WSM Summer 2002

Summer 2002

The Restless Northwest

In The Restless Northwest, former Seattle Times science writer Hill Williams provides a fascinating overview of the geological processes that shaped the Northwest.

An attraction of the region is its varied terrain, from the volcanic Cascade mountain range to the flood-scoured scablands of eastern Washington and the eroded peaks of the northern Rockies. The vast differences, Williams notes, are the results of the collision of the old and the new. The western edge of Idaho was once the edge of ancient North America. As eons passed, a jumble of islands, minicontinents, and sediment piled up against the old continental edge, gradually extending it west to … » More …

Summer 2002

The Dynamics of Change: A History of the Washington State Library

Who better to write about the Washington State Library than Maryan Reynolds, state librarian from 1951 to 1974? She also played an important role in procuring the State Library building constructed in 1959 on the Capitol grounds in Olympia. The library moved to Tumwater and was opened to the public January 2, 2002 in its new location.

The Dynamics of Change is an original and valuable history of the Washington State Library from its territorial beginnings in 1853 to the late 1990s. Reynolds provides a personal account of the library’s expansion since the 1940s, when she joined the staff.

The author chronicles the development of … » More …

Summer 2002

The Cayton Legacy: An African American Family

Set in Seattle, San Francisco, Chicago, and New York, The Cayton Legacy chronicles the evolution of a remarkable African American family. From the Civil War to the present, generations of the Horace and Susie Cayton family helped illuminate the black and white experience and the troubled course of race relations in the United States.

The Caytons sought to define themselves in relation to their family traditions and to society as a whole. In the process, the distinguished family attained financial success and influence, both regionally and nationally. Family members published newspapers, wrote books, and were elected to public office. They worked for civil and human … » More …

Summer 2002

Frances Penrose Owen dies March 9 at 102

Former Washington State University regent Frances Penrose Owen died March 9, 2002 in Seattle. She was 102.

Governor Albert Rosellini appointed WSU’s first woman regent to the board in 1957. She served for 18 years and was twice elected president. In 1979, WSU’s new science and engineering library was named in her honor.

Eleven years later, when Mrs. Owen was presented with the Medal of Merit, the state’s highest award, WSU president emeritus Glenn Terrell said, “Frances is a rare combination of strength, gentleness, intelligence, and forcefulness.”

Mrs. Owen’s life was filled with service. She was elected to the Seattle School Board in 1945 and … » More …

Summer 2002

Lt. Col. Stinemetz wanted to convey his condolences

Word of CIA agent Mike Spann’s death November 29, 2001 in Afghanistan struck a chord with Washington State University graduate Lt. Col. Kurt Stinemetz (’76 Anthro.), U.S. Marine Corps. Spann was the first U.S. casualty in the war on terrorism in Afghanistan. Spann was killed in an uprising of Taliban prisoners being held for interrogation. His hometown was Winfield, Alabama, population 1,200.

Stinemetz oversees the Montgomery Military Entrance Processing Station 200 miles away from Winfield. Some 16,000 men and women in Alabama wanting to enlist in all branches of the military and National Guard annually pass through the facility.

Stinemetz and Spann shared a common … » More …

Summer 2002

Ehlo inducted into Pac-10 Hall of Honor

Former Washington State University basketball coach George Raveling once described Craig Ehlo (’86 Soc. Sci.) as “playing on the ragged edge of being out of control.” In other words, Ehlo made things happen. His full-speed-ahead approach on the court produced some turnovers, but also a host of steals resulting in easy baskets for the Washington State basketball team.

The former Cougar star was one of 10 inaugural basketball inductees into the Pacific-10 Conference Hall of Honor. The ceremony was held during the Pac-10 Men’s Basketball Tournament at the Staples Arena in Los Angeles in March.

Other inductees included coaching greats John Wooden (UCLA) and Pete … » More …

Summer 2002

Alumni Association honors past presidents

Three former presidents of the Washington State University Alumni Association have received WSU’s Alumni Achievement Award. Jim Miller, Vancouver, and Denny Jones, Redmond, were recognized in mid-November at the association’s reception for past presidents in Bellevue. John B. “Jack” Sutherland, Tacoma, was unable to attend. He received the award in December.

Miller (’65 Police Sci.,) was cited “for exemplary leadership as a district director and president (1995-96) of the Alumni Association, and for effective advocacy in supporting University programs in student enrichment, academic outreach, and intercollegiate athletics.”

Miller came to WSU from Tacoma. After earning his degree, he stayed on to complete his teaching credentials … » More …

Summer 2002

Early leader of WSU’s Native American students

Ki Tecumseh learned to work within the system—or stretch it

“Indian people don’t consider themselves to be a minority people.” —Ki Tecumseh

Growing up on the Yakama Indian Reservation, Kiutus “Ki” Tecumseh, Jr. learned to put his finger up to the wind to test the direction it was blowing. In his ideas and actions, he also likes to test conventional thought. A longtime public relations specialist with the Department of Energy in Albuquerque, New Mexico, he is soft-spoken and measured in his speech. But people tend to listen to what he has to say, more than how he says it.

For example, in the … » More …

Summer 2002

School superintendent recognized on state, national levels

R. Stephen Rasmussen capped two-plus decades as a school administrator by being named Washington Superintendent of the Year for 2001 and one of four finalists for National Superintendent of the Year.

Rasmussen, 51, has been superintendent of the 7,900-student Franklin Pierce School District since 1992. The district south of Tacoma serves a growing community with increasing ethnic and linguistic diversity.

When he was hired, the district faced a $600,000 deficit. In 1998, the district became the first in the state to pass a four-year school levy. The same year, voters approved a $25.6 million bond for construction.

The superintendent gladly shares his recognition. “It is … » More …

Summer 2002

Kleene keeps “influenza watch” at CDC

When Jennifer Kleene was awarded a national fellowship in the Emerging Infectious Disease program at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention last summer, it took a while for her to find out. She was in rural Armenia participating in a United Methodist relief effort that involved volunteer projects in sustainable agriculture.

Working at the CDC has been a lifelong goal for the 23-year-old Washington State University graduate. She completed a bachelor’s degree in microbiology in December 2000. Her father, Marvin Kleene, is associate professor of agricultural education at WSU.

“I was ecstatic,” she said of her acceptance at the CDC. She joined the Immunology … » More …