W. P. Fuller & Co. was said to be one of the most progressive firms in Tacoma. They offered the best selection of paints, varnishes, enamels, window glass, wallpapers, mirrors and sectional kitchen cabinets. Interior view of wallpaper samples throughout store, sample mirrors by windows and on walls, and "Spring" banners are displayed. TPL-8388
W. P. Fuller & Co. was said to be one of the most progressive firms in Tacoma. They offered the best selection of paints, varnishes, enamels, window glass, wallpapers, mirrors and sectional kitchen cabinets. Interior view of wallpaper samples throughout store, sample mirrors on walls, cabinets and "Spring" banners are displayed in showroom. TPL-8389
W. P. Fuller & Co. was said to be one of the most progressive firms in Tacoma. They offered the best selection of paints, varnishes, enamels, window glass, wallpapers, mirrors and sectional kitchen cabinets. Interior view of W. P. Fuller offices, located at 1117-23 A Street in downtown Tacoma; office workers are at their desks processing the business orders. TPL-8390
New DFPA offices in the Fuller Building as pictured on September 18, 1953. This appears to be the mailroom. The Douglas Fir Plywood Association's headquarters in Tacoma was the center of the industry's national promotion of fir plywood. The cost of this promotion was over 2.5 million a year, much of it spent in postage. The DFPA was the highest volume customer of the Tacoma Post Office. TPL-8393
Plywood; Douglas Fir Plywood Association (Tacoma); Lumber industry--Tacoma--1950-1960; Offices--Tacoma--1950-1960; Office workers--Tacoma--1950-1960;
Jack D. Mackay, left, was the winner of the nationwide fir plywood sales contest in 1953; photograph ordered by the DFPA. Mackay of Haddon Heights, New Jersey, outsold 1,571 competitors in a national plywood sales contest to obtain the title of World Champion Plywood Salesman. He sold 748,563 square feet of plywood in 60 days, delivering some of it himself by truck to increase sales. His prize was a 30 day round the world trip for 2 through Pan Am plus $1,000. The 32 year old veteran lost part of his right hand in WWII. He was unable to return to his previous vocation as machinist and became an employee of Georgia Pacific Plywood Co. in Philadelphia, teaching himself salesmanship through practice and night school. The husband and father of two was flown to the Northwest to receive his awards at the Tacoma headquarters of the Douglas Fir Plywood Association. E.W. Daniels, chairman of the associate management committee, made the presentation. (TNT 12/2/1953, pg. 1) TPL-8398
Plywood; Selling; Sales personnel; Mackay, Jack D.;
Interiors of new DFPA office in Fuller building. Originally the home of W.P. Fuller & Co., the building was leased by the Douglas Fir Plywood Association in 1953 and remodeled for their headquarters. Plywood, the building material made of sheets of veneer glued together in multi plys, was the favored building material of the construction industry. This was mostly due to the self promotion of the Association, which was supported by member mills. The Association also sponsored research at its lab at 1214 A St. and standardized plywood and graded it for quality. TPL-8397
Plywood; Douglas Fir Plywood Association (Tacoma); Lumber industry--Tacoma--1950-1960; Offices--Tacoma--1950-1960; Office workers--Tacoma--1950-1960;
Interiors of new DFPA office in Fuller building. Originally the home of W.P. Fuller & Co., the Douglas Fir Plywood Association leased and remodeled this office building in 1953. They remained here until the 80's. From this location, the DFPA directed their national program of promotion, research and quality control. Around 1983, the building was remodeled by Bantz Trace Associates and renamed the Commencement Bay building. It houses office space and the Cliff Street Lofts. TPL-8394
Plywood; Douglas Fir Plywood Association (Tacoma); Lumber industry--Tacoma--1950-1960; Offices--Tacoma--1950-1960;
Interiors of new DFPA office in Fuller building. Switchboard operator & a man waiting with a briefcase for an appointment. The Douglas Fir Plywood Association was originated and financially supported by member and subscriber mills. Its purpose was threefold; to aggressively promote plywood as a building material, to fund research on improving and diversifying the product and for quality control of the product. This self regulation sparked the biggest industry growth in the Northwest of all times. TPL-8395
Plywood; Douglas Fir Plywood Association (Tacoma); Lumber industry--Tacoma--1950-1960; Offices--Tacoma--1950-1960;
Interiors at the Fuller Building, laying of tile squares, for new DFPA office. Formed in 1938 to promote the plywood industry, the Douglas Fir Plywood Association sparked the biggest industry growth ever in the Northwest. The number of plywood plants increased four times from 1938 to the mid 50's. The Association had three goals: the aggressive promotion of plywood as a building material, research and quality control. They maintained three offices in Tacoma: the A St. main building, a research lab at 1214 A and an information bureau in the Rust Building. TPL-8392
Floors--Tacoma--1950-1960; Plywood; Douglas Fir Plywood Association (Tacoma); Lumber industry--Tacoma--1950-1960;
Puget Sound National Bank employees vow to "stamp out Firstbank cards" by "boost [ing] the big one" on September 15, 1966. Several bankers are ready to toss Seattle-First National Bank's Firstbank cards into the burning trash can. They sought to promote BankAmericard as a means of obtaining instant loans and credit card purchase. Puget Sound National Bank had announced in June, 1966, that they would be issuing an "all-purpose card" available throughout the greater Tacoma area. PSNB was one of the first banks in the United States licensed to issue BankAmericard, previously only used in California. Card holders would not be required to have accounts at PSNB or Bank of America. Eventually, the card would be able to be used nationwide. Photograph ordered by Puget Sound National Bank. (TNT 6-28-66, p. 38)
W.P. Fuller and Company, window display of mirrors. W.P. Fuller & Co. was a paint and glass business. The window display advertised their ability to manufacture mirrors to order. They were located at 1117-23 A St. in the Ferguson Building. The building was built in 1907 from a design by architect C.A. Darmer. The building, now known as the Commencement Bay building, is on the City Registry. (filed with Argentum)
W. P. Fuller & Co. was said to be one of the most progressive firms in Tacoma. They offered the best selection of paints, varnishes, enamels, window glass, wallpapers, mirrors and sectional kitchen cabinets. Interior view of warehouse; boxes of "Fuller" paints are ready to be distributed to home furnishing stores; employees are possibly taking an inventory of the products and filling customer orders. TPL-10573
Interiors of new DFPA office in Fuller building. Office workers at desk and counter, "Mr. Ritchie's" office in the background. The Douglas Fir Plywood Association began in 1938 when the original member mills banded together to promote and standardize their product. Under the able guidance of W.E. ("Diff") Difford, the handful of mills became an industry. By the forties, plywood boomed in housing and became the handiest building material ever devised. The Association later changed its name to the American Plywood Association, as more types of wood came to be used in the production of plywood. TPL-8396
Plywood; Douglas Fir Plywood Association (Tacoma); Lumber industry--Tacoma--1950-1960; Offices--Tacoma--1950-1960; Office workers--Tacoma--1950-1960;
