Washington’s Legacy Project is releasing a new biography of Slade Gorton’s 50-year career in public service at the state and national levels. The volume, the latest in a series on some of Washington’s most notable personalities, is available in book form and is free online. The book is entitled “Slade Gorton: A Half Century in Politics,” written by John C. Hughes, chief historian for The Legacy Project, an oral history program established by the Office of Secretary of State in 2008. The book version was published by the Washington State Heritage Center and printed in the U.S. by Thomson-Shore. A book launch event is being held on Thurs., Nov. 17 at the Slade Gorton International Policy Center, 1414 NE 42nd St., Suite 300, in Seattle. The event begins at 5 p.m., with the program starting at 5:30 p.m. Program speakers include Hughes; Creigh H. Agnew, president of the Slade Gorton International Policy Center; Secretary of State Sam Reed; former Governor and U.S. Senator Dan Evans; and Gorton himself. The book costs $35. It is for sale on the Secretary of State’s Online Store — http://www.sos.wa.gov/store/ — for $37.50, including shipping and handling. Printing of this book was made possible by gifts from private donors. It was not printed at public expense.

Gorton’s political career began in 1958 when he was elected as a Republican to the state House of Representatives from Seattle’s 46th District. After serving in the House for 10 years, rising to the post of majority leader, Gorton was elected as state attorney general in 1968 and served for 12 years. In 1980, he defeated longtime U.S. Senator Warren Magnuson. Gorton lost his U.S. Senate seat in 1986 to Democrat Brock Adams, but he returned to the Senate two years later, defeating Democrat Mike Lowry in an open race. Gorton left the Senate after losing to Democratic challenger Maria Cantwell in 2000. Gorton was appointed in 2002 to the 9/11 Commission, which studied the terrorist attacks involving airliners that struck the Twin Towers in New York and the Pentagon on Sept. 11, 2001. The commission issued its final report in 2004. Gorton currently is serving as a member of the Washington State Redistricting Commission, which is redrawing the borders for Washington’s congressional and legislative districts. The commission is expected to release the state’s new political boundaries soon.   This is The Legacy Project’s fifth published book. The other four are on former Governor Booth Gardner, former first lady Nancy Evans, longtime political reporter and columnist Adele Ferguson and civil rights pioneer Lillian Walker. The Legacy Project also has oral histories on these five subjects, as well as political leader Jennifer Dunn, astronaut Bonnie Dunbar, former Supreme Court Justices Charles Z. Smith, Robert F. Utter and Carolyn Dimmick, and Grunge-rocker-turned-political activist Krist Novoselic. All are online. The Legacy Project is part of the Office of Secretary of State. To learn more about The Legacy Project, visit http://www.sos.wa.gov/heritage/LegacyProject/default.aspx .

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For earlier Tacoma Daily Index coverage of The Legacy Project, click on the following links:

Biography spotlights Tacoma native, former governor Gardner (06/09/10) — http://tacomadailyindex.com/portals-code/list.cgi?paper=88&cat=23&id=1785501&more=0

Former congresswoman Dunn latest Legacy Project subject (02/16/10) — http://tacomadailyindex.com/portals-code/list.cgi?paper=88&cat=23&id=1717103&more=0

Washington State Legacy project features Former first lady Evans (10/07/09) — http://tacomadailyindex.com/portals-code/list.cgi?paper=88&cat=23&id=1636114&more=0

Justice Utter joins Legacy Project catalogue (05/11/09) — http://tacomadailyindex.com/portals-code/list.cgi?paper=88&cat=23&id=1546460&more=0

Washington State Legacy Project honors first female Supreme Court Justice (03/25/09) — http://tacomadailyindex.com/portals-code/list.cgi?paper=88&cat=23&id=1516170&more=0

Rocker, reporter and jurist help launch Washington State Heritage Center Legacy Project (02/19/09) — http://tacomadailyindex.com/portals-code/list.cgi?paper=88&cat=23&id=1493204&more=0

Veteran journalist will lead state’s Legacy Project (08/11/08) — http://tacomadailyindex.com/portals-code/list.cgi?paper=88&cat=23&id=1282198&more=0