In November of 1937, the choir of the First Baptist Church, 902 Market St., was photographed with the ministerial staff. The choir was under the direction of Ernest C. Sheppard, standing left in the group of four at the front of the choir. He had been director of the choir for 20 years. Standing in the front with Mr. Sheppard were, left to right, Mrs. Norma Wadsworth, pianist, Rev. Weldon Wilson, Pastor, and Clayton Johnson, organist. The large downtown church was built in 1925 from a design by Heath, Gove & Bell, architects. (T. Times 11/26/1937, pg. 16)

First Baptist Church (Tacoma); Baptist churches--Tacoma--1930-1940; Choirs (Music); Sheppard, Ernest C.; Wadsworth, Norma; Wilson, Weldon M.; Clergy--Tacoma--1930-1940; Johnson, Clayton;

Autograph seekers gather around Swedish tenor Jussi Bjoerling of the Metropolitan Opera who had just concluded a performance at the First Baptist Church on January 5, 1939. Margrete Anderson, second from right, watches as Mr. Bjoerling affixes his signature to a memento.

Bjoerling, Jussi; Singers; Autographing--Tacoma; Anderson, Margrete; First Baptist Church (Tacoma);

ca. 1935. Reverend Weldon M. Wilson and wife Nellie, circa 1935. Rev. Wilson, 39, was the newly arrived pastor of the First Baptist Church. The church pulpit had been occupied by supply pastors and visitors for over a year before Rev. Wilson came to town. He was a graduate of the Berkeley Baptist Divinity School and prior to coming to Tacoma in September of 1935, had been the pastor of Grace Baptist in Spokane. Rev. Wilson would later be named pastor of the First Baptist Church in Portland and take up duties there in January of 1939. (T. Times 9-6-35, p. 1-alternate photograph; TNT 11-24-38, p. 1-article ).

Wilson, Weldon M.; Wilson, Weldon M.--Family; Clergy--Tacoma--1930-1940; First Baptist Church (Tacoma); Protestant churches--Tacoma--1930-1940; Baptist churches--Tacoma--1930-1940;

Marilyn Giesy and Leonard Eugene Estes on their wedding day June 30,1951 at the First Baptist Church. 700 guests were present at their candlelight ceremony in the sanctuary. The bride was the daughter of Dr. and Mrs. Archie Giesy and the groom was the son of Mr. and Mrs. S. Leonard Estes. The bride's five attendants were dressed in Nile green organdy embossed with lilly of the valley and carried bouquets of pink and orchid sweet peas. The bride wore a gown of ivory slipper satin with a yoke of Alencon lace and a Peter Pan satin collar. The gown had a full circular skirt with a court length train. The bride wore a bonnet of shirred net trimmed with pink rosebuds and lilly of the valley, with a fastened fingertip veil of imported French illusion. She carried a bouquet of stephanotis and pale yellow sweetheart roses with a white orchid topping a white prayer book. The couple made their home in Portland, where the groom was continuing his studies at the University of Oregon dental school. (Bride featured in TNT wedding layout 5/9/1951, pg. C-9, wedding article TNT 7/1/01, pg. D-4)

Weddings--Tacoma--1950-1960; Brides--1950-1960; Grooms (Weddings)--1950-1960; Giesy, Marilyn; Estes, Leonard Eugene;

Chimes ringer at First Baptist Church. Miss Evelyn Alcorn is seated at the console of the First Baptist Church organ. Before her are three tiers of keyboards, many stops between the tiers with a large number of buttons across the top. Miss Alcorn daily plays the chimes at noon and will be on hand to herald Easter April 25, 1943. (T. Times, 4/24/1943, p.1)

Chimes--Tacoma--1940-1950; Baptist churches--Tacoma; First Baptist Church (Tacoma); Women--Tacoma--1940-1950; Organ lofts--Tacoma--1940-1950;

Nurses are called to the stage to receive their diplomas at the 45th annual commencement exercises of the Tacoma General School of Nursing. The exercises were held September 9, 1942 at the First Baptist Church.

Nurses--Tacoma--1940-1950; Tacoma General Hospital (Tacoma); First Baptist Church (Tacoma); Baptist churches--Tacoma; Graduation ceremonies--Tacoma--1940-1950;

The 46th annual commencement exercises for the Tacoma General School of Nursing, held September 9, 1942 at the First Baptist Church. In the center of this group of formally dressed men is Governor Arthur B. Langlie who will be speaking at the ceremony. To the right of Langlie is Sam M. Jackson, who for 30 year has been president of the hospital and who will be presiding over the ceremony.

Nurses--Tacoma--1940-1950; Tacoma General Hospital (Tacoma); First Baptist Church (Tacoma); Baptist churches--Tacoma; Graduation ceremonies--Tacoma--1940-1950; Langlie, Arthur B., 1900-1966; Jackson, Samuel M.;

Tacoma General Hospital Commencement class at First Baptist Church.

Regional Banquet at First Baptist Church, Camp Fire Girls, Miss Bently. Leaders in Camp Fire Girls activities attended a regional training institute for Washington and Oregon leaders. More than 200 leaders met November 8, 1948, at the First Baptist Church. The assembled leaders are shown attending a banquet and several Camp Fire Girls model uniforms on the stage. (T.Times, 11/9/1948, p.1: TNT, 11/9/1948, p.7)

Camp Fire Girls (Tacoma); Meetings--Tacoma--1940-1950; Women--Tacoma--1940-1950;

Bride's portrait of Phyllis Lee Murphy. Phyllis Lee Murphy and Robert Bernard Freeman were married September 11, 1948, at the First Baptist Church. Reverend Walter O. Macoskey performed the services. Phyllis carried her paternal grandmother's handkerchief and wore the engagement ring of gold-set moonstones belonging to her maternal grandmother. Her gown was of white moire with a petal shaped collar and cuffs, both trimed in seed pearls and bugle beads. The full skirt swept into a train. Her veil was edged in lace, cascading from a petaled headpiece. She carried a bouquet of white rosebuds and stephanotis circled with pink rosebuds. Candles and flowers stand to either side of her. (TNT, 9/15/1948, p.8)

Weddings--Tacoma--1940-1950; Brides--1940-1950; Wedding costume--1940-1950; Bouquets; Veils--Tacoma; Candles; Candelabras; Murphy, Phyllis Lee--Marriage; First Baptist Church (Tacoma);