The Washington Federation of State Employees, AFL-CIO, held their 16th annual convention at the Winthrop Hotel on May 18, 1957. Members listened to speakers discussing pertinent issues of adequate wages, a state merit system, and how a state employees union meets the problems of a changing administration. View of speaker and extended microphone at podium; there is a large circular logo "American Federation State County Municipal Employees AFL-CIO" on the back of the podium. A can of Walla Walla green peas is next to a pitcher of water. Photograph ordered by Washington Federation of State Employees. (TNT 5-18-57, p. 4)

Washington Federation of State Employees (Tacoma); Meetings--Tacoma--1950-1960; Signs (Notices);

A large group posed for a portrait in the brilliant sunshine on the rooftop of the Winthrop Hotel in May, 1957. They were part of the Ancient Order of United Workmen convention. The Tacoma Lodge No. 6 would play host to the A.O.U.W. Grand Lodge of Washington with the initiation of 55 candidates, a ball, banquet and other festivities planned. The Master Workman of the Tacoma Lodge was Mrs. Martha Romnes; the A.O.U.W. was an order that served both men and women. The Tacoma Hotel and the 11th Street Bridge can be spotted in the background of this May 16, 1957, photograph. Photograph ordered by the A.O.U.W. (TNT 5-14-57, A-4)

Group portraits; Meetings--Tacoma--1950-1960; Ancient Order of United Workmen Tacoma Lodge No. 6 (Tacoma); Fraternal organizations--Tacoma--1950-1960; Tacoma Hotel (Tacoma); Hotel Winthrop (Tacoma); 11th Street Bridge (Tacoma);

A large luncheon for the Shell Oil Company. Most of the women wear nametags, corsages and hats. They are seated at circular tables, with the speakers' long table at the end of the room. The luncheon was held at the Crystal Ballroom of the Winthrop Hotel and was attended by 185 wives of Shell Oil employees from the Tacoma district. The guest speaker was travel expert Carol Lane. She offered the women helpful hints for summer travel including how to pack a suitcase and how to care for children on a trip. (TNT 5/20/1956, pg. A-18)

Banquets--Tacoma--1950-1960; Shell Oil Co., Inc. (Tacoma); Hotel Winthrop (Tacoma); Chandeliers;

Ben Cheney, President and founder of the Cheney Lumber Company, poses with a display of trophies and memorabilia from some of the many amateur sports teams that he sponsored. Photograph taken at the Winthrop Hotel. The display was probably set up in connection with the Pacific Northwest District Conference of the National Recreation Association being held at the Winthrop Hotel.

Cheney, Ben B., 1905-1971; Awards;

Pacific Telephone and Telegraph, a group of 13 men sit around a table at the Winthrop Hotel with bound notebooks in front of them. Back row, third from left, is Reno Odlin, President of Puget Sound Bank. Odlin was a member of the eight man Regional Advisory Board of business leaders mapping out new projects for the company. They proposed a $400,000 construction project for Tacoma. The project included new equipment for the Market and Proctor offices, an expansion program for the Waverly office and alteration of the downtown long distance facilities. Similar projects were proposed for Seattle, Bremerton, Sumner and Shelton. Seated in the center at the head of the table is Mark Sullivan, president of PT&T and standing at the far right is George M. Dean, vice president and general manager of the Washington-Idaho district of PT &T.(TNT 3/22/1956, pg. A-10)

Telephone companies--Tacoma; Pacific Telephone & Telegraph Co. (Tacoma); Odlin, Reno, 1897-1979;

ca. 1955. The Winthrop Hotel, circa 1955. The hotel, designed by W.L. Stoddard, architect, and Roland Borhek, associate architect, had its grand opening on 5/16/1925. The hotel was named in a Tacoma Ledger newspaper contest. The winning name was submitted by George L. Dickson. It was named after explorer and writer Theodore Winthrop, author of "The Canoe and the Saddle," which helped popularize the Northwest. The building was eleven stories and 110 feet high. In 1973, it was converted into apartments. In 1955, it was home to the Sabre Room and the Daffodil Room.

Hotels--Tacoma--1950-1960; Hotel Winthrop (Tacoma);

Five unidentified members of the Pacific Coast Division of the American Pulp & Paper Mill Superintendents Association performed a "space age" skit involving a hodgepodge of space visitors and robots at their annual conference held at the Hotel Winthrop, 773 Broadway, in December of 1955. Following panel and group discussions on sulphate pulping, sulphite pulping, and papermaking, the delegates ended their annual meeting with an informal banquet in the Crystal Ballroom and a dance in the Wedgewood Room. (Photograph ordered by American Pulp & Paper Mill Superintendents Association.) (TNT 12-4-55, B-11)

Theatrical productions--Tacoma--1950-1960; Costumes; Robots; Signs (Notices); American Pulp & Paper Mill Superintendents Association (Tacoma);

A bartender waits for business at the bar discretely tucked away in the Winthrop Hotel's Sabre Room on November 2, 1955. A cheerful motto is painted on the bar's wall: "Happy to meet/Sorry to part/Happy to meet again"; the writer's name is Scotty. Two crossed swords on a paneled wall give the room its name. The unique Sabre Room was opened by Trader Vic in September, 1949. The popular dining room would reopen on November 15, 1955; completely redecorated, it still retained its Old World atmosphere. The menu was predominately Old English with plenty of beef. Photograph ordered by the Winthrop Hotel. (TNT 11-15-55, p. 6)

Dining rooms--Tacoma--1950-1960; Bars--Tacoma--1950-1960; Bartenders--Tacoma; Daggers & swords; Hotel Winthrop (Tacoma);

Two crossed sabres decorate the appropriately named Sabre Room in the Winthrop Hotel in November, 1955. The decor appears Elizabethan with a predominance of wood, including wooden beams and simple chairs and tables. A touch of the modern appears with the presence of the room's chef in his open kitchen, just steps away from dining customers. The popular Sabre Room had been completely redecorated and was reopened on November 15, 1955. It retained its Old English atmosphere in the design by Arthur Morgan & Associates of Seattle. Newly added dishes were flaming shish kebab and Old English pastries. Photograph ordered by the Winthrop Hotel. (TNT 11-15-55, p. 6) TPL-8126

Dining rooms--Tacoma--1950-1960; Daggers & swords; Cooks; Hotel Winthrop (Tacoma);

The Fircrest Kiwanis Club celebrated charter night with a September 15, 1955, banquet in the Winthrop Hotel's Crystal Ballroom. Dignitaries were seated at the head table and various speeches were given. A large flag is positioned behind the guest speakers, and the Kiwanis Club banner is also prominently displayed. 250 people from various Kiwanis clubs in the Tacoma area met to recognize the new club. The Fircrest Kiwanis already have 54 members. On the far left is Fred G. Rounds, district governor; Herbert Socolofsky, lt. gov., standing in light suit, was toastmaster. (TNT 9-14-55, A-10, TNT 9-16-55, A-11)

Fircrest Kiwanis Club (Fircrest); Rounds, Fred G., Socolofsky, Herbert; Flags--United States; Signs (Notices); Hotel Winthrop (Tacoma); Banners; Banquets--Tacoma--1950-1960;

St. Regis Paper Co.- dinner meeting. Kenneth D. Lozier, vice president in charge of promotion and advertising, points out the importance of "awareness of opportunity" and "selling all the way through" as factors in the rapid growth of all five divisions of the St. Regis Paper Co. during a dinner speech to the Sales Executive Club of Tacoma at the Winthrop Hotel. Paper production was the fifth largest industry in the American economy. The Tacoma plant manufactured kraft, pulp, paper and board and multiwall paper bags. Other Northwest plants were located at Vancouver, Los Angeles, San Leandro and Emeryville, Ca. Tacoma pioneered the utilization of wood chips, formerly a waste product of sawmills, in the production of pulp. St. Regis was in the forefront in selling the use of paper as a wrapping product for food and dairy. (TNT 2/8/1955, pg.7)

St. Regis Paper Co. (Tacoma)--1950-1960; Paper industry--Tacoma--1950-1960; Lozier, Kenneth D.; Hotel Winthrop (Tacoma);

Associated General Contractors, convention. Over 100 contractors from all parts of the Northwest attended the first annual convention of the Pacific Northwest Branch of the Associated General Contractors of America February 3-4, 1955 at the Winthrop Hotel. The two day sessions included discussions on problems related to general contractors and the various local, municipal, state and federal agencies from whom they perform work as well as that performed for architects and engineers. The Northwest branch was composed of chapters in Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana and Alaska, a total of over 600 members, that performed most of the commercial and industrial construction in these areas, including dams, bridges and highways. James W. Purvis, President of the Tacoma Chapter, served as convention chairman. (TNT 2/3/1955, pg. 1)

Associated General Contractors, Tacoma Chapter (Tacoma); Meetings--Tacoma--1950-1960; Hotel Winthrop (Tacoma);

Clinton S. Reynolds (left), new president of Tacoma Chamber of Commerce, presents outgoing president Charles M. Fogg (center) with a framed check for $1.00, his salary for his tenure as 1954 Chamber President. Looking on at the right is Tom Collins, Kansas City banker and humorist and featured speaker for the event. The presentation was the highlight of the 70th annual Chamber dinner in the Crystal Ballroom of the Winthrop Hotel. A standing room only crowd of 435 attended the event. (TNT 1/20/1955, pg. 1 & A-5)

Tacoma Chamber of Commerce (Tacoma); Fogg, Charles M.; Checks; Collins, Tom; Reynolds, Clinton S.;

The splendid chandeliers and sconces of the Winthrop Hotel provided an elegant setting for the Capital District, Washington Federation of Garden Clubs' show on December 6, 1954. A Christmas motif was evident; the majority of arrangements on display were small tabletop decorations. A few tall firs were added to complete the tableau. This may have been an annual event sponsored by the federation.

Washington State Federation of Garden Clubs (Tacoma); Flower shows--Tacoma--1950-1960; Hotel Winthrop (Tacoma);

Tuxedoed men and ladies dressed in evening gowns posed for this October, 1954, group portrait. The group, including Mr. and Mrs. T.G. Calbreath, Mr. and Mrs. L. Evert Landon and Judge and Mrs. Bertil E. Johnson who were surrounding the wicker table, were members of the Comus Club attending the "Moonlight Magic" dance on October 16, 1954. The glittering crescent moon on the backdrop is framed by several potted trees. The dance was held in the Wedgwood Room of the Winthrop Hotel.

Group portraits; Comus Club (Tacoma); Calbreath, T.G.; Landon, L. Evert; Johnson, Bertil E.; Hotel Winthrop (Tacoma);

Employees of the Washington Hospital Service enjoyed a tasty luncheon at the Winthrop Hotel on September 23, 1954. The business apparently handled Blue Cross plans and was located in Seattle at 2121 Third Avenue. View of luncheon tables with employees; some have on name tags.

Washington Hospital Service (Seattle)--Employees; Banquets--Tacoma--1950-1960; Hotel Winthrop (Tacoma);

Elevated view of Tacoma's downtown and industrial area. Photographs taken on September 2, 1954, from Room 716 of the Winthrop Hotel show a cluster of downtown Tacoma businesses, the 11th Street Bridge, and a portion of the industrial area in the distance. Tacoma Savings & Loan, the Tacoma Hotel, Lincolnshire Hotel and Security Building (formerly Provident Building) can be clearly seen. Smokestacks billow as Tacoma's lumber and chemical mills operate with full staff. Large billboards, placed on the rooftop of the Lincolnshire Hotel, provide advertising information for consumers interested in liquor, fruit and electrical equipment.

Billboards--Tacoma--1950-1960; Security Building (Tacoma); Lincolnshire Hotel (Tacoma); Tacoma Savings & Loan Association (Tacoma); Tacoma Hotel (Tacoma); Bridges--Tacoma--1950-1960;

Elevated view of Tacoma's downtown and industrial area. Smoke from various lumber and chemical companies in Tacoma's industrial area blends into the sky. Busy plants meant employment for thousands of local residents. The Tacoma Hotel and Tacoma Savings & Loan can also be spotted on the left of this September 2, 1954, photograph, taken from the seventh floor of the Winthrop Hotel.

Industrial facilities--Tacoma--1950-1960; Tacoma Savings & Loan Association (Tacoma); Tacoma Hotel (Tacoma);

On August 13, 1954, Tacoma Mayor Harold Tollefson (second from left) presented Air Force General T. Alan Bennett and his wife with a special proclamation declaring them "Tacoma Citizens in Absentia." The Bennett family was being transferred to Fairbanks and Tacoma would sorely miss them. Because the Bennetts were the sort of "neighborly, friendly type of people" Tacoma wanted as residents, the proclamation urged their speedy return. This photograph was taken at the Tacoma Chamber of Commerce offices in the Winthrop Hotel.

Tollefson, Harold M., 1908-1985; Mayors--Tacoma--1950-1960; Bennett, T. Alan; Bennett, T. Alan--Family; Generals--United States; Proclamations;

The Winthrop Hotel hosted the Northwest Federation of Stamp Clubs' 14th annual convention in late May, 1954. Framed displays of rare and beautiful stamps were placed in long rows for interested collectors to view in the hotel's Crystal Ballroom. Stamp collectors were of assorted types, ranging from young boys to teenagers and also older men and women. Stamp collecting was a very popular hobby during the 1950's and exhibits such as the one pictured would have attracted large crowds. (TNT 5-23-54, p. 6)

Postage stamps; Collectors--Tacoma; Merchandise displays--Tacoma--1950-1960; Hotel Winthrop (Tacoma);

Ben Perham smilingly shows off the watch he was given at the annual banquet of the Pacific Northwest Conference of Savings & Loans Associations held on May 24, 1954. Mr. Perham was the former chairman of the Board of Directors of the Federal Home Loan Bank of San Francisco; the watch was presented to him by Gerrit VanderEnde for his sixteen years of service to the federal institution. Mr. Perham now is the president of a food distributing company in Yakima. View of Ben Perham on left and Gerrit VanderEnde on right, Mr. VanderEnde is the president of Pacific First Federal Savings & Loan in Tacoma. (TNT 5-23-54, C-16, TNT 5-25-54, p. 11)

Awards; Clocks & watches; Perham, Ben; VanderEnde, Gerrit;

Dr. R. Franklin Thompson, president of the College of Puget Sound, was the featured speaker at the annual banquet of the Pacific Northwest Conference Savings & Loan Associations on May 24, 1954. His speech was entitled "Prelude to a New Age." At the head table in the Winthrop Hotel's Crystal Ballroom with Dr. Thompson were Mr. and Mrs. Ben Perham, Mr. and Mrs. Gerrit VanderEnde, and Mr. and Mrs. J. Alston Adams. More than 150 delegates and wives attended the two day savings & loan conference. (TNT 5-23-54, C-16, TNT 5-25-54, p. 11)

Meetings--Tacoma--1950-1960; Public speaking--Tacoma--1950-1960; Thompson, R. Franklin, 1908-1999; Perham, Ben; VanderEnde, Gerrit; Adams, J. Alston;

The beaming lass pictured is Lynn Green, the 1954 Sweetheart of Sigma Chi, Delta Phi Chapter. She has recently been selected over four other contestants to rule as Sweetheart at the Sigma Chi dance in the Crystal Ballroom of the Winthrop Hotel. Lynn Green from Redmond was a sophomore at the College of Puget Sound. She was working toward degrees in sociology and education. She belonged to the Chi Omega sorority and Spurs. (TNT 3/7/1954, pg. D-4)

Sigma Chi (Tacoma); Fraternities & sororities--Tacoma--1950-1960; College of Puget Sound (Tacoma)--1950-1960; Green, Lynn;

Seven Up Bottling Co. A breakfast for twenty featuring the bubbling soda. 7UP's slogan at this time was "You like it, it likes you." The breakfast was part of the meetings scheduled around the 37th annual convention of the Washington Bottlers of Carbonated Beverages held in Tacoma at the Winthrop Hotel. The three day run of meetings had its kickoff on Sunday, 2/7/1954, with a reception and smorgasbord at the hotel. Over 250 bottlers and their families were expected to attend. (TNT 2/7/1954)

Washington Bottlers of Carbonated Beverages (Wa.); Meetings--Tacoma--1950-1960; Carbonated beverages;

Winthrop Hotel, new sample furniture on display in rooms 505, 522 & 525. The room has been decorated for the discriminating traveler with a patterned embossed carpet, floral drapes, full bed with chenille bedspread, dresser, a desk/vanity and a variety of tables and chairs with numerous lamps. A bench has been placed at the end of the bed to hold an open suitcase or for sitting. A long coffee table, however, has been placed blocking a door.

Hotels--Tacoma--1950-1960; Hotel Winthrop (Tacoma); Furniture;

ca. 1953. Three cars are parked next to the Winthrop Hotel, 773 Broadway, in the fall of 1953. An ornate marquee extending over the sidewalk would help to protect exiting car occupants and passersby from inclement weather. The elegant hotel was built in 1925 with funds supplied by a local subscription drive. It was named after explorer and author Theodore Winthrop who helped popularize the Northwest. BU-12138

Automobiles--Tacoma--1950-1960; Hotels--Tacoma--1950-1960; Hotel Winthrop (Tacoma);

New marquee being put in place at the Winthrop Hotel. Six men hold the new marquee in place. The sign advertises the hotel as the home of Daffodil Room and the Sabre Room. A panel van parked in front has a sign on it reading "Man of the Year."

Marquees--Tacoma; Hotel Winthrop (Tacoma);

American Institute of Architects, Southwest Washington Chapter, in the Wedgewood Room at the Winthrop Hotel. Most Tacoma and Seattle architects are pictured here, some with spouses. In the foreground of the picture, left to right, are Si Nelson, Percy Ball, Rod O'Hiser, Marshall Perrow, James Wilson and future mayor Gordon Johnston. Seated on the right side of the room, directly under the palm tree wall decoration are Hubert and Betty Bisson. Mr. Bisson was an architect, and later associate, for the well-known Tacoma firm of Lea, Pearson & Richards. Mr. Bisson worked for them for over 20 years until his death in 1971. He designed many of Tacoma's banks and schools for the firm. (for more detailed name information, please see name chart accompanying picture in Richards files) (Additional information provided by a reader)

American Institute of Architects, Southwest Washington Chapter (Tacoma); Architects; Hotel Winthrop (Tacoma); Bisson, Hubert; Bisson, Betty; Johnston, Gordon N.; Nelson, Silas E.; Ball, Percy G.; O'Hiser, Rod; Perrow, Marshall; Wilson, James;

American Institute of Architects, Southwest Washington Chapter, in the Wedgewood Room at the Winthrop Hotel. The map of the counties of Southwest Wa. is on the wall, with each county connected by string with a lighted candle. The back row tentatively identified as, left to right, Gil Wojahn, Percy Ball, Si Nelson, unidentified, John Richards, W.W. Durham and Nelson Morrison. The seated row, left to right, Charles Lea, Marshall Perrow, unidentified and George Gove. The two men to the right of the table are unidentified.

American Institute of Architects, Southwest Washington Chapter (Tacoma); Hotel Winthrop (Tacoma);

Heidelberg Brewery- Salesmen's wives boarding bus outside the Winthrop Hotel. Heidelberg often held sales meetings in Tacoma and entertainment was planned for the ladies. Here the wives are neatly attired in coats and some furs, as well as the requisite hat, and ready to board a bus for a sightseeing junket. The brewery was known as Columbia Breweries from 1900-1953; in July of 1953 the company changed its name to Heidelberg Brewing Co. Its most famous products were the beers "Alt Pilsener" and "Columbia Ale." Both labels stopped production with the breweries' closure in 1979. TPL-8479

Brewing industry--Tacoma--1950-1960; Columbia Breweries, Inc. (Tacoma)--1950-1960; Heidelberg Brewing Co. (Tacoma)--1950-1960; Hotel Winthrop (Tacoma);