Name: Founding Stories Data
Creator: University of Washington Libraries Digital Collections
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/

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Title	Role	Description	Subjects
Bill Philip interview	Advisory board member	In this interview, Bill Philip begins by sharing his personal background as a Tacoma native. He explains how the experience growing up in Tacoma and watching it suffer from urban decay compelled him to rally for investment in the city. He talks about how he leveraged his relationships with individuals such as George Weyerhaeuser—with whom he attended Lowell Elementary School—and former Seattle mayor Paul Schell to renew real estate in the city. He recalls his involvement in the powerful Executive Council for A Greater Tacoma with Gary Reed, Frank Shrontz, Erivan Haub, Goerge Russell, and others. He relates how, with the pressure and interest in branch campuses from Washington State University, the Executive Council raised funds and persuaded former University of Washington president Bill Gerberding to place a "branch campus" in downtown Tacoma. Later in the interview, he recalls former chancellor Vicky Carwein recruiting him to chair the UW Tacoma Advisory Board. Other individuals mentioned include former UW president Richard McCormick, governor Booth Gardner, Tacoma businessman Herb Simon, and others.	South Puget Sound Higher Education Council; higher education; place-bound students; nontraditional students; urban development; Bill Gerberding; Executive Council for A Greater Tacoma; Advisory Board; Bill Gerberding; Richard L. McCormick; Sam Smith; Vicky Carwein; Washington State Legislature; George Russell; George Weyerhaeuser; William Philip
Rod Hagenbuch interview	Advisory board member; Community member	In this interview, Hagenbuch recounts behind-the-scenes work he and Ryan Petty did at the Tacoma-Pierce County Economic Development Board (EDB) to garner support for the establishment of a branch campus in Tacoma, including meeting with University of Washington president Bill Gerberding and Washington State University president Sam Smith. He shares his formative experience working for the Meridian Township Planning Commission in Michigan in the 1960s and '70s, reflecting on how collaborating with Michigan State University faculty and writing ordinances shaped his perspective on urban development and university-community partnerships. He describes arriving in Tacoma in 1982 as the manager of the local office of Merrill Lynch, finding himself leading the EDB, and witnessing the establishment of the Executive Council based on the recommendations of community planning consultant Bert Winterbottom (Rouse Company).	Ryan Petty; Tacoma-Pierce County Economic Development Board (EDB); Michigan State University; urban planning; urban renewal; economic development; Robert Hotaling; Meridian Township Planning Commission; affirmative action; zoning ordinance; environmental review; Milton Robert Carr; landscape architecture; Bert Winterbottom; William Philip; George Weyerhaeuser; George Russell; Urban League; Tom Dixon; Executive Council for A Greater Tacoma; warehouse district; Black Lives Matter movement
Michael Sullivan interview	Community member	In the interview, Sullivan describes the building of the University of Washington Tacoma campus, addressing themes of architecture, historic preservation, urban design, and warehouse district revitalization. He recalls working in the capacity of the city's historic preservation officer to review the campus location and facilitate its construction. In addition, together with fellow architect Valerie Sivinski at their firm Artifacts, he advised on building renovations as a conservator. The bulk of the interview includes a discussion on how UW Tacoma came to be placed in its downtown location. Sullivan details the involvement of esteemed architect Charles Moore and his myriad thoughtful, intellectually grounded design ideas: elevated sidewalks converted from loading docks, pavement patterns reminiscent of railroad tracks, parchment-colored concrete floor that references the place's industrial origin and new academic purpose. Sullivan further elaborates on the decision to respect the historic Prairie Line, the terminus of the Northern Transcontinental Railroad, and the significance to treat it as a central organizing point to the layout of the campus. Sullivan then comments on the transformation of downtown since the late 1980s, with its new purpose in education and culture. He muses on Dale Chihuly's rise as a prominent artist. The interview concludes with Sullivan's remarks on how the political force formed by Booth Garner, Brian Ebersole, and Lorraine Wojahn aided the growth of UW Tacoma; he praises the university's contribution to economic justice and suggests its future role in equity issues within the city.	Charles Moore; Dale Chihuly; Artifacts; Prairie Line; Transcontinental Railroad; Union Station; Historic Preservation Office; Warehouse District; Urban Waters
Liz Heath interview	Community member	Liz Heath starts the session by explaining her involvement in the late 1980s with the Tacoma-Pierce County Economic Development Board (EDB) and the South Puget Sound Higher Education Council, where she worked with Ryan Petty, then the director of EDB, on the project to found UW Tacoma. She recalls the community activism that successfully brought public higher education to the South Puget Sound region. She discusses the assessments of community needs, the vision for a liberal arts curriculum that would offer a practical degree to place-bound students, and the decision made by the Washington Higher Education Coordinating (HEC) Board to eventually select University of Washington as the institution to make this happen. The session shifts to the political aspect of establishing UW Tacoma. Heath describes the legislative support the University received, naming, in particular, Brian Ebersole, former Washington State Speaker of the House, and majority leader Dan Grimm. The conversation continues with a glimpse into the initial interviews for the founding faculty, which Heath attended as a member of the UW Tacoma Advisory Panel. In the concluding part of the session, noting her encounters with students and alumni of UW Tacoma, Heath states that this is perhaps the most important work she has done in her life. The interview ends with Heath’s reflection on various perspectives on community that, she says, are shaped by the environment.	South Puget Sound Higher Education Council; Tacoma-Pierce County Economic Development Board (EDB); community outreach; community involvement; urban revitalization; urban development; higher education; Sam Smith; Washington State University; Bill Gerberding; Ryan Petty; Rod Hagenbuch; Fred Haley; Urban Waters; place-bound students; nontraditional students
Greg Tanbara interview	Community member	In this interview, Greg Tanbara discusses his multifaceted connections with University of Washington Tacoma and Tacoma as a city. He begins by sharing his family history, tracing back to the early 1900s, when his grandparents immigrated and settled in today's downtown neighborhood of Tacoma, then a vibrant Japantown; his narration goes through World War II, when the residents were forced into internment, and into the mid-20th century. He recounts childhood memories living in the Japanese Language School building and participating in activities at the Tacoma Buddhist Temple, both of which were or are located on the present-day UW Tacoma campus. As an employee in multiple municipal offices from the late 1970s onward, Tanbara recalls discussions around a UW campus in Tacoma among local circles, including groups such as the Executive Council and individuals like Ryan Petty. At the end of the interview, Tanbara reflects on UW Tacoma's relationship with the neighborhood and local community, sharing his perspective on the university's role related to the history of Japantown and Tacoma.	Norman Dicks; urban renewal; Union Station; Save Our Station; World War II; Japantown; internment; Executive Order 9066; Warehouse District; community outreach; urban development; historic preservation; Superfund; Commencement Bay; Ryan Petty; Tacoma-Pierce County Economic Development Board (EDB); Executive Council for A Greater Tacoma; Ray Corpuz; William Philip; Theater District; Booth Gardner; employment service; Maru; memorial; LNG; Japanese American incarceration; Transcontinental Railroad
Ryan Petty interview	Community member	In this interview, Ryan Petty discusses his extensive and strategic work bringing a flagship university branch campus to Tacoma with the goal of creating local access to public education and four-year degrees for the city to develop economically. He explains the economic situation of Tacoma in the mid-1980s and the need to increase higher education opportunities in order to develop the workforce and attract business investment. He describes his behind-the-scenes work with higher education administrators and community stakeholders to discuss a possible Washington State University branch campus in Tacoma and to eventually persuade University of Washington to establish UW Tacoma. He reveals his deep personal investment in the place and endeavor, marveling at how "it was meant to be" and he was "just the right person at the right time."	Tacoma-Pierce County Economic Development Board (EDB); higher education; urban development; urban revitalization; community outreach; Bill Gerberding; Donna Kerr; Brian Ebersole; Rod Hagenbuch; Executive Council for A Greater Tacoma; Higher Education Coordinating (HEC) Board; Washington State Legislature; Pierce County; Sam Smith; Washington State University; warehouse district
Anne Haley interview	Community member	Sharing her personal and family background, Anne Haley discusses in this interview her family's strong ties to Tacoma and local institutions of higher learning, including University of Puget Sound and University of Washington Tacoma. Recalling her childhood in Tacoma, she describes mid-century Tacoma and socializing with other prominent families in town. She shares her perspective on education and learning as a librarian.	librarianship; printmaking; Brown & Haley; Fred Haley; University of Puget Sound; Joffrey Ballet; Theater District; Camp Lewis; World War II
Tamiko Nimura and Michael Sullivan interview	Community member	The present-day footprint of the UW Tacoma campus overlaps with what was once a vibrant and densely packed Japantown. In this interview, Michael Sullivan and Tamiko Nimura offer their perspectives on this history and its significance as it relates to UW Tacoma’s campus location. Nimura discusses how the historic Japantown touches the present, mentioning individuals who endeavored to research their family histories. Sullivan describes key events in the context of the historic Japantown prior to UW Tacoma’s arrival--from the removal of Japanese Americans to unsuccessful urban renewal efforts. They shared their views on the role UW Tacoma might play in education and in honoring downtown Tacoma’s past.	Japantown; Japanese Language School; Japanese American incarceration; Whitney; Tacoma Buddhist Temple; Japanese American; internment; Day of Remembrance; Kenji Hamai Stoll; Greg Tanbara; Uwajimaya; Patti Hirahara; Stacey Nishijima Ferguson; Transcontinental Railroad; memorial
Chana Lawson interview	Community member; Alumni; Staff	Chana Lawson discusses her various connections and experiences with UW Tacoma in this interview. She begins by explaining her background as a military wife, student parent, and airline employee and her motivation to complete her bachelor's degree at UW Tacoma. She recalls the time when UW Tacoma became a four-year university, which coincided with her time as a student. She says having freshmen and younger students on campus drove her to become more involved in cultivating a community. Later in the interview, she discusses in further detail her involvement with the Black Student Union and her work to establish the very first MLK Unity Breakfast, rallying the support of campus and community organizations as well as faculty and administrators.	military; student parent; community outreach; mentorship; diversity; youth services; Black Student Union (BSU); student organization; MLK Jr. Unity Breakfast; Emily Ignacio; Luther Adams; Michael Honey; September 11; Martin Luther King Jr.; Black Collective; Joint Base Lewis–McChord (JBLM)
Claudia Gorbman interview	Faculty	In this interview, Claudia Gorbman reflects on the transformations at University of Washington Tacoma since its establishment, comparing the earlier, more idealistic years focused on interdisciplinary education to the more recent growth in size and bureaucratic procedures. She describes the adventurous spirit of a new frontier that marked the beginning years. The session begins with her explaining her professional trajectory and the difficult decision to choose UW Tacoma over the tenured position she had held at Indiana University Bloomington for 15 years. On the subject of gender imbalance among the founding faculty, Gorbman remarks on the respectful treatment she has received from her peers and the force of her only female colleague on the faculty, Judy Stevens-Long. Speaking about her own scholarship, Gorbman regrets taking an "elitist" approach, stating that her views have shifted toward the end of her tenure at UW Tacoma--from focusing on global recognition to becoming more community-oriented. The conversation then turns to the Global Honors Program, which Gorbman directed, and she recognizes the work of her successor, Divya McMillin. She praises her students in the early years, who were typically older, professional students, noting their diligence and insight. She then talks about starting the Tacoma Film Society with UW Tacoma professor Anthony D'Costa, his wife Janette Rawlings, and Beckie Etheridge at the University's Media Services. The interview concludes with Gorbman's comments on how much the University's trajectory has deviated from the original vision as a result of rapid expansion and general attitudes toward the humanities and interdisciplinary studies.	Global Honors; interdisciplinary; interdisciplinary education; Judy Stevens-Long; Deborah Stansbury Sunday; Debra Friedman; Pat Spakes; nontraditional students; the whole U; tri-campus; Tacoma Film Society; Tacoma Film Festival; film studies; comparative literature; gender; Jack Keating; Indiana University Bloomington; Nathan Hale High School; water rights; Puyallup Tribe; Puget Sound Energy; LNG; curriculum planning
Michael Honey interview	Faculty	In the interview, Honey recounts his student life and early career. He begins with early influences from his own "union family" and postwar Michigan, where workers were well-represented by strong unions, such as the United Automobile Workers. He describes his college experience at Oakland University, where he met his mentor and professor, Henry Rosemont, who opened his eyes to the situation of the Vietnam War and led him to register as a conscientious objector. He recalls the 1967 Detroit riot and speaks of Martin Luther King as a recurring theme in his life and career. Honey then discusses the period after college, when he went to the South and became actively involved in the civil rights movement--working on cases of Angela Davis and others. He talks about how these experiences fueled his desire to attend graduate school at Howard University and Northern Illinois in order to study and write about African-American history, labor, and civil rights in the South. In the second half of the interview, Honey discusses how he arrived at University of Washington Tacoma. He recalls his efforts building relationships with the community and prominent Tacoma figures like Tom Dixon, a civil rights leader and founding director of the Tacoma Urban League. He notes the success of programs at such locations as the Washington History Museum and the Allen AME Church. As a founding faculty member, he helped to shape the first courses offered at UW Tacoma, and he incorporated music into his history courses, drawing connections to Pete Seeger, the Highlander Folk School, and others. On the importance of community relationship, he highlights decisions over the years to hire faculty who were invested in the population surrounding the UW Tacoma campus. As the session nears its end, he remarks on the challenges of having to build an institution while teaching and conducting scholarship simultaneously and laments over the waning legislative support for higher education.	Martin Luther King Jr.; League of Revolutionary Black Workers; March of Washington; civil rights; Vietnam War; conscientious objectors; labor; National Committee Against Repressive Legislation; Southern Conference Educational Fund; Herbert Aptheker; William Kunstler; Carl Braden; Highlander Folk School; Pete Seeger; Harry Bridges; ILWU Local 23; Evergreen State College; diversity; research; curriculum planning
Samuel Parker interview	Faculty	In this interview, Samuel Parker reminisces about the early days of University of Washington Tacoma and explains the decisions that eventually led to a more departmentalized approach to academic programs. He notes an increased preoccupation with accountability and management structures on the institution's part. The interview begins with Parker pointing out reasons that attracted him to UW Tacoma, including the unique interdisciplinary curriculum and the rare opportunity to build an institution from scratch. He describes the dynamic among the initial 13 faculty and their legacy of resistance against the compartmentalization of the University, especially following the creation of a psychology concentration under the first chancellor, Vicky Carwein. He also recalls characteristics of the students who were first to enroll at UW Tacoma and praised their industry and eagerness to learn. The session then turns to the University's relationship with the local community, and Parker mentions joining the Pierce County Arts Commission. He relates this to the revitalization of Downtown Tacoma through the arts. He discusses the work of Charles Moore, remarking that Moore had designed an Indian style garden--charbagh--for the UWT campus based on his previous work on Mughal gardens and Indian gardens. The last part of the interview concentrates on the development of today's Master of Arts in Interdisciplinary Studies, in which Parker played an instrumental role. He recalls the process that began in 1990 with the idea for a master's in liberal studies, which developed into a possible inter-program (IP) master's and eventually materialized as the MAIS in 2001. Parker concludes by citing the program to represent what he would like to see in the future of UWT--something unique and interdisciplinary.	Pierce County Arts Commission; Charles Moore; charbagh; Mughal gardens; Vicky Carwein; nontraditional students; MAIS; Global Honors; interdisciplinary education; curriculum planning
Michael Allen interview	Faculty	In this interview, Michael Allen describes what it was like to be a faculty member at University of Washington Tacoma at the founding of the campus. He remarks on how the interdisciplinary bent--which is less pronounced in today's more-structured curriculum--reflected an intellectual goal shared among the initial faculty members. He explains the freedom and flexibility this allowed, citing fondly his experience conducting scholarship at the intersection of history, folklore, music, and rodeo. The interview then shifts to UW Tacoma's relationship with the local community. Allen points out the issue of fairness, noting that Tacoma was the largest metropolitan area on the Pacific coast that did not have a state college, and therefore, he says, the community embraced the arrival of UW Tacoma, which offered essentially open admission and a pathway to higher education. He recalls a preference for faculty candidates' investment in the community in earlier recruitments, when whether or not they lived locally in the South Sound was important. In the concluding section of the interview, Allen traces the trajectory of UW Tacoma, projecting that it will become increasing similar to regional state schools. He attributes this to democracy, the forces of politics, and the fact that most Americans are more interested in applied degrees than liberal arts. He welcomes this future and intends to create, as much excellence as possible, while broadening access.	Mississippi River; Vietnam War; Jack Keating; core curriculum; interdisciplinary education; diversity; Washington State Historical Society; Bill Gerberding; Grand Valley State University; Evergreen State College; curriculum planning
Michael Kalton interview	Faculty	In this interview, Michael Kalton shares his experience as a founding faculty member at University of Washington Tacoma, shedding light on the tight-knit initial faculty, the growth of the institution overtime, and relationships with the university administration and local community. He begins by tracing his own academic background and explaining how, as a specialized expert in Korean Neo-Confucianism, he had come to choose an interdisciplinary, flexible career at UW Tacoma. He characterizes the dynamic among his first colleagues as natural, easy, and without a sense of hierarchy. He praises the nontraditional student body in the early years and remarks on how the University was concerned about diversifying the faculty, noting Michael Honey as a strong advocate. He goes on to explain the problems with scaling up interdisciplinarity and how that became an issue as the University grew. In the second half of the interview, Kalton recalls in more detail his motivation for organizing the faculty, which led him to establish the Faculty Assembly. While the University was backed by strong, high-level support from the South Sound community, he admits that he and his colleagues were overall too absorbed in building the institution to devote much to community outreach and developing relationships. He recalls his time as the director of the Interdisciplinary Arts and Sciences program, as well as his academic interests in tackling the natural sciences from a religion and philosophy perspective. Closing the interview, Kalton reflects on UW Tacoma’s inevitable direction toward departmentalization, diverging from the innovative, liberal arts approach he and many others had envisioned and hoped for. He concludes that his tenure at UW Tacoma was a dream job representing something he truly believed in.	Jesuit; Confucianism; religion; philosophy; Korea; interdisciplinarity; Interdisciplinary education; faculty governance; curriculum planning; research
Robert Crawford interview	Faculty	In this interview, Rob Crawford reflects on his involvement in building the University of Washington Tacoma. He describes the various roles he had, including faculty member, chair of the Faculty Assembly for three years, and cofounder of the Washington State Religious Campaign Against Torture. Drawing on his teaching experience at Evergreen State College, he compares experimental models and approaches to an interdisciplinary curriculum. In the first part of the session, Crawford shares his memory of the founding faculty and the first graduating classes. He notes that the students were older and brought with them professional and life experiences, which enabled a sense of collaboration between faculty and students. He recognizes the academic freedom he enjoyed at UW Tacoma, which has allowed him to flexibility design and trailer his teaching. He discusses a sample of his courses, including topics on the AIDS epidemic, the Holocaust, peace and justice, and human rights, and how he has cultivated his cross-disciplinary interests at UW Tacoma as a political scientist, historian, and cultural theorist. He also touches on the creation of the Master of Arts in Interdisciplinary Studies and the Global Honors programs. The interview then turns to faculty relationship with the administration. Crawford looks back at his experience working with UWT’s first chancellor Vicky Carwein, as well as with the Faculty Senate and other faculty organizations in Seattle and Bothell. He laments the institution’s relentless demands for growth, especially in terms of numbers. Continuing with this thought, he expresses the dissonance he felt with his early vision of UWT as a place for innovation in education, noting as well the limits of having interdisciplinarity as the only parameter.Crawford concludes the interview by naming teaching, curriculum development, and institution building as the three most rewarding aspects of his work at UWT. At the same time, he shares his concerns and frustrations about the direction of the institution.	higher education; interdisciplinarity; interdisciplinary education; experiential education; Evergreen State College; place-bound students; nontraditional students; Vicky Carwein; Faculty Assembly; MAIS; Global Honors; human rights; torture; AIDS; September 11; curriculum planning; research; Vietnam War
James Brown interview	Faculty	At the start of this session, Jim Brown recalls the unique interview process to recruit founding faculty at the University of Washington Tacoma and the curriculum planning meeting that took place later, in April 1990. He discusses the risks and unknowns involved in the adventure of building a new institution, noting his initial hesitation toward accepting the position. He shares his impression on the initial group of faculty assembled at the historic Perkins Building, remarking on the diverse academic backgrounds, interests, and personalities, as well as a strong sense of mutual respect for one another. The interview session then moves into the topic of leadership and faculty relationship with the administration. Brown recounts the somewhat unexpected departure of former dean Jack Keating, which led to Brown’s own involvement in the University’s administration and a national search that resulted in Vicky Carwein becoming the new chancellor. In the second half of the interview, Brown discusses the move to the permanent campus and some of the oppositions against UW Tacoma during this time. He characterizes the students in the early years as dedicated and eager to learn. He delves further into the evolving culture and structure on campus, noting a shift under former chancellor Vicky Carwein’s leadership. Toward the end of the interview, Brown expresses the importance of outreach, praising former chancellor Debra Friedman’s commitment to fostering community relationships, as well as commenting on the efforts to diversify the campus population, particularly faculty and staff.	Vicky Carwein; Jack Keating; Donna Kerr; Debra Friedman; higher education; liberal education; interdisciplinary education; academic administration; academic affairs; diversity; community engagement; Jesuit
Janet Primomo interview	Faculty	Janet Primomo reflects on work with University of Washington Tacoma as part of the founding faculty of the School of Nursing and Healthcare Leadership. In this interview, she shares her experience starting as assistant professor in 1992, helping to build the Nursing program at the time and incorporating interdisciplinarity into the curriculum to match UW Tacoma’s mission. She mentions the interdisciplinarity as well as community-based scholarship as aspects that attracted her to the position. Next she highlights memorable students. She notes the diversity within the campus community and how the student body's demographics shifted before and after the Great Recession. She then describes the evolving relationships between University of Washington's three campuses: Bothell, Seattle, and Tacoma, and the unique, community-driven orientation of UW Tacoma. She finishes by reflecting on the rewarding and frustrating parts about her career at UW Tacoma.	School of Nursing; nursing; public health; faculty governance; tri-campus; interdisciplinary education; research; community public health; Joint Base Lewis–McChord (JBLM)
David Morris interview	Faculty	David Morris recounts his experience starting the UW Tacoma Liberal Studies program and the then branch campus with a cohort of interdisciplinary scholars. He describes his interest and specialization in environmental literature and how they match the interdisciplinary approach to the curriculum at UW Tacoma. He shares his memories of team teaching and working with older, nontraditional college students that made up the majority of UW Tacoma student body when it was first established. Later in the interview, he discusses the tri-campus relationship between UW Tacoma, Seattle, and Bothell and shares his view on the university's trajectory of growth.	Bill Gerberding; Donna Kerr; liberal education; interdisciplinary education; interdisciplinarity; curriculum planning; higher education; nontraditional students; academic administration; Warehouse District; urban development; urban revitalization
Belinda Louie interview	Faculty	Belinda Louie shares her trajectory that led her to become a one of the three founding faculty of the Education program (now School of Education) at UW Tacoma. She recalls being a young scholar freshly out of her PhD program at University of Washington College of Education, participating in the extensive interview process on all three campuses, and her impressions of the campuses that led her to favor Tacoma over Bothell. She expresses her strong desire to support urban campuses and to serve the underserved, referencing her experiences growing up in Hong Kong and teaching in the Los Angeles Unified School District. She recounts stories about her popular literature classes in Liberal Studies (now Interdisciplinary Arts and Sciences), safety concerns and challenges in the classroom, and a key recruitment plan she designed and implemented. At the end of the interview, Louie reflects on her appreciation for the UW Tacoma campus, her sense of mission in her work, and her insights into the state of primary education in the U.S.	children’s literature; young adult; literacy; English Language Learning; ESL; Education Program; College of Education; classroom teachers; recruitment; Asian American; Asia Pacific Cultural Center; curriculum planning; Joint Base Lewis–McChord (JBLM)
Kathleen Shannon Dorcy interview	Faculty	Kathleen Shannon Dorcy shares her trajectory transitioning from being a young nun in the Dominican order to becoming a nurse and having a successful career as a nurse scientist, while continuously teaching at University of Washington Tacoma part time since the founding of the School of Nursing in 1991. She explains inspirations from her faith, family background, and experience moving from New Mexico and Arizona to Bellevue, Washington, that have defined her intellectual pursuits and personal mission. She describes how critical thinking ethics are applied in the community health and nursing curriculum at UW Tacoma.	School of Nursing; nursing; public health; social justice; tri-campus; research; homelessness; oncology; spirituality; faith; Catholic Church; Jesuit; research; Joint Base Lewis–McChord (JBLM)
Linda Hurley Ishem interview	Faculty	In this interview, Linda Hurley Ishem offers her insight on the inception and growth of UW Tacoma and its relationship with the local South Puget Sound community, sharing her expertise in community economic development. She describes her time in public administration, from 1989 to 2000, which coincided with the period when business leaders in Tacoma advocated for the establishment of UW Tacoma in order to serve the community and strengthen the local labor force and economy. She recalls direct and indirect contacts with the key players, such as Ryan Petty of the Economic Development Board (EDB) and Bill Philip of Columbia Bank. She also details community partnerships and applied courses she leads as a faculty member, such as the McCarver Educational Partnership. In the later part of the interview, she reflects on her formal and informal advising roles with the Black Student Union and Black students on campus, as well as the meaning and challenges of representation and diversity.	Community development; Ryan Petty; urban planning; economic development; Executive Council for A Greater Tacoma; Pierce County; urban studies; social work; diversity; place-bound students; McCarver Elementary School; Chana Lawson; center for equity and inclusion; MLK Jr. Unity Breakfast; Black Student Union (BSU); student organization; Black Lives Matter movement
Anthony D'Costa interview	Faculty	In this interview, Anthony D'Costa talks about his research interests that blend international development, sociology, economics, and political science, and how they align with the interdisciplinary emphasis at UW Tacoma when it was first established as a branch campus. He shares observations from his first visit to the Puget Sound area and the initial hiring and curriculum planning convenings.	curriculum planning; research; branch campuses; interdisciplinary education; interdisciplinarity; industrialization; naval shipyard; Port of Tacoma; Washington Alliance of Technology Workers; urban development
William Richardson interview	Faculty; University administrator	In this interview, Bill Richardson recalls his experience as a founding faculty member of UW Tacoma. He shares his motivation to help build a university, having witnessed the establishment of UC Santa Cruz and UC Irvine during his time as a student in the University of California system. He describes the unique hiring process and framework for the curriculum following the Washington state mandate to create branch campuses. He discusses team teaching, the interdisciplinary approach that was emphasized in the founding of UW Tacoma, and the relationship between the three UW campuses. He mentions representation in the faculty and early efforts to recruit and increase gender and ethnic diversity.	academic administration; curriculum planning; research; University of California; branch campuses; interdisciplinary education; interdisciplinarity; Russian; history; team teaching; diversity; hiring; recruitment; enrollment; Japanese Language School; historic preservation; Bill Richardson
Brian Ebersole interview	Government official; Community member	In this interview, Brian Ebersole recounts his involvement in the establishment of the University of Washington Tacoma, which coincided largely with his time as Washington State House Majority Leader. He remembers first hearing about the idea in 1987 and credits fellow legislator Dan Grimm for having by that point explored access to public higher education in the South Sound for over a decade. He points out the need in Tacoma, citing that it is an underserved, blue-collar city in relation to Seattle. He then explains the mechanism of founding a state branch campus and how Grimm, being the Chair of the House Ways and Means Committee, had significant leverage to make it happen. Placing UWT in the context of the revitalization of Downtown Tacoma, he connected the founding of the campus to the Save Our Nation movement, which resulted in the restoration of the historic Union Station. The second half of the session turned toward other community initiatives such as the contributions of the Tacoma-Pierce County Economic Development Board (EDB), which Ebersole said carried out their efforts largely independently. In addition, he mentions Kelso Gillenwater and David Zeeck, publishers of The News Tribune, as some of the key players. In the concluding part of the interview, Ebersole shares his opinion on broadening access to public education, emphasizing the need for inclusiveness. Finally, he reflects on the future direction of UW Tacoma, mentioning Urban Waters as an ideal example of collaboration between the state, city, and the University to fulfill local needs and advance research.	Urban Waters; urban development; Norman Dicks; Herb Simon; Dan Grimm; Save Our Station; Union Station; Fred Haley; South Puget Sound Higher Education Council; higher education; place-bound students; nontraditional students; Bill Gerberding; Richard L. McCormick; Kelso Gillenwater; News Tribune; Washington State Legislature; House Ways and Means Committee; Pierce County
Dan Grimm interview	Government official; Community member	At the start of this interview, Dan Grimm sheds light on the origins of the idea of a public university in the South Sound, which began in the 1970s. He explains the structure of higher education in the state of Washington, stating that it was aligned with the demographics more than 100 years ago. He explains how the population changes overtime have especially impacted the South Puget Sound region, and that the resulting disparity in education opportunities became a genesis for the founding of the University. Grimm recounts his roles on the House Higher Education Committee, when he started to advocate for university campuses in the area, stretching from Everett, along the east side of Lake Washington, and down to Tacoma. He discusses the revitalization of Downtown Tacoma and the restoration of the Union Station, crediting former Representative Jim Salatino for starting the Theater District. Grimm proceeds to discuss the political advantages and obstacles he and his colleagues in the legislature faced in the early stages of trying to establish a branch campus in Tacoma, and he recounts the dramatic turn of events when Sam Smith, who was in favor of branch campuses, became the new president of Washington State University and took a helicopter tour of the city. In the second half of the interview, Grimm goes into more detail about steps to place the UW Tacoma campus in Downtown and to create the South Puget Sound Higher Education Council. In closing, Grimm shares his opinions on the future direction of UW Tacoma and his perspective on state funding for higher education in Washington.	South Puget Sound Higher Education Council; higher education; place-bound students; nontraditional students; urban development; Bill Gerberding; Kelso Gillenwater; News Tribune; Washington State Legislature; House Ways and Means Committee; Higher Education Coordinating (HEC) Board; Bill Chance; Donna Kerr; Brian Ebersole; Chuck Collins; Theater District; Union Station; Glenn Terrell; Sam Smith; warehouse district

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