Governor Albert D. Rosellini with a group of Pierce County Democrats. Seated next to the governor and Mrs. Rosellini is former Pierce County prosecutor and current State Attorney General, John J. O'Connell. Standing are George Sheridan, Democratic party county chairman and John McCutcheon, current county prosecutor. The group was captured in a photograph taken on May 9, 1958, at a testimonial dinner given in honor of Governor Rosellini at the Fellowship Hall. The governor spoke about the 30 million dollar deficit he inherited from Republican Arthur B. Langlie and stated that he had saved the state 20 million, due to cutbacks in operating costs of state offices and vigorous collection of taxes from out-of-state corporations dba in Washington. Governor Rosellini was then in his first term as chief executive. The son of immigrants, he studied law at the University of Washington and became a well-known Seattle attorney. After employment in Warren G. Magnuson's King County Prosecutor's office, Mr. Rosellini won election to the State Senate in 1938 where he remained until his assumption of the governor's seat in 1956. Under his leadership, the legislature passed enabling legislation for the Municipality of Metropolitan Seattle (Metro, now part of King County) and the Seattle's "Century 21" world's fair. In addition, he was able to create a separate justice and prison system for juveniles, accelerate road construction and modernize the mental health system. He was the legislative father of the University of Washington's medical/dental schools and a supporter of higher education. Albert Rosellini was the first Italian-American and first Catholic governor west of the Mississippi. A portrait of Mr. Rosellini's early life and active career in politics was captured in Payton Smith's 1997 work, "Rosellini: Immigrants' Son and Progressive Governor." (Seattle/King Co. HistoryLink.org; TNT 5-4-58, A-7, TNT 5-10-58, p. 1) ALBUM 10.
Governors; Rosellini, Albert D.; Rosellini, Ethel; O'Connell, John; Sheridan, George; McCutcheon, John;