Washington’s Legacy Project launches a new free online oral history program next Tuesday with profiles and sit-down interviews with rocker Krist Novoselic, pioneering newswoman Adele Ferguson and the state’s first African-American Supreme Court Justice, Charles Z. Smith.
The project, a part of the Washington State Heritage Center planned for the Capitol Campus in Olympia, represents a re-launch of oral histories and profiles of some of the fascinating officeholders and innovative citizens who have made the state such an amazing place, said Secretary of State Sam Reed.
Under terms of a new 2008 law, the Legislature will oversee oral histories of former legislators, and the Secretary of State’s Legacy Project will produce a steady stream of profiles and oral histories of former governors and members of Congress, former judges and Washingtonians from all walks of life who have added their indelible stamp.
“This is an amazing opportunity to tell some of the diverse stories of Washington people who really made a difference and continue to contribute in ways that are timeless,” Reed says. “The Legacy Project is one of the first tangible signs of the popular education programs were planning for the Heritage Center.”
The chief historian and author of the series, John Hughes, says the oral histories and profiles are designed to be fun reads, full of never-told-before stories from some fascinating people.
“We are taking the tight-focus view of oral history, looking for high-impact stories that touch us at a human level, that teach us about ourselves,” Hughes says. “Along the way, we learn about remarkable people who have made contributions to the history of our state in diverse and creative ways.”
Reed and Hughes say the project is being launched inexpensively, with a scaled-down budget that relies on the Internet for maximum circulation of these stories and to encourage feedback. Audio and video clips, photographs and other education aids to readers also are planned as the program evolves.
“We made a conscious decision to be sensitive to the economic downturn we are weathering in this state and country, while being mindful of our responsibility to lawmakers and the governor who created the Legacy Project,” Reed says. “This oral history program will be a free and accessible gift, online and down-loadable, to the school children of Washington, and for the rest of us, as well.”
The project has a sense of urgency, Hughes says, with many potential subjects now getting along in years and some facing health challenges.
Lori Larson is the coordinator of the project. She has a degree in history from The Evergreen State College and previously worked in the legislative oral history program.
The oral histories and biographical profiles will be posted at http://www.secstate.wa.gov/legacyproject .
