The History Project
Our First Three Deans: Tom Grayston, 1970-71 (center); Bob Day, 1972-82 (left); Gil Omenn, 1982-1997 (right)
The origins of the History Project can be traced to a suggestion by Irv Emanuel, Professor Emeritus of Epidemiology. Since there is a dearth of documentary evidence, the principal means of gathering information is conducting and videotaping interviews with the School’s founders and others who contributed to its development. The project’s scope is comprehensive, covering all four decades of the School’s existence, as well as the years of its predecessor Department of Preventive Medicine. The most exciting of the methods to be used in compiling the history is that once an outline has been completed, it will be added to, edited, and revised in the open and collaborative tradition of the online encyclopedia Wikipedia.
Check the status of the History Project. If you haven't been contacted about the School's history and you can contribute to it, please tell Holly Weese, hweese@u.washington.edu, 206 685-6643. Especially if you have any written materials or photographs that could help us tell our story, please contact Holly.
Video Archives
The History Project’s Video Archives are a rich trove of School history, told by those who made it. Our goal is to record 30 or more interviews with current and former SPHCM students, faculty, and staff. While the interviews stand by themselves as individual contributions to an oral history, they will also be transcribed and used to help in writing the School’s history. Some subjects have addressed their activities outside the SPHCM, so viewers can learn about Tom Grayston’s work after he retired as the School’s first dean or Elaine Monsen’s and her husband’s contributions to the art world or see some of Hjordis Foy’s paintings.
Photo Gallery
We are a building a collection of photographs relevant to our history and seek your help in two ways. We have relatively few photographs in our archives, and the majority of them have no identifying information. We plan to post these images in our Photo Gallery and hope you can identify and date them. Secondly we ask you to send us copies (or originals that we will copy and return) of any appropriate photographs you might have.
Timeline
The organizational heart of any history is a timeline. You can help us create a comprehensive and accurate one for the School by adding to the first (and very incomplete) draft. In 2008 we hope to have a more complete version on this website. In the meantime, take a look at our first draft of the timeline that features the School’s leadership.
History Project
Eric Swenson, Writer/Producer
Sid Fox, Videographer
Patricia Wahl, Dean
© 2001-2008 University of Washington School of Public Health and Community Medicine
Box 357230, Seattle, WA, 98195-7230 USA
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Catcher) is a Northwest Coast Indian symbol of physical and mental well-being. It was designed by artist Marvin Oliver and is a registered trademark of the School.
