Photo description from Fredrick Mullan

When taken: 1930s and Later
Where taken: Puget sound, Alaska

Oral history interview with Dawn Lucien by Andrew Fry conducted April-May 2009. Dawn Lucien, a lifelong civic activist and former Tacoma City Council member, examines some of the major political and economic decisions that have affected Tacomas development, particularly that of the downtown core. Areas of focus include the downtown decline following the construction of the Tacoma Mall; Luciens efforts to restore the Pantages Theater and revitalize the Broadway District; and her involvement with the South Puget Sound Education Council, which helped to establish the Tacoma branch of the University of Washington.

Oral history interviews with Zakariyya Alim and Mary Thompson by Gudrun Krause conducted 05/04/2020. Polio, Scarlet fever, Spanish fly, H1N1, Whooping cough, HIV, and now Covid-19 to name just a few pandemics that haunted the USA. All of them spread death and misery throughout the population. This essay takes a look at ordinary people and how they dealt with natural and man- made crises during their lifetime and how they are coping now with the threat of Covid-19. Two people are interviewed for this project, an African American man from Baltimore MD and a White American woman with Scottish heritage from a rural area in WA State. Due to a historic turn of the event, the conclusion is looking into the equal rights protests that are going on all over the country and the world.

Oral history interview with Harold G. Moss by Alison H. Sonntag conducted January-February 1993. Harold Moss reflects on his forty years of social activism in the Tacoma community and shares stories about the citys gradual shift toward racial integration and equality during the 1950s, 60s, and 70s. He also discusses his childhood in Detroit, his early campaigns for public office, and his eventual appointment to the city council in 1970, earning him the distinction of being the first African-American to hold a public office in Pierce County. An addendum includes quotations from Mosss inaugural speech after being appointed Mayor of Tacoma in 1994, the first African-American to serve in that capacity.

Oral history interviews with Adriene Tillman and Shirley Aikin by Cheryl Marie Coney conducted 05/11/2011. Adriene Tillman and Shirley Aikin examine the social trends and attitudes that have shaped their experiences as African-American nurses. Particular attention is paid to the interviewees involvement with the Ebony Nurses Association of Tacoma, a local organization that provides professional and personal support to its members. Other topics of discussion include Tillmans union activity with the Washington State Nurses Association, Aikins teaching career at Pacific Lutheran University, and the current strengths and weaknesses of the nursing profession.

Oral history interviews with Tadaye Fujimoto Kawasaki, Yoshiko Fujimoto Sugiyama, Kimi Fujimoto Tanbara, and Sadako Hirose by Brenda Sonnier conducted 02/1993. Sisters Tadaye "Teddy" Kawasaki, Yoshiko Sugiyama, Kimi Tanbara, and friend Sadako Hirose recall their school years at Tacomas Nihon Go Gakko (Japanese Language School) and describe life within the citys Japanese-American community during the 1920s, 30s, and 40s. They provide an extensive history of the school building, including its designation as a registration center following Executive Order 9066 and its use as a hostel for Japanese-Americans returning home from internment camps.

Oral history interviews with Ruth B. Nordstrom, Anne L. Gregory, Lyn Wilhelm, and Rene Z. Wilson by Crystal Graham conducted February-March 1993. Four female veterans reflect on their military careers and share their connections to the Veterans Affairs Medical Center at American Lake. Ruth Nordstrom, a long-time volunteer at American Lake, describes her time as an office clerk for WAAC (Womens Army Corp) during World War II and for WAF (Women in the Air Force) during the Korean War. Anne Gregory, a psychiatric nurse, talks about her experiences in Vietnam as a member of the Army Nurse Corps. Linda Wilhelm, a resident of the domiciliary, discusses her service time in the US Navy during the Vietnam era and describes some of the difficulties she faced as a gay woman in the military. Ren Wilson, a former domiciliary resident, recounts the high and low points of her Army career and talks about the social barriers she encountered as an African-American female officer. All interviewees comment on how the VA can better serve female veterans.