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- Title:
- Dan Grimm interview
- Interviewee:
- Grimm, Dan, 1949-
- Interviewer:
- Williams, Charles Thomas
- Date Created:
- 2018-07-20
- Role:
- Government official; Community member
- Department:
- Pierce County
- Subjects:
- 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
- Biography:
- Dan Grimm (b. 1949) represented Puyallup, Washington, in the state House of Representatives for six terms from 1977 to 1988, and he left the legislature just before the opening of the University of Washington Tacoma. He began this career at age 24 in 1973 as a staff member in the House Higher Education Committee, before he became the director of the non-partisan policy office of the House. When he was elected, he served as the vice chairman and later chairman of the Higher Education Committee. He continued to be involved in higher education matters when he served as the Caucus Chair and then the chair of the House Ways and Means Committee for three terms. During this time, he was a strong and influential advocate for educational opportunities in the Puget Sound area, especially Tacoma. For instance, he worked with former Representative and Tacoma mayor Brian Ebersole and prominent businessman Fred Haley to establish the South Puget Sound Higher Education Council, representing community interests. He also was key to securing state funding for the restoration of Union Station and the construction of the Washington State History Museum. When he left the legislature in 1988, he became the State Treasurer and served two terms. He is currently the Deputy Executive and Chief Operating Officer for Pierce County.
- Description:
- 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.
- Location:
- United States--Washington (State)--Tacoma United States--Washington (State)--Seattle United States--Washington (State)--Olympia United States--Washington (State)--Everett United States--Washington (State)--Puyallup
- Type:
- Sound; Text; StillImage
- Format:
- cpd
- Preferred Citation:
- University of Washington Libraries, University of Washington Tacoma Library, UWTOH201808