City officials join Safety Council. Mayor George Smitley was the chairman of Safety Week, held March 1-7, 1937, bolstered with a free exposition at the Armory to promote better driving. All the city officials pictured above bought memberships to the Safety Council and were given ornaments with a red reflector which served as an auxiliary taillight. Mrs. Walter M. Snell, president of the Junior Women's Club and chairman of the committee to sell memberships, is shown putting a button on the Mayor's lapel. Gazing at her are L-R Howard Carothers, corporation counsel, C. Val Fawcett, finance commissioner, Ira S. Davisson, utilities commissioner, Mayor George A. Smitley, Abner R. Bergersen, public works commissioner, Frank Callender, public safety commissioner and Tom Swayze, city controller. Tacoma in the 1930's did not have a city council which was broken up into districts. The men listed above ran the City of Tacoma. ALBUM 11. (TNT 3-3-1937, p. 5)
Municipal government--Tacoma--1930-1940; Mayors--Tacoma--1930-1940; Smitley, George A., 1872-1956; Carothers, Howard; Fawcett, Clarence Valdo, 1900-1965; Davisson, Ira; Bergersen, Abner R.; Callender, Frank T.; Swayze, Tom; Snell, Walter M.--Family;