Seattle (Wash.). Mayor

Norman B. Rice was born 4 May 1943. He received his college education at the University of Washington, earning a bachelor's degree in communications and a Masters of Public Administration. Rice holds honorary degrees from Seattle University, the University of Puget Sound, and Whitman College. Before entering city government, he worked as a reporter at KOMO-TV News and KIXI Radio, served as assistant director of the Seattle Urban League, was executive assistant and director of government services for the Puget Sound Council of Governments, and was employed as the manager of corporate contributions and social policy at Rainier National Bank. Beginning in 1978, Rice served eleven years on the City Council, including a term as Council president; he also served as chair of the energy and finance and budget committees. Rice facilitated the development of more equitable cost allocation and rate design procedures for Seattle City Light as part of his work on the energy committee; his accomplishments on the finance and budget committee included the passage of the Women and Minority Business Enterprise Ordinance and the elimination of city investments in firms doing business in South Africa. Rice also worked to improve public safety in Seattle and advocated for the use of local funds to improve conditions for disadvantaged Seattle citizens. Rice ran for mayor again in 1993 and was re-elected; he also served as president of the U.S. Conference of Mayors. Rice is currently the president and CEO of the Federal Home Loan Bank of Seattle.

From the description of Mayor Norman Rice photographs, 1990-1997. (Unknown). WorldCat record id: 71174547

Gordon Stanley Clinton defeated incumbent Mayor Allen Pomeroy in a close election in 1956 and subsequently served two terms as Mayor of Seattle, from 1956 to 1964. Upon taking office, Clinton established the Metropolitan Problems Advisory Committee, headed by local community leader John Ellis, to suggest approaches to dealing with chronic local and regional problems. During his administration, Clinton tackled issues as divergent as regional governance, international trade, and discrimination in housing. Clinton actively supported development of enabling legislation used by the State Legislature to allow creation of regional governments, leading to the formation of the Metropolitan Municipality of Seattle (Metro) in 1958. Clinton also initiated Seattle's sister-city program in 1956, supported the development of the current Seattle Center site for the World's Fair in 1962, and fought illegal gambling in Seattle. In 1963, Clinton created the twelve-member Seattle Human Rights Commission to promote equality and understanding among Seattle residents; the Commission investigated and made recommendations regarding discrimination based on race, religion, and national origin. The Commission was also charged with drafting an open housing ordinance which was referred to the voters in 1964; it was overwhelmingly defeated (the City Council passed an open housing ordinance in 1968). Clinton, formerly a lawyer, is now retired.

From the description of Mayor Gordon Stanley Clinton photographs, 1959 Nov. (Unknown). WorldCat record id: 71058729

Gordon Stanley Clinton defeated incumbent Mayor Allan Pomeroy in a close election in 1956 and subsequently served two terms as mayor of Seattle, from 1956 to 1964. Upon taking office, Clinton established the Metropolitan Problems Advisory Committee, headed by local community leader John Ellis, to suggest approaches in dealing with chronic local and regional problems. During his administration, Clinton tackled issues as divergent as regional governance, international trade, and discrimination in housing. Clinton actively supported development of enabling legislation used by the state legislature to allow creation of regional governments, leading to the formation of the Metropolitan Municipality of Seattle (Metro) in 1958. Clinton also initiated Seattle's sister-city program in 1956, supported the development of the current Seattle Center site for the World's Fair in 1962, and fought illegal gambling in Seattle. In 1963, Clinton created the twelve-member Seattle Human Rights Commission to promote equality and understanding among Seattle residents; the Commission investigated and made recommendations regarding discrimination based on race, religion, and national origin. The Commission was also charged with drafting an open housing ordinance which was referred to the voters in 1964; it was overwhelmingly defeated (the City Council passed an open housing ordinance in 1968).

From the description of Mayor Gordon Stanley Clinton election scrapbooks, 1956-1960. (Unknown). WorldCat record id: 123945309

The Mayor is the chief executive officer of the City with responsibilities for appointing executive department heads, directing and controlling all subordinate officers and agencies, preparing and executing the City budget, ensuring that the laws of the City are enforced, and maintaining the peace and order in the City.

From the description of Records of the Office of the Mayor, 1956-1970. (Unknown). WorldCat record id: 244638144

The Mayor is the chief executive officer of the City with responsibilities for law enforcement, appointing department heads, administering City department and programs, and preparing and executing the City budget. Seattle's original Charter (1869) created the position of Mayor who served as ex-officio President of the Common Council. The 1875 Charter gave the Mayor a cote on Council. That was amended in 1886 to provide for a tie-breaking vote only. The 1890 Charter completely separated the Executive and Legislative branches. Mayoral terms were set at 4 years by the 1946 City Charter.

From the guide to the Office of the Mayor Digital Photograph Collection, 2007, (City of Seattle Seattle Municipal Archives)

Wes Uhlman was born in 1935 in Cashmere, Washington. He attended Aberdeen High School, Seattle Pacific College, and the University of Washington, where he served as president of the Young Democrats. He married a classmate, Leila Hammond, and returned to UW for law school in 1956.

In 1958, as a 23-year-old law student, he defeated incumbent Republican Hartney Oakes to represent the 32nd district in the Washington State House of Representatives, becoming the youngest member of the State Legislature. He served four terms before running for, and winning, a seat in the Washington State Senate.

Uhlman was elected Mayor in 1969, the youngest chief executive in Seattle's history and the first Democrat in almost 30 years. He was immediately faced with a host of problems ranging from racial tensions and large anti-war demonstrations to a police scandal and an economic downturn. He responded by overhauling the city bureaucracy, encouraging increased citizen participation in government, and expanding social services. He was a strong believer in affirmative action, and the percentage of City workers who were minorities doubled during his time in office.

He left the mayor's office in 1977 after serving two terms that included an unsuccessful run for governor in 1976. After his political career, he worked in law and real estate development.

From the guide to the Wesley C. (Wes) Uhlman Mayoral Records, 1956-1978, 1970-1977, (City of Seattle Seattle Municipal Archives)

Office of the Mayor

The Mayor is the chief executive officer of the City with responsibilities for appointing executive department heads, directing and controlling all subordinate officers and agencies, preparing and executing the City budget, ensuring that the laws of the City are enforced, and maintaining the peace and order in the City. The legal roles and responsibilities of the Mayor are prescribed by the City Charter, state statutes, and municipal ordinances. A candidate for the position must be a citizen of the United States, a qualified elector of the State of Washington, and a registered voter of the City of Seattle at the time of filing his/her declaration of candidacy.

Seattle was incorporated by an act of the Territorial Legislature on December 2, 1869, and the City’s first mayor, Henry A. Atkins, was appointed by the Legislature pending the first City election scheduled for July 1870. The City Charter, granted by the Legislature, set the Mayor’s term of office at one year. Under this first Charter, the Mayor served as ex-officio President of the Common Council. A Charter amendment in 1875 gave the Mayor a vote on Council, but that provision was amended in 1886 to provide for a tie-breaking vote only.

The City's first Freeholders’ Charter (1890) completely separated the Executive and Legislative branches and changed the term of office for the Mayor to two years. Through the first decade of the 20th century, elected offices in Seattle were partisan. A Charter Amendment passed by the voters on March 8, 1910, established non-partisan nominations and elections for all City elective offices. A new Freeholders Charter in 1946 changed the term of the Mayor to four years.

Gordon Clinton

Gordon Clinton was born in Canada in 1920 to American parents, and moved to Seattle at the age of two. After his father died around 1932, Clinton for a time lived in a charity home with his mother and siblings. He attended Roosevelt High School and the University of Washington, first obtaining a political science degree and then a law degree.

Clinton worked for the FBI in Virginia and Kentucky before serving in the Navy during World War II. Later he practiced law and served as an acting Police Court judge in Seattle before deciding to run for mayor in 1956. He defeated Allan Pomeroy in a close election and went on to serve two terms, leaving office in 1964.

Clinton oversaw the development of the Seattle Center site and presided over the city's festivities during the 1962 World's Fair. He created the Human Rights Commission to promote equality and understanding among Seattle residents, and actively supported the formation of Metro in 1958. He also initiated Seattle's sister city program, one of the first of its kind.

After leaving office Clinton returned to practicing law, including working for the consulates of Japan, Korea, and the Philippines.

Dorm Braman

James D'Orma ("Dorm") Braman was born in Iowa in 1901. He moved with his family to Eastern Washington around 1908 and then to Bremerton in 1910. After leaving high school, Braman opened a millwork business in Bremerton, and later ran a lumber and hardware store in Seattle.

Braman was elected to the Seattle City Council in 1954, where he chaired the Finance Committee and was particularly interested in budgetary issues. He served on the World's Fair Commission and helped shepherd the Seattle Center's transition from fairground to civic campus. He remained on the Council until 1964 when he was elected mayor.

During his term as mayor, he oversaw the city's involvement in the federal Model Cities program and the acquisition of Fort Lawton. He supported the Forward Thrust program and advocated for rapid transit. One notable accomplishment during this period of racial tensions was the passage of Seattle's open housing bill in 1968.

Braman left office in 1969 to become the Assistant Secretary of Transportation for Urban Systems and Environment under President Nixon. He served in this post for 18 months before returning to Seattle, where he died in 1980.

Floyd Miller

Floyd Miller served as Acting Mayor for nine months in 1969 after Dorm Braman went to work for the Department of Transportation in Washington, DC. Miller had served seven terms in the State Legislature and three terms on the Seattle City Council. Miller was Council President at the time of his appointment as acting mayor.

Some in the city's African American community were opposed to Miller filling the vacancy because of his past stances on civil rights issues; however, others pointed to a vote favoring fair employment and claimed he was too liberal. In his brief time as mayor, he oversaw the City's responses to riots in the University District, the murder of civil rights leader Edwin Pratt, and corruption in the Police Department.

Wes Uhlman

Born in 1935 in Cashmere, Washington, Wes Uhlman attended Aberdeen High School, Seattle Pacific College, and the University of Washington, where he served as president of the Young Democrats. He married a classmate and returned to UW for law school.

In 1958, as a 23-year-old law student, he defeated incumbent Republican Hartney Oakes to represent the 32nd district in the Washington State House of Representatives, becoming the youngest member of the State Legislature. He served four terms before running for, and winning, a seat in the Washington State Senate.

Uhlman was elected Mayor in 1969, the youngest chief executive in Seattle's history and the first Democrat in almost 30 years. He was immediately faced with a host of problems ranging from racial tensions and large anti-war demonstrations to a police scandal and the Boeing bust. He responded by overhauling the city bureaucracy, encouraging increased citizen participation in government, and expanding social services. He was a strong believer in affirmative action, and the percentage of City workers who were minorities doubled during his time in office.

He left the mayor's office in 1977 after serving two terms, following an unsuccessful run for governor in 1976. After his political career, he worked in law and real estate development.

From the guide to the Records of the Office of the Mayor, 1956-1970, (City of Seattle Seattle Municipal Archives)

The Mayor is the chief executive officer of the City with responsibilities for appointing executive department heads, directing and controlling all subordinate officers and agencies, preparing and executing the City budget, ensuring that the laws of the City are enforced, and maintaining the peace and order in the City. The legal roles and responsibilities of the Mayor are prescribed by the City Charter, state statutes, and municipal ordinances. A candidate for the position must be a citizen of the United States, a qualified elector of the State of Washington, and a registered voter of the City of Seattle at the time of filing his/her declaration of candidacy.

Seattle was incorporated by an act of the Territorial Legislature on December 2, 1869, and the City’s first mayor, Henry A. Atkins, was appointed by the Legislature pending the first City election scheduled for July 1870. The City Charter, granted by the Legislature, set the Mayor’s term of office at one year. Under this first Charter, the Mayor served as ex-officio President of the Common Council. A Charter amendment in 1875 gave the Mayor a vote on Council, but that provision was amended in 1886 to provide for a tie-breaking vote only.

The City's first Freeholders’ Charter (1890) completely separated the Executive and Legislative branches and changed the term of office for the Mayor to two years. Through the first decade of the 20th century, elected offices in Seattle were partisan. A Charter Amendment passed by the voters on March 8, 1910, established non-partisan nominations and elections for all City elective offices. A new Freeholders Charter in 1946 changed the term of the Mayor to four years.

From the guide to the Seattle Mayor's Office Central Files, 1979-2002, (City of Seattle Seattle Municipal Archives)

Gordon Stanley Clinton defeated incumbent Mayor Allen Pomeroy in a close election in 1956 and subsequently served two terms as Mayor of Seattle, from 1956 to 1964. Upon taking office, Clinton established the Metropolitan Problems Advisory Committee, headed by local community leader John Ellis, to suggest approaches to dealing with chronic local and regional problems. During his administration, Clinton tackled issues as divergent as regional governance, international trade, and discrimination in housing.

Clinton actively supported development of enabling legislation used by the State Legislature to allow creation of regional governments, leading to the formation of the Metropolitan Municipality of Seattle (Metro) in 1958. Clinton also initiated Seattle's sister-city program in 1956, supported the development of the current Seattle Center site for the World's Fair in 1962, and fought illegal gambling in Seattle.

In 1963, Clinton created the 12-member Seattle Human Rights Commission to promote equality and understanding among Seattle residents; the Commission investigated and made recommendations regarding discrimination based on race, religion, and national origin. The Commission was also charged with drafting an open housing ordinance which was referred to the voters in 1964; it was overwhelmingly defeated (the City Council passed an open housing ordinance in 1968).

Clinton, formerly a lawyer, is now retired.

The Mayor is the chief executive officer of the City with responsibilities for law enforcement, appointing department heads, administering City departments and programs, and preparing and executing the City budget. Seattle's original Charter (1869) created the position of Mayor who served as ex-officio President of the Common Council. The 1875 Charter gave the Mayor a vote on Council. That was amended in 1886 to provide for a tie-breaking vote only. The 1890 Charter completely separated the Executive and Legislative branches. Mayoral terms were set at 4 years by the 1946 City Charter.

From the guide to the Gordon Clinton Photographs, 1959, (Seattle Municipal Archives)

Gordon Stanley Clinton defeated incumbent Mayor Allen Pomeroy in a close election in 1956 and subsequently served two terms as Mayor of Seattle, from 1956 to 1964. Upon taking office, Clinton established the Metropolitan Problems Advisory Committee, headed by local community leader John Ellis, to suggest approaches to dealing with chronic local and regional problems. During his administration, Clinton tackled issues as divergent as regional governance, international trade, and discrimination in housing.

Clinton actively supported development of enabling legislation used by the State Legislature to allow creation of regional governments, leading to the formation of the Metropolitan Municipality of Seattle (Metro) in 1958. Clinton also initiated Seattle's sister-city program in 1956, supported the development of the current Seattle Center site for the World's Fair in 1962, and fought illegal gambling in Seattle.

In 1963, Clinton created the 12-member Seattle Human Rights Commission to promote equality and understanding among Seattle residents; the Commission investigated and made recommendations regarding discrimination based on race, religion, and national origin. The Commission was also charged with drafting an open housing ordinance which was referred to the voters in 1964; it was overwhelmingly defeated (the City Council passed an open housing ordinance in 1968).

From the guide to the Gordon Clinton Election Scrapbooks, 1956-1960, (City of Seattle Seattle Municipal Archives)