitakyushu University, the sister university of the University of Puget Sound, who were paying a two-week visit to Tacoma. The Chamber of Commerce and St. Regis Paper Co. sent 500 Douglas fir seedlings to Kokura as a token of friendship and as a "living reminder" of the Pacific Northwest. The wrapped bundle at the feet of the visitors contained the seedlings. (TNT 11-3-61, TNT 11-23-61, Tacoma Progress, 11-24-61)

Takemura, Thomas; Herron, C.M.; Tsunomachi, Kazama; Tanaka, Shinichi; Yokota, Hiromi; Firs; Foreign visitors--Japan;

Sixth Avenue near Mildred, looking east. Towers Restaurant at left. Trueblood #1822

Streets--Tacoma--1960-1970; Business districts--Tacoma--1960-1970; Towers Restaurant (Tacoma);

Ruston Way. Trueblood #1194

Streets--Tacoma--1960-1970;

Daffodil Princess Elisa Peterson received the first copy of Tacoma Transit's new route map from driver Cleo Pickle in January of 1962. The three-color, fold-out maps gave complete information on all transit route lines. They were available from bus drivers and other locations, including the County-City Building. This was the first step in 1962's promotional campaign to make Tacomans more aware of the availability and convenience of their publically owned transit system. Trueblood - 609 (TNT 1-12-62, p. 18-alt. photograph & article)

Peterson, Elisa; Pickle, Cleo; Bus drivers--Tacoma; Buses--Tacoma--1960-1970; Mass transit--Tacoma--1960-1970; Beauty contestants--Tacoma--1960-1970; Timetables;

Mayor Harold Tollefson poses with visiting gardeners from Victoria, British Columbia, on March 16, 1965. The mayor and "Joe" next to him are holding miniature street lamps with tiny blossoms entwined around the columns. TRUEBLOOD 1200

Mayors--Tacoma--1960-1970; Tollefson, Harold M., 1908-1985; Foreign visitors--Canada;

Three young men from Kitakyushu University, the sister university of the University of Puget Sound, receive keys to the City of Tacoma from Mayor Ben Hanson on November 8, 1961. Hiromi Yokota, Shinichi Tanaka and Kazama Tsunomachi were paying a two-week visit to Tacoma. When they departed on November 16, the visitors were presented with Douglas Fir seedlings as a "living reminder" of the Pacific Northwest. TRUEBLOOD 593 (see G51.1-025 for additional photograph of visitors)

Mayors--Tacoma--1960-1970; Hanson, Ben; Foreign visitors--Japan; Yokota, Hiromi; Tanaka, Shinichi; Tsunomachi, Kazama;

Miss Alaska, Nina Whaley, visited the Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium on May 19, 1964, as part of a busy schedule promoting Alaska's summer tourist season. She is pictured above (center with large purse) smiling as she gazes at the outdoor seal and otter exhibit. TRUEBLOOD 1064

Whaley, Nina; Beauty contestants; Guests--Tacoma--1960-1970; Point Defiance Zoo (Tacoma); Aquariums--Tacoma;

This seal has scrambled out of the water in order to grab a tasty snack from visiting Alaskans, Mr. and Mrs. Chester Seveck and Nina Whaley, reigning Miss Alaska (far right). The trio were personal representatives of Alaska governor William Egan who traveled to Tacoma to aid Tacoma's Chamber of Commerce campaign to promote Alaska's tourist industry. The Sevecks were professional entertainers and guides. TRUEBLOOD 1064 (TNT 5-21-64, B-4)

Whaley, Nina; Beauty contestants; Seveck, Chester; Seveck, Chester--Family; Guests--Tacoma--1960-1970; Point Defiance Zoo (Tacoma); Aquariums--Tacoma; Seals (Animals);

Miss Alaska, Nina Whaley (left), and Mr. and Mrs. Chester Seveck arrived in Tacoma on May 19, 1964, for a three day visit promoting Alaskan tourism. They were photographed standing on a Foster & Kleiser public service billboard advertising "Tour Alaska." Despite Tacoma's 60 degree temperatures, they were wearing fur trimmed garments reminiscent of Alaskan native culture. Mr. and Mrs. Seveck were professional entertainers as well as guides during the summer at Kotzebue, within the Arctic Circle. TRUEBLOOD 1064 (TNT 5-19-64, p. 1-article)

Whaley, Nina; Beauty contestants; Seveck, Chester; Seveck, Chester--Family; Guests--Tacoma--1960-1970; Billboards--Tacoma--1960-1970; Fur garments;

The Clan Gordon Pipe Band was founded in 1955 with support from the Clan Gordon Lodge of Scottish Clans. The original band consisted of seven pipers and four drummers led by pipe major John Montgomery. First limited to Scottish males, today band membership is open to anyone with an interest in Scottish music. The act is a traditional favorite in the Daffodil Parade and other community events. The group posed for this photograph in 1958.