KVOS Channel 12 Film Records, 1961-1967

Overview of the Collection

Creator
KVOS Channel 12
Title
KVOS Channel 12 Film Records
Dates
1961-1967 (inclusive)
Quantity
18 Linear Ft., ( )
Collection Number
XOE_CPNWS0030kvos (collection)
Summary
The KVOS Channel 12 Film records comprise reel-to-reel films of KVOS television programs filmed and broadcast between 1961 and 1967. The collection includes copies of the Webster Reports (a monthly program focusing on human interest stories featuring Vancouver, B.C. newsman, Jack Webster) and Channel 12 Specials. Channel 12 Specials comprise interviews and documentaries about significant events and issues in Washington State and British Columbia during the 1960s, including the Seattle World's Fair in 1962, the 1964 Alaskan Earthquake, and issues affecting local public schools and colleges. All collection materials are in 16mm film format.
Repository
Western Washington University, Center for Pacific Northwest Studies
Goltz-Murray Archives Building
808 25th St.
Bellingham, WA
98225
Telephone: (360) 650-7534
cpnws@wwu.edu
Access Restrictions

The Center for Pacific Northwest Studies requires advance arrangements for access to reel-to-reel tapes in the KVOS Channel 12 Film Records.

Languages
English.
Sponsor
Funding for preparing this finding aid was provided through a grant awarded by the National Historical Publications and Records Commission. Funding for encoding the finding aid was awarded by the National Endowment for the Humanities.

Historical NoteReturn to Top

In 1953 the Federal Communications Commission issued a license for television station KVOS-TV to operate in Bellingham, Washington. Owned by local businessman and entrepreneur Rogan Jones - then the owner of KVOS radio - KVOS-TV broadcast its first program on May 23, 1953, featuring the coronation of British monarch Queen Elizabeth II.

Despite Jones' conviction that television could succeed in a city as small as Bellingham, the station had early difficulties supporting itself. In 1955, Jones responded by establishing an advertising company, KVOS-TV (B.C.) Limited, in Vancouver, British Columbia. The company produced revenue by selling advertising and producing commercials for Canadian businesses. KVOS-TV continued to broadcast from Bellingham, with much of its audience based in British Columbia's Lower Mainland and Vancouver Island.

In 1962 Rogan Jones sold KVOS-TV to the WOMETCO Corporation. KVOS-TV is owned currently by Clear Channel International's entertainment and media group. Rogan Jones' former radio stations currently operate under the call letters of KGMI and KISM but are no longer affiliated with KVOS Television.

Content DescriptionReturn to Top

The KVOS Channel 12 Film Records comprise select reel-to-reel footage from KVOS television programs The Webster Reports and Channel 12 Specials, broadcast between 1961-1967. A monthly show hosted by Vancouver, B.C. newsman Jack Webster, The Webster Reports programs combine human interest stories with more serious reporting about regional news and events in British Columbia. Channel 12 Specials contain interviews and documentaries, many pertaining to current affairs and local issues in Washington State.

The Webster Reports include "Century 21" (1962), regarding the Seattle World's Fair, as well as programs "A Case of Terror" (1962) and "Road to Nowhere" (1963), about the activities of the Doukhobor sect, The Sons of Freedom, in British Columbia. "The Eye of the Storm" (1963 focuses on the B.C. Prison hostage crisis, in which Webster was both a negotiator and hostage. The Webster Reports also contain a 1963 profile of Christian evangelist and fundamentalist Billy James Hargis.

Channel 12 Specials include a feature on the Seattle World's Fair entitled "Girls, Glitter and Gracie" (1962), footage of the 1964 Alaska Earthquake and programs about issues affecting local public schools and colleges in Bellingham, Washington. "The Color of Black" (1965), features an interview with James Leonard Farmer, Jr, founder and head of the Congress of Racial Equality (CORE). Many of the Channel 12 Specials programs were broadcast live and later taped to video. Most were produced by Al Swift, U.S. Congressman and former News Director of KVOS. The majority were recorded in black and white, with a few later episodes in color.

All reels in the KVOS Channel 12 Film records are 16mm film format. KVOS's original organizational numbering system is reflected in the description of each reel in the collection inventory. Researchers should note that the collection does not contain any supporting or textual documentation regarding the programs or film footage. The Rogan Jones Papers at the Center for Pacific Northwest Studies contain additional information about KVOS television.

Use of the CollectionReturn to Top

Preferred Citation

KVOS Channel 12 Film Records, Center for Pacific Northwest Studies, Western Libraries Archives & Special Collections, Western Washington University, Bellingham WA 98225-9123.

Administrative InformationReturn to Top

Arrangement

The KVOS Channel 12 Film Records are organized in accordance with the following series arrangement:

  • Series I - Webster Reports, 1961-1966
  • Series II - Channel 12 Specials, 1962-1967

Custodial History

The reel-to-reel films were donated to the Center for Pacific Northwest Studies by KVOS Television's Department of News and Public Affairs in May of 1977.

Processing Note

Jason Viers re-engineered the collection and finding aid in August 2004. In August 2005, Victor Burgett further re-engineered the collection, adding program abstracts to the finding aid.

Processing Note

Statement About Potentially Harmful Language and Content

Users are advised that some recordings in this collection include language and terms now outdated and offensive, in addition to documentation and representations of racism, violence and other content that may be harmful or triggering.

To learn more about problematic content in our collections, collection description and teaching tools (including how to provide feedback or request dialogue on this topic), see the following Statement About Potentially Harmful Language and Content

Related Materials

The Rogan Jones Papers at the Center for Pacific Northwest Studies contain textual information about KVOS Television as well as supporting documentation for the programs.

Detailed Description of the CollectionReturn to Top

The following section contains a detailed listing of the materials in the collection.

Series I :  Webster Reports, 1961-1966 Return to Top

Container(s) Description Dates
box-reel
1/1
W-1 The Operators
Length: 30 minutes Film Quality (Original): good Duplicate:VHS, DVD Sound: yes. Description: Jack Webster discusses several confidence rackets affecting both Washington and British Columbia, including such petty crime as telephone scams, home repair scams, and predatory magazine subscription schemes. He interviews three former criminal participants: Ed Sokolosky about a chimney repair racket, “Cynthia from Vancouver” about magazine subscription sales techniques, and “Joy” about the living conditions of traveling magazine subscription salesgirls. This reel also includes short commercial advertisements for Purex Bathroom Tissues, CBS Reports, and Black Label Beer.
1961 December 21
1/2
W-2 Pension for a Hero
Length: 32 minutes Film Quality (Original): good Duplicate: VHS, DVD Sound: yes (except last 3 minutes) Description: Jack Webster tackles the issue of workman’s compensation in British Columbia, with references to the Compensation Act, and the Mine, Mill, and Smelter’s Union of British Columbia. Three case histories of miners who suffered labor-related injuries are presented. The first is that of John Luka (Luca?), who has a broken back and paralyzed legs from an employment-related rockslide. The second is that of John Anderburg, who is suffering from silicosis and pleurisy resulting from the inhalation of silica dust while on the job. His wife Irene is interviewed about the difficulties of caring for him on his small pension. The third is that of Henry Roueau who lost part of his foot. Last three minutes of the reel consist of supplementary footage of Irene Anderburg at home caring for her husband
1962 January 30
2/1
W-3 Century 21 (Seattle World's Fair)
Length: 11 minutes Film Quality (Original): spliced scraps of footage; fragmentary. Duplicate: DVD, VHS, digital Sound: yes (except first 30 seconds) Description: Short interviews with director of the 1962 Seattle World’s Fair Gayway about prices and attractions, and Space Needle manager Hoge Sullivan about the Space Needle construction schedule and Space Needle statistics. There is also footage of construction crews at work high atop the almost completed Space Needle.
1962 February 8
2/2
W-4 A Case of Terror
Length: 23 minutes Film Quality (Original): Footage is of mixed quality and is spliced from scraps; interviews are fragmentary. Duplicate: DVD, VHS Sound: partial Description: Jack Webster reports on the Doukhobor group “The Sons of Freedom.” The Sons of Freedom were the activist wing of the Doukhobors, a religious Russian immigrant community in the Kootenays region of British Columbia, and were accused of terrorism, vandalism, and other crimes. The pacifist Doukhobors settled in Canada in the 19th century under a treaty which included provisions protecting their pacifism (i.e., exemption from military service and the draft), and their right to educate their children separately. Reel includes portions of interviews with law enforcement and government officials. Footage of a Doukhobor community, and police roadblocks stopping and searching vehicles. For more Doukhobor footage, see W-5, W-15, and W-26.
1962 April 5
2/3
W-5 Maria, Fanny, and Podivinikoff (outtakes from 'A Case of Terror')
Length: 13 minutes Film Quality (Original): scraps of footage; fragmentary, incomplete. Duplicate: DVD, VHS Sound: partial Description: Portions of interviews with three members of the Doukhobor community. The Doukhobors were a group of religious Russian immigrants, and the “Sons of Freedom” sect had been accused of terrorism at the time. Topics include recent arrests of Doukhobor members, possibility of emigration from Canada, freedom of education, culpability for financial losses resulting from destructive protests, and the chosen simplicity of the Doukhobor way of life. For more Doukhobor footage, see W-4, W-15, and W-26.
1962 April 5
3/1
W-6 Yanks and Canadian Labor
Length: 28 minutes Film Quality (Original): good Duplicate: VHS, DVD Sound: yes (except first 30 seconds) Description: Jack Webster interviews three union officials during the 1962 Canadian Labor Congress. The topic is the degree to which Canadian union members are beholden to U.S. laws, policies, and direction in international unions with U.S. headquarters (AFL CIO). While all three guests defend Canadian union autonomy and minimize the extent of U.S. dominance, Webster strongly asserts that other Canadian union officials, who refused to appear on the show, make the opposite claim.
1962 April 26
3/2
W-7 Jacks or Better
Length: 28 minutes Film Quality (Original): poor Duplicate: VHS, DVD Sound: yes (except bad patches) Description: An expose of crooked gambling practices and related crime involving card games and dice. Guest for entire episode is Sidney Radner, an expert on card cheating techniques, and author of several books on the subject. Radner demonstrates, in detail, several common sleight-of-hand methods employed by criminals and gamblers in playing, shuffling, and dealing cards for poker and gin-rummy. He also explains the use of marked cards and loaded dice. Original film features several short bad patches of 1-5 seconds, in which the image, sound, or both are garbled. On the DVD the first 23 seconds are a bad patch. Film requires extensive splicing due to numerous breaks.
1962 October 10
3/3
W-9 Where is David Loveday?
Length: 28 minutes Film Quality (Original): good Duplicate: DVD, VHS Sound: yes Description: Webster explores the case of Vancouver, B.C. teenager David Loveday, who ran away from home at the age of 13 and is still missing two and a half years later. His mother and stepfather are interviewed at length. Detective Smith of the Vancouver Police is also interviewed about missing children and teenage runaways in Vancouver and British Columbia. Note: film begins after 30 seconds on DVD
1963 January 2
4/1
W-10 The Eye of the Storm
Length: 26 minutes Film Quality (Original): good Duplicate: DVD, VHS Sound: partial Description: Webster discusses the 1963 prisoner takeover of the British Columbia Penitentiary, with an emphasis on his own involvement as a negotiator and, at one point, a hostage. Webster offers an hour by hour account of the prison riot, which began as a reaction to poor conditions. Webster demonstrates how prisoners fashioned homemade weapons, including makeshift knives and Molotov cocktails made from light bulbs and gasoline. Film also includes excerpts of interviews with several prison and law enforcement officials, aerial footage of the prison during the uprising, footage of the destruction and carnage inside the prison, and footage of Mounties, national guardsmen, squad cars, and police surrounding the prison.
1963 April 24
4/2
W-11 North Pacific Salmon Treaty
Length: 25 minutes Film Quality (Original): good Duplicate: VHS, DVD Sound: yes Description: Webster and several unidentified guests (possibly officials from the International North Pacific Commission and the International Halibut Commission) discuss the North Pacific Salmon Treaty, with an emphasis on recent revisions, such as the halibut and herring exemption clauses which will allow Japanese fisherman to harvest much closer to the Canadian coast in international waters. Issues involved include resource utilization, fish stock depletion, immature salmon catch, offshore marine fisheries, pros and cons of the treaty and its revisions, etc. Notes: film begins after 30 seconds on DVD
1963 May 22
5/1
W-13 Profile of Billy James Hargis
Length: 28 minutes Film Quality (Original): good Duplicate: DVD, VHS Sound: yes (except for first 1:45 minutes and last 2 minutes) Description: Webster interviews self-described militant Christian Billy James Hargis (later an ultra-conservative televangelist) during the right-wing evangelical preacher’s speaking tour of Washington State. Hargis and his organization, Christian Crusade, are devoted to denouncing communism. The first five minutes are footage of Hargis delivering his anti-communist sermon, during which he calls Khrushchev a “demon-possessed man,” and labels communism as an “international Satanic conspiracy.” Other subjects condemned by Hargis include liberalism, socialism, academic freedom, Supreme Court Justice Hugo Black, the American Black Moslem (Muslim) movement, Canadian trade with China, and rapid racial integration. Webster also grills Hargis about fundraising questions, racist remarks made by his supporters, and his support for a new invasion of Cuba to oust Fidel Castro. Hargis supports a boycott on goods produced in communist nations, such as Polish Hams. It is mentioned that the then Washington State Democratic Party Chairman (name unclear) walked out on Hargis’ sermon, calling it a “perversion of Christianity.”
1963 August 23
5/2
W-14 Case of the Bogus Barrister (Raymond Burr)
Length: 27:30 minutes Film Quality (Original): good Duplicate: VHS, DVD Sound: yes Description: Television and film actor Raymond Burr, who was born in New Westminster, B.C., is interviewed for the entire episode. He is best known for his portrayal of attorney Perry Mason in the long-running television series during the 1950s and 1960s. At the time of this interview the show had been on the air for seven years. Burr discusses plotlines, other characters, actors, and actresses. He talks about audience and fan pressure on the show to never allow Perry Mason to lose a case. Other topics include his own production company, why Hollywood is preferable to Vancouver for filming purposes, and his vacations in the Bahamas.
1963 October 17
6/1
W-15 Road to Nowhere (Doukhobor story follow-up)
Length: 32 minutes Film Quality (Original): mixed good / poor; requires several splices Duplicate: VHS, DVD Sound: partial Description: Reel includes approximately ten minutes of interviews with Doukhobor women and disgruntled neighbors of the Doukhobor community, interspersed amongst twenty minutes of silent, fragmentary footage of the Doukhobor squatter community and daily life. The squatter community, located in a large gravel pit (town unknown), was a result of so many Doukhobor men being sent to jail two years previously (see W-4 and W-5). Reel illustrates squalid conditions of tent city, Doukhobor children at play, and hand-made crafts such as ornate wooden ladles. See also W-4, W-5, and W-26 for more Doukhobor footage.
1963 December 12
6/2
W-16 William Lyon and Peter Newman Talk About McKenzie King and John Deifenbaker
Length: 22 minutes Film Quality (Original): good Duplicate: VHS, DVD* Sound: yes Description: Webster interviews two political historians who had just written biographies about two former Canadian Prime Ministers. The first author is Peter Newman, who discusses his book about John Diefenbaker The Renegade in Power: The Diefenbaker Years. This is a highly critical account of the 1957 – 1963 reign of the progressive-conservative PM. The second is William Lyon, whose book about Mackenzie King is entitled Mackenzie King: The Lonely Heights. King served as PM three times between the 1920’s and 1948. Amongst the subjects raised about King is his alleged belief in communicating with the dead. *Note: skip the first 1:50 minutes on the DVD version
1964 January 2
7/1
W-20 Berton Bares All
Length: 21 minutes Film Quality (Original): good Duplicate: VHS, DVD Sound: yes Description: Webster interviews noted Canadian journalist, author, and television personality Pierre Berton. Discussion centers on his earlier career in journalism, including his days at the Vancouver Sun. Berton relates anecdotes, including how he and fellow journalists released a greased pig at the press club annual ball at the Hotel Vancouver. At the time of this interview, Berton had just published his tenth book; The Big Sell. For more Pierre Berton footage see W-28.
1964 May 2
7/2
W-21 The Extraordinary Equation of George Van Tassel
Length: 24 minutes Film Quality (Original): good Duplicate: VHS, DVD, digital. Sound: yes Description: Webster interviews California resident George Van Tassel, who claims to have been visited by aliens on flying saucers that used anti-gravity technology. During the interview Van Tassel discusses the formula for time travel taught to him on a visit to a UFO, and its relationship to the Earth’s magnetic field. In later years Van Tassel would be known for the Integratron, a large dome-shaped rejuvenation device he only partially completed in the California desert prior to his death in 1978. See W-25 for a similar topic.
1964 June 18
8/1
W-25 Wot! No Fingerprints
Length: 26 minutes Film Quality (Original): good Duplicate: VHS, DVD Sound: yes Description: Webster interviews Dr. Frank Stranges, about alleged visitor from the planet Venus “Valiant Thor.” Stranges claims to have met the alien at the Pentagon several years previously. He also claims that Thor and 77 other Venusians travel between the Earth and Venus on UFO’s (flying saucers). Stranges cites his book, Flying Saucerama. Oddly enough, Stranges is purportedly an Evangelical Pastor from California. See W-21 for a similar topic.
1964 November 5
8/2
W-26 Webster and the Cast of Characters
Length: 27 minutes Film Quality (Original): Selections are fragmentary: some scenes appear to be missing. DVD blank for first 35 seconds. Duplicate: VHS, DVD Sound: yes Description: New Year ’s Eve special offers memorable clips from throughout 1964, including excerpts found on W-16, W-20, W-21, and W-25. Only two excerpts are from episodes not otherwise represented in the collection. The first is from an interview with the Doukhobor spokeswoman “Big Fanny” (see W-4, W-5, and W-15) about conditions in the gravel pit squatter community and Salvation Army vouchers. The second is from an interview with a rehabilitated convict; a reformed underworld heavy who has forsaken crime and become an award-winning needlepoint artist. See W-16, W-20, W-21, and W-25
1964 December 31
9/1
W-28 Uncomfortable Pew
Length: 26 minutes Film Quality (Original): good Duplicate: VHS, DVD Sound: yes Description: This episode is divided into two equal parts, and features guests discussing two unrelated topics. The first in Felix Green, who discusses his book The Curtain of Ignorance and issues surrounding Canadian relations with and perceptions of communist China. Topics include Mao Tse-Tung (Mao Zedong) and the potential threat posed to the United States and Canada by China. The second is noted journalist and author Pierre Berton, who discusses his most recent and most controversial book The Comfortable Pew. Although commissioned by the Anglican Church, the book is a scathing critique of Christianity. Topics include religion, anti-religion, atheism, agnosticism, morals, and the sexual revolution. Berton puts Webster in the hot seat by skillfully exposing his hypocrisies. For more Pierre Berton footage see W-20.
1965 March 4
9/2
W-29 Front Page Crisis: Vancouver Times
Length: 23 minutes Film Quality (Original): good Duplicate: VHS, DVD Sound: yes (except first 3:40 minutes) Description: Webster interviews Vancouver Times executives on site as to why the startup newspaper was already suffering deep financial difficulties. Most of the episode is devoted to an interview with Mr. Val Warren (position unknown) about insolvency, advertising revenues, stockholders, subscriptions, and competition with other dailies (Warren blames an entrenched monopoly). The first 3:40 minutes are taken up by silent footage of the building, presses, and employees at work (including typesetters, editors, secretaries, receptionists, etc). The last four minutes are devoted to an interview with managing editor Brett Delaney.
1965 April 1
10/1
W-30 Mohawk Princess
Length: 27 minutes Film Quality (Original): good Duplicate: VHS, DVD Sound: yes Description: Native American activist Kahn-Tineta Horn is the guest for the entire episode. Model and spokeswoman for Indian rights, Horn is from the Mohawk Wolf Clan of the Kahnawake Territory in Quebec, which is part of the 6 nation Iroquois Confederacy. Horn is outspoken about treaties, education, reserves, protest strategies, and related issues. Depicted as a revolutionary by Webster, Horn is one of many activists who paved the way for Canadian legal recognition of First Nations Peoples today.
1965 April 29
10/2
W-31 A Man and His Crusade (Leighton Ford)
Length: 25 minutes Film Quality (Original): good Duplicate: VHS, DVD Sound: yes Description: Canadian born evangelist minister Leighton Ford is interviewed for the entire episode. Ford, both a disciple and brother-in-law of Billy Graham, is known today (2005) as president of the Leighton Ford Ministries, and as honorary life chairman of the Lausanne Committee for World Evangelization. Topics include religion, spirituality, Christianity, capital punishment, executions, pacifism, socialism, church and state, and the social responsibilities of the church. Webster criticizes evangelical methods and practices.
1965 May 27
11/1
W-32 This Hour has 30 Minutes (Laurier La Pierre)
Length: 29 minutes Film Quality (Original): good Duplicate: VHS, DVD Sound: yes Description: Laurier LaPierre is the guest, and French Canadian (Quebecois) politics is the subject, for the entire episode. Topics include language issues, French Canadian cultural and political self-determination, patronage and corruption in Quebec government, potential autonomy for Quebec, and Catholic Church domination of education in the province. At the time of this broadcast, LaPierre was a well-known Canadian author, historian, journalist, and broadcaster; writer and host of the controversial CBC show This Hour Has Seven Days, and other shows such as Inquiry and Midnight. He would later serve as a Liberal Party Senator in the Jean Chrétien government, until mandatory retirement at the age of 75 in 2004. Towards the end of his life, as an openly homosexual politician, he also became an avid gay rights activist, and a founding member of the EGALE lobby for gay and lesbian rights.
1965 June 24
11/2
W-33 Rebel in Kilts (Farley Mort)
Length: 28 minutes Film Quality (Original): good Duplicate: VHS, DVD Sound: yes Description: Canadian author and self-described anarchist Farley Mowat is the guest for the entire episode. Half of the show is devoted to discussing his most recent book West Viking, and the medieval Scandinavian settlements in Greenland and Newfoundland. Mowat mentions such Viking explorers as Eric the Red and Leif Ericson. Other subjects discussed include anarchy and anarchism, Eskimo rights, aboriginal rights, freedom, and Mowat’s disgust with modern society. Webster raises accusations of anti-Americanism and anti-Canadianism. Amongst Mowat’s more famous works are Never Cry Wolf, A Whale for the Killing, and Sea of Slaughter.
1965 December 26
12/1
W-34 Snob Mob
Length: 26 minutes Film Quality (Original): good Duplicate: VHS, DVD Sound: yes Description: The brand-new Canadian national magazine believed to be called Parallel (or something that sounds like Parallel) is featured in this episode, which is divided between two interviews. The first is with publisher Douglas Cohen, who defends the launching of this new multi-topical publication aimed at “the intelligent elite” (hence “snob mob”). Subjects for the magazine are to include art, literature, politics, social issues, etc – tailored for the Canadian reader. Despite a promising early circulation of 90,000, Cohen explains why the magazine is expected to lose 25,000.00 in the first year. The second interview is with Editor-in-chief Peter Deveraux, who discusses the magazine and general political and social issues.
1966 March 27
12/2
W-35 Name of Justice
Length: 26 minutes Film Quality (Original): good Duplicate: VHS, DVD Sound: yes Description: Isabel LeBourdais and her new book The Trial of Steven Truscott is the subject of this episode. Fourteen year old Steven Truscott, in 1959, had been convicted of the rape and murder of his twelve year old schoolmate Lynne Harper. But LeBourdais was convinced that the trial had been a miscarriage of justice, and that Truscott, then the youngest person ever on Canada’s death row, was innocent. She spent four years researching and gathering evidence before releasing the book. However, despite the compelling evidence in LeBourdais’ book, Truscott never received a new trial. Although paroled in 1969, Truscott still struggles to clear his name today (2005). An unnamed individual replaces Jack Webster as interviewer on this episode.
1966 May 1

Series II :  Channel 12 Specials, 1962-1967Return to Top

Container(s) Description Dates
box-reel
13/1
If the Bomb Survives, Can We?
Length: 8:15 minutes Film Quality (Original): fair (scraps of footage; fragmentary). Image is improperly exposed. Duplicate: VHS, DVD, digital Sound: yes Description: Footage of a small peace rally at WWC (Western Washington College of Education; soon to become Western Washington State College, and eventually Western Washington University). First 2:20 minutes are soundless footage of protesters, students, counter-protesters, placards and signs. Slogans on signs include “Bomb = Death, Peace = Life” and “Perpetual War: Man, It’s Profitable!” From 2:20 to 5:10 English Professor Arthur Hicks delivers an anti-war speech with numerous references to Moscow and Washington D.C. (Cold War), after which silent footage of a dozen or so protesters marching down route 99. In the final minute Al Swift interviews three of the marchers. See S-8 for a different perspective on nuclear war. See also S-40 for more protest footage.
1962 June 1
13/2
S-3 European Common Market and You
Length: 30:37 minutes Film Quality (Original): Good Duplicate: DVD Only Sound: Yes Description: Several politicians from both Washington State and British Columbia are interviewed. They discuss the impact the European Common Market will have on Washington and British Columbia as well as its impact on the United States and Canada as a whole.
1962 July 6
13/3
S-4 Girls, Glitter and Gracie
Length: 24:45 minutes Film Quality (Original): good overall (footage of the fashion show is improperly exposed). Duplicate: VHS, DVD Sound: yes Description: Chorus line and cabaret producer and promoter Gracie Hansen is interviewed for twenty minutes. Her show “Gracie Hansen’s Paradise” was a prime adult entertainment attraction at the 1962 Seattle World’s Fair. She discusses her early career, the background of the show, the showgirls and other performers, etc. Soundless footage prior to the interview shows a sign reading “peep,” a large sign reading “Night in Paradise” and footage of dancers donning costumes and applying makeup. Soundless footage of a fashion show follows the interview, with women modeling polka-dot dresses, swimwear, and lingerie.
1962 August 10
14/1
S-7 Operation: Cooperation
Length: 22 minutes Film Quality (Original): good Duplicate: VHS, DVD, digital Sound: yes (except first 2:30 minutes) Description: This episode is devoted to a ceremony held at the Peace Arch on September 22, 1962, celebrating the civil defense cooperation agreement recently signed between Washington State and British Columbia. Specifically aimed at enhancing cross-border coordination in the event of a nuclear attack, a key provision of the treaty calls for a Vancouver evacuation route to run through Whatcom County: up H Street in Blaine, and on to Sumas. Footage shows Canadian and American politicians hammering nails to erect a dispersal route sign at the border. Footage includes short speeches made by several officials praising international cooperation, both the interior and exterior of the Washington State Civil Defense Mobile Command Post bus, Canadian and American troops marching back and forth under the Peace Arch while a marching band plays, and food being prepared for and eaten by the troops. Amongst several people interviewed are British Columbia Provincial Secretary W.D. Bligh and Washington State Lieutenant Governor John Sherbert.
1962 October 3
14/2
S-8 Religion and Science in the Nuclear Age
Length: 26 minutes Film Quality (Original): good Duplicate: VHS, DVD Sound: yes Description: Episcopal priest and Nuclear Physicist Dr. William G. Pollard is interviewed throughout this episode. Pollard, a former Manhattan Project research scientist, discusses the potential conflict between science and religion, and asserts that they complement rather than contradict each other. Issues surrounding nuclear proliferation, the atom bomb, the church stance on the nuclear arms race, disarmament, arms control, and the effectiveness of fallout shelters predominate. But Pollard also speculates philosophically about the nature of war and warfare, dimensions of reality and existence, and relativity as perceived by physical science and Christianity. See 13/1 and S-40 for a different perspective on nuclear war.
1962 October 17
15/1
S-10 God, Allah, and Ju Ju
Length: 27:30 minutes Film Quality (Original): good Duplicate: VHS, DVD Sound: yes Description: Dr. James McAree, Associate Professor of History at Western Washington State College, discusses religion in emerging Africa with Unitarian Reverend Jack Mendelson, who has recently published the book “God, Allah, and Ju Ju.” Christianity (especially Catholicism), Islam, and indigenous religions (lumped as “Ju Ju”) are compared and contrasted, with regard to their impact on African culture and consciousness. Mendelson asserts that Christianity is a declining force in Africa, while Islam is on the rise – partially due to more effective missionary techniques. So-called “Ju Ju”, according to Mendelson, is crucial to African identity.
1962 October 15
15/2
S-11 The Race for Washington
Length: 27:30 minutes Film Quality (Original): good (but no lead on film; footage begins abruptly). Duplicate: VHS, DVD, digital Sound: yes Description: Four politicians are interviewed prior to the 1962 senatorial and congressional election: incumbent senator Warren G Magnuson (Democrat) and his opponent Richard Christiansen (Republican) as well as incumbent representative Alfred Westland (Republican) and his opponent Milo E. Moore (Democrat). Magnuson is interviewed for the first ten minutes, and briefly touches upon a range of issues including Medicare, trade, the Kennedy Administration, communism, and his unwillingness to engage his opponent in a televised debate. Christiansen, a former Lutheran Minister, is interviewed for the next ten minutes and focuses primarily on his campaign strategy, although he also takes time to condemn communism. Both interviews touch upon the different political climate in Washington East and West of the Cascades. Westland, of Washington’s Second Congressional District, is interviewed for four minutes, and offers a position on Whatcom County lumber issues. Moore, a former Washington State Fisheries Director, mentions his plan to turn Drayton Harbor and Terrell Creek (Birch Bay) into fish farms.
1962 November 1
16/1
S-12 Key to the College Door
Length: 29 minutes Film Quality (Original): good Duplicate: VHS, DVD, digital Sound: yes Description: Interviews with Western Washington State College (which would later become Western Washington University) administrators about college-related issues. Interviewees include WWSC President James L. Jarrett and Dean of Men C.W. MacDonald (known as Bill MacDonald). Topics include preparing for college, reasons for going to college, alternatives to college, admissions criteria, the cost of a college education, loans, and scholarships. Interviews with a selected panel of students explore their attitudes towards college, and related issues such as study habits, financial management, and extracurricular activities. Silent footage of the college is interspersed, with shots of Old Main, Bond Hall, the Carver Gym, etc. See S-20A for related material.
1963 February 13
16/2
S-13 Room for the 3 R's (Sehome High School bond issue)
Length: 39 minutes Film Quality (Original): Much of this reel, especially the 1st half, in poor condition with many breaks and inadequate splicing. Duplicate: VHS, DVD Sound: partial Description: The first ten minutes of footage lack dialogue or narration, and show the crowded hallways of Bellingham High School, as well as external views of the buildings. The balance of the reel intersperses similar footage (including aerial shots of the Bellingham High) with interviews about the necessity of building a second high school in Bellingham. Topics include a new municipal bond issue, site selection, and (at length) philosophical differences between those favoring four versus three year high schools. Differing perspectives on secondary education are reviewed. Interviewees are not identified. See also BM-3 for more on this topic
1963 March 6
17/1
S-14 Castro Revisited
Length: 28:30 minutes Film Quality (Original): good Duplicate: VHS, DVD Sound: yes Description: Sergio Rojas, a defector from the Fidel Castro regime in Cuba, is interviewed for the first twenty-two minutes. He discusses his reasons for supporting the Cuban revolution against the Baptista government, and why he eventually turned against Castro. He paints a grim picture of living conditions in Cuba, and condemns communism – claiming to have been unaware that that Casto’s rebellion had anything to do with communism. He calls upon the United States to support an insurrection against Castro – two years after the failed Bay of Pigs invasion. The Cuban Missile Crisis and Khrushchev are mentioned frequently. Professor John Wuest of Western Washington State College (later Western Washington University) is interviewed for the balance of the reel, and analyzes the preceding interview. He criticizes Rojas’ call for U.S. support without allowing greater U.S. involvement in a subsequent political restructuring of Cuba.
1963 April 24
17/2
BM-3 Shall Bellingham Build a New High School?
Length: 18 minutes Film Quality (Original): good Duplicate: VHS, DVD Sound: yes Description: Al Swift interviews Dave Mintz, chairman of the Bellingham Citizen’s Education Committee, about the approaching March 12 (1963?) vote on whether to fund the construction of a second Bellingham High School. Issues discussed include population growth, increasing family size, site selection, the municipal bond, taxes, and educational philosophy. Dave Mintz was also vice-president and general manager of KVOS television. See also S-13 for more on this topic.
Undated
17/3
BM-4 Tatayama
Length: 8 minutes Film Quality (Original): Poor. Fragmentary footage, scraps Duplicate: VHS only Sound: no Description: Soundless footage of Bellingham’s sister city of Tatayama, Japan. Buildings, cityscape, people eating and drinking sake.
Undated
18/1
S-16 Camelot
Length: 27 minutes Film Quality (Original): good Duplicate: VHS, DVD Sound: yes Description: Three cast members of the hit Broadway musical “Camelot” are interviewed on the eve of the play’s opening at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre in Vancouver. Actor Robert Peterson has assumed the role of Sir Lancelot from original cast member Robert Goulet. Arthur Treacher, who appears with his sheepdog, has taken over the role of King Arthur from Richard Burton. Actress Catherine Grayson has replaced Julie Andrews as Guinevere, and is accompanied by three cocker spaniels. All three interviews are extremely personal, with Arthur Treacher’s being exceptionally amusing due to his forceful, eccentric personality. Treacher is known for his roles in over seventy films, as well as the chain of fish and chips restaurants which bears his name.
1963 August
18/2
Editorial 1
Length: 5:30 each (11:00 total). Film Quality (Original): good Duplicate: VHS, DVD Sound: yes Description: These two short editorials by Al Swift of KVOS concern the use of Whatcom County funds derived from the sale of timber on federal forest lands within the county. County commissioners E.R. Haxton, Henry Halvorson, and Archie Truax had decided to apply the entire annual amount towards the road fund (citing damage from a bad winter), instead of splitting it with the county schools as precedent dictated. The commissioners also cited an annual deficit for the Lummi Ferry. Swift decries the officials’ refusal to be interviewed about their decision, and accuses them of denying the public’s right to know. Transparency of government is at the root of the principle that Swift is defending. These editorials aired on consecutive nights.
Undated
18/3
Editorial 2
Length: 5:30 each (11:00 total). Film Quality (Original): good Duplicate: VHS, DVD Sound: yes Description: These two short editorials by Al Swift of KVOS concern the use of Whatcom County funds derived from the sale of timber on federal forest lands within the county. County commissioners E.R. Haxton, Henry Halvorson, and Archie Truax had decided to apply the entire annual amount towards the road fund (citing damage from a bad winter), instead of splitting it with the county schools as precedent dictated. The commissioners also cited an annual deficit for the Lummi Ferry. Swift decries the officials’ refusal to be interviewed about their decision, and accuses them of denying the public’s right to know. Transparency of government is at the root of the principle that Swift is defending. These editorials aired on consecutive nights.
Undated
19/1
S-20A The Professor Looks at his College (Part 1 of 2)
Length: 29:30 minutes Film Quality (Original): good (some minor splicing required). Duplicate: VHS, DVD, digital Sound: partial Description: This reel consists of narration superimposed over images of student life at Western Washington State College (later Western Washington University), chosen from over four and a half hours of footage and interviews. Eight professors contribute to the commentary: Katherine Carroll, Charles Flora, Arthur Hicks, James McAree, Richard Reynolds, Herbert Taylor, Ralph Thompson, and Mary Watrous. They opine about their educational philosophies, teaching styles, students and the college experience, extracurricular activities, etc. Different views on the best way to provide a college education are offered. Footage includes the campus - Old Main, Wilson Library, the future site of Red Square, the Carver Gym; footage of professors lecturing, students in laboratories, students performing music and creating visual arts, playing football, etc. Off-campus footage includes biology or zoology students exploring tide-pools along Bellingham’s shoreline, and visiting Whatcom Falls. See S-20B for extra footage related to this episode, and S-12 for more on WWSC in the 1960's.
1964 October 24
19/2
S-20B The Professor Looks at his College(Part 2 of 2)
Length: 21 minutes Film Quality (Original): good Duplicate: VHS, DVD Sound: no Description: This reel consists of extra, soundless footage taken for the creation of S-20A. Subject matter is heavily intermingled. Lots of shots of tide-pool hunting (see above), and Whatcom Falls. More footage of football, cheerleading, and a large bonfire – possibly homecoming. Extensive footage from still photos of the smashing of a piano while a crowd of students looks on. See S-20A for the actual episode, and S-12 for more on WWSC in the 1960's.
1964 October 24
20/1
S-21 The First R
Length: 27:30 minutes Film Quality (Original): good Duplicate: VHS, DVD, digital Sound: yes Description: Dr. Donald Durrell, Professor of Education at Boston University and nationally recognized authority on the teaching of reading, is interviewed by Dr. James L. Jarrett, President of Western Washington State College (later Western Washington University). Durrell discusses the best approaches to teaching reading to young children. Topics that are raised include phonics, flashcards, cursive writing, spelling, parental preparation, pronunciation, child psychology, education, educational philosophy, and the importance of elementary school libraries. Emphasis on kindergarten, first grade.
1963 November 14
21/1
S-22 Inside Lake Whatcom: Part I (with Dr.Charles Flora)
Length: 31 minutes Film Quality (Original): good Duplicate: VHS, DVD Sound: yes (except for outdoor scenes) Description: Bellingham Mayor and Chairman of the Water Board John E Westford introduces the subject of Lake Whatcom, and the city funded 1963 study of its water quality. Professor Charles Flora, who co-conducted the study, then gives an informative lecture about the lake, using a large scale model (1 to 2400 feet) of the lake in the science building at Western Washington State College (later Western Washington University). He describes the physiogeography of the lake, which serves as a reservoir for the City of Bellingham. Flora places the volume of the lake, which is fed by the Nooksack River, at 778,000 acre feet of water. Issues such as drinking water pollution are raised, but in less detail than in part 2 (S-23). The balance of the reel consists of footage of experiments being conducted on the lake. See S-23 for part 2
1963 November 21
21/2
S-23 Inside Lake Whatcom: Part II (with Dr.Charles Flora)
Length: 31 minutes Film Quality (Original): good Duplicate: VHS, DVD Sound: yes (except outdoor scenes) Description: The first seven minutes of the reel contains footage of experiments being conducted out on Lake Whatcom. From 7 to 13 minutes, Dr. Kraft discusses the importance of temperature readings, and explains a chart illustrating a thermocline. At 14:50 minutes he returns to describe measurements taken of oxygen and bacteria levels. He describes the varying amounts of choliform bacteria in the lake, which is indicative of fecal pollution. He closes with a warning about the adverse impact of development, contaminants, and pollutants on the drinking water supply. See S-22 for part 1
1963 November 21
22/1
S-24 The Mark of Connelly
Length: 22 minutes Film Quality (Original): good Duplicate: VHS, DVD,digital Sound: yes Description: Writer, director, playwright, Yale University Drama Professor, and theatre critic Marc Connelly is interviewed for the entire reel. The first ten minutes focuses on his influential 1930 all-black production Green Pastures, which adapts old testament stories to Southern Black folklore. Issues raised include race relations, racism, minorities, segregation, the theatre, and literature. The second half of the interview emphasizes Connelly’s early days as a New York journalist, and his early collaborations with George Kauffman.
1963 December 25
23/1
S-25 The Varied World of Ben Avital
Length: 26 minutes Film Quality (Original): good Duplicate: VHS, DVD Sound: yes Description: Al Swift interviews Jewish activist Benad Avital, who was then the Israeli consul to the 13 western states. The London-born Avital discusses a broad range of topics, based upon his varied life experiences. As a filmmaker and film producer in the 1930’s and early 40’s, he worked on the British production of Henry V, starring Laurence Olivier. He also made films in Israel in the mid 1950’s. After serving in the RAF signal corps during the second world war, Avital became an active member in AJEX – the Association of Jewish Ex-Servicemen, an anti-fascist protest organization. He describes the tactics used to undermine Sir Oswald Mosley’s British Fascism movement. Next, he discusses life on an Israeli Kibbutz, including the practice of communal child-rearing. He also worked on a cooperative farm. He goes into some detail about his subsequent role as Israeli press officer during the Sinai conflict (the Six Days War), and examines both the causes and results of the war. The ongoing Arab – Israeli tensions, and Middle East turmoil, are at issue. He also comments upon the trial of Adolf Eichmann, and addresses criticism of the kidnapping of the infamous Nazi – often considered to be the architect of the holocaust.
1964 January 1
23/2
S-26 The Port of Bellingham
Length: 30 minutes Film Quality (Original): film requires at least 3 splices. Duplicate: VHS, DVD Sound: yes Description: Al Swift takes a look at the Port of Bellingham, with an emphasis on its contributions to growth and development. Several port administrators (unidentified) comment on the range of port activities at its various properties, including the Port Shipping Terminal Facility, Squalicum Harbor, South Bellingham properties, Blaine Boat Harbor, the airport (then served by one commercial airline: West Coast Airlines), and the Mountainview Industrial Site. Jim Brooks, Vice-president of the Whatcom County Industrial Development Council, discusses ways to attract businesses and private enterprise to the area, as well as issues related to shipping. Interviews and commentary are interspersed with aerial and panoramic footage of the Bellingham waterfront, the airport (including cockpit footage of the runway from a landing plane), and other areas in the county. Footage of waterfront industry includes processing fish into Sea Freez brand fishsticks, as well as Wakefield’s King Crab. See S-37 for more on industrial development in Whatcom County
1964 February 6
24/1
Alaska Earthquake - The Day After
Length: 22 minutes Film Quality (Original): fair- good Duplicate: VHS, DVD, digital Sound: no (other than brief newscast at beginning). Description: After a brief introductory newscast by reporter Andy Anderson, this reel focuses on the massive destruction wrought on Kodiak City, on Kodiak Island, Alaska, by the 1964 earthquake. The March 27, 1964 quake was then (and is still) the largest earthquake to ever strike the United States. The devastation of Kodiak was caused by a series of accompanying tidal waves. The tsunami aftermath is well-illustrated by this dramatic footage of the town, showing ships smashed to bits amongst the ruins of buildings. Community relief efforts are also captured. See also S-27B
1964 April 2
24/2
Alaska Earthquake - The Day After (also on videocassette)
Length: 28:40 minutes Film Quality (Original): fair - good Duplicate: VHS, DVD Sound: no (other than introduction) Description: The majority of this reel repeats footage from the preceding reel (S-27A). Additional footage includes an extra introduction with background about Kodiak City, a minute and a half of extra commentary (at 22:30 minutes), and about five minutes of additional damage images. See S-27A
1964 April 2
25/1
S-28 A Forest of Learning (Bellingham primary grade forestry unit)
Length: 6 minutes Film Quality (Original): short scraps of footage Duplicate: VHS, DVD Sound: partial Description: This short reel features two minutes of soundless footage of children in the woods, followed by an unidentified man (from the Bellingham School District?) talking briefly about the school district’s arboretum acquired for educational purposes. Forestry, and forest conservation education are mentioned. Footage lacks explanatory context.
1964 April 16
25/2
S-32 Our Public Schools (Elizabeth Kuntz)
Length: 25:30 minutes Film Quality (Original): good Duplicate: VHS, DVD Sound: yes Description: North Carolina special education teacher Elizabeth Kuntz is interviewed by Al Swift. Kuntz, then president elect of the Department of Classroom Teachers of the National Education Association, talks about a wide range of issues related to teaching, education, and educational philosophy. Segregation, desegregation, and racial integration in southern schools are discussed at length, with an emphasis on equal opportunity for black children. Other key topics include the evolution of the teaching profession, and the relationship between teachers, administrators, and the community. Kuntz was in Bellingham to attend the 1964 Annual Classroom Teachers National Conference. A commercial advertisement for CARE USA, an international relief organization, precedes the interview. A commercial advertisement for the National Council on Alcoholism, featuring Robert Young and Marty Mann, interrupts the interview two minutes before the end.
1964 August 20
25/3
S-33 Potpourri: Bells and Whidbey Naval Air Station
Length: 12:40 minutes Film Quality (Original): fair (fragments, scraps) Duplicate: VHS, DVD Sound: no Description: This entirely silent reel features a mishmash of unrelated, out of context footage on two subjects: sports, and jet aircraft at the Whidbey Naval Air Station. A baseball game and football practice comprise the first category; while uniforms are labeled Giants and Jets, it is clear that this is not footage of the famous teams bearing those names. The airplane shots include at least two types of Naval jets; both believed to be bombers. One might be an F-4 Phantom II, and is shown maneuvering in flight. Footage lacks explanatory context
1964 September 3
26/1
S-36 The Natural World Of Poetry (Bob Huff and Knute Skinner)
Length: 20:30 minutes Film Quality (Original): good Duplicate: VHS, DVD Sound: yes Description: Western Washington University English Professors Robert Huff and Knute Skinner read a number of short poems aloud throughout this episode. Some of Huff’s own work that he reads includes the poems Rainbow and Dying Dentist. Skinner’s selections include his poems Park, Pillow, Swirl, and The Lion. Additionally, both poets read the works of other poets, including Walt Whitman, William Butler Yates, and Gerard Manley Hopkins.
1965 January 21
26/2
S-37 Intalco: A Visit from Paris
Length: 21 minutes Film Quality (Original): good Duplicate: VHS, DVD Sound: partial Description: Several people (unidentified), both French and American, discuss the new INTALCO Aluminum plant being built in Ferndale. Issues include site selection, growth and development, freight rates, tax incentives, energy rates, and pollution. One spokesperson promises that the smelter will be a good corporate neighbor, installing equipment to minimize pollutants through fume control. Fragmentary footage; lacks contextual information. See S-26 for more on Whatcom County’s efforts to attract industrial development and private enterprise to the area
1965 February 18
27/1
S-38 The Seventh President (Harvey Bunke)
Length: 16:30 minutes Film Quality (Original): fair - good Duplicate: VHS, DVD Sound: yes (inconsistent quality) Description: This reel contains most of the inauguration speech made by the seventh president of Western Washington University (formerly Western Washington State College). In addition to outlining his educational philosophy (with a focus on higher education), Bunke emphasizes equality of opportunity through public education. He outlines his goals for his administration; amongst other things, he pledges a commitment to general education, upholding the value of individuality, and landscaping. Fragmentary footage, incomplete
1965 February 25
27/2
S-39A Report from Olympia
Length: 21 minutes Film Quality (Original): fair - good Duplicate: VHS, DVD Sound: yes Description: Footage of interviews with several unnamed people in Olympia, following passage of the 1965 Washington State Budget. Interviewees discuss the implications of the budget to Whatcom County, with a focus on Western Washington University, which had its funding cut. There is some speculation as to whether a recent peace march affected this decision, but the interviewees deny that the demonstration had anything to do with it. The proposed Alaska Ferry Marine Highway terminus in Bellingham is also discussed. Fragmentary footage, incomplete
1965 March 18
28/1
S-39 The Color of Black
Length: 25:30 minutes Film Quality (Original): good (footage ends abruptly) Duplicate: VHS, DVD, digital Sound: yes Description: Civil Rights leader and activist James Farmer is interviewed for the entire episode. Farmer, founding member and head of the Congress of Racial Equality, or CORE, discusses a wide range of issues related to the Civil Rights movement, including segregation, desegregation, racial discrimination, the protest movement, nonviolent protest, the freedom riders, the marches on Selma and Montgomery, President Lyndon Johnson, and Alabama Governor George Wallace. He contrasts the black movements in the north with those in the south, and describes an overall “negro revolution.” He relates a powerful story of his own recent escape from a violent lynch mob of Louisiana State Troopers and police in Plaquemine, Louisiana. He describes what a cattle prod feels like.
1965 April 15
29/1
S-40 The Road to Redress
Length: 18:40 minutes Film Quality (Original): good Duplicate: VHS, DVD, digital Sound: yes (poor quality recording during speech). Description: A Bellingham peace protest march against the Vietnam War is captured. Protesters carry signs and placards against the war, featuring slogans such as “Negotiation Not Napalm.” More attention is devoted on this reel to the much smaller group of counter-protesters, who favor the war; one spokesperson is interviewed for several minutes. Their slogans include “draft the pacifists.” Some of the anti-war demonstration takes place in front of the Hotel Leopold. The second half of the reel is taken up by an unidentified man giving a speech about the Vietnam War; the audio is poor, and it is difficult to make out much of the speech. See also 13-1 for more Bellingham area protest footage
1965 April 22
29/2
S-41 Mr. Justice Douglas
Length: 30 minutes Film Quality (Original): good Duplicate: VHS, DVD Sound: yes Description: Supreme Court Justice William O. Douglas is interviewed for the half-hour episode. Douglas, a native of Yakima, WA, and a former dean of law at Yale, was then serving his 26th year on the bench. He discusses a wide range of topics, including freedom of the press, rights of the accused, Lee Harvey Oswald and the Kennedy assassination, the constitution and constitutional issues, segregation, states rights, and citizen’s equal rights to the due process of law. Douglas compares the court under three different Chief Justices: Harlan Fiske Stone, Frederick Moore Vinson, and Earl Warren. He also mentions his commitment to wilderness conservation, highlighted by his 1958 efforts to raise awareness about the Olympic Peninsula coast. He closes with a short commentary about China and Chinese relations. Douglas had been appointed to the court by Franklin Delano Roosevelt in 1939.
Undated
29/3
S-43 Let the Chips Fall
Length: 11:30 minutes Film Quality (Original): film requires several splices. Duplicate: VHS, DVD Sound: partial (first five minutes lack sound) Description: Scenes from the 1965 Deming Log Show. Lumberjack and logging themed competitions are captured, including contests involving the use of saws, chainsaws, floating logs, and axes. Two contestants, both professional speed climbers, are interviewed about the sport of speed climbing.
1965 July 1
30/1
S-46A And Have Not Love
Length: 28 minutes Film Quality (Original): good Duplicate: VHS, DVD, other reels of film Sound: yes Description: This episode highlights Project Overcome: An Experiment in Education. Fifty disadvantaged and poverty-stricken high school students from Washington State urban slums and Indian Reservations were chosen to participate in the pilot program at Western Washington State College (later Western Washington University). The camera follows them through eight rigorous summer weeks of classroom instruction, communal living, and educational field trips. The students were housed in the Ridgeway Residences, took meals in the Viking Union, and studied with many professors and instructors, including biologist Jerry Flora, Bellingham artist Leland Stanley, writer Don McCloud, and others. The film highlights the students singing a folksong with history professor Jack Trailer, as well as a student art exhibit. Field trips included the Bellingham Highland Games, Victoria, the Lakewood property on Lake Whatcom, and a Mt. Baker hike. Project Overcome was part of Upward Bound, and was supported by the Office of Economic Opportunity. S-46B is a duplicate of the same episode
1965 October 3
30/2
S-46B And Have Not Love
Length: 28 minutes Film Quality (Original): good Duplicate: VHS, DVD, other reels of film. Sound: yes Description: see S-46A (duplicate reel). Duplicate of S-46A
1965 October 3
31/1
S-48 Dick Gregory
Length: 27:15 minutes Film Quality (Original): good Duplicate: DVD, VHS, digital Sound: yes Description: Black stand-up comic, entertainer, author, nutritionist, and civil rights activist Dick Gregory, then famous for his anti-establishment satire, is interviewed in this episode. Although the interviewer (unidentified) calls Gregory America’s “foremost negro comedian,” Gregory comments upon a range of serious topics relating to the civil rights movement. Gregory, who had been shot in the leg during the August 1965 Watts Riots in Los Angeles (during which 32 people were killed), discusses segregation, recent civil rights legislation, Martin Luther King, local and regional black leaders, the philosophy of the protest movement, protests, nonviolence, pacifism, and social justice in America. Gregory emphasizes the simmering tensions in oppressed minority communities. This reel also contains two public service announcement commercials. The advertisement preceding the episode is an animation cartoon produced by the American Dental Association, and promotes fluoride and fluoridation as a solution to tooth decay. The ad following the episode, produced by the U.S. Department of Health, Education, and Welfare, promotes clean water – and cites a growing problem of pollution and contamination.
1966 February 13
31/2
S-49 A Place Called Home
Length: 10:40 minutes Film Quality (Original): Poor. Reel needs dozens of splices (if it is deemed important enough to bother with). Duplicate: VHS only Sound: no Description: Reel composed of outtakes and scraps of footage from an episode not represented in this collection. The footage focuses on elderly housing, showing the poor condition of low-income senior housing. There is also some low-quality footage of the city of Bellingham. All footage lacks sound and is fragmentary. See S-56 for slightly better footage of these issues. Footage is devoid of context
1966 March 20
32/1
S-52 Guemes Island: Beginning or End?
Length: 23:45 minutes Film Quality (Original): good (but requires a few splices) Duplicate: VHS, DVD, digital Sound: partial Description: This episode concerns the 1966 attempt by Northwest Aluminum Company to build an Aluminum plant on Guemes Island, one of the San Juan Islands. Although favored by Skagit County and then economically depressed Anacortes, residents of Guemes Island almost uniformly opposed the plan, and formed a citizen’s action group, “Save the San Juans,” led by retired Boeing executive Evan Nelson. Nelson hired a young John Erlichman (pre-Nixon) as the group’s lawyer. Although Skagit County hastily rezoned a portion of the island for heavy industry, in 1967 the corporation bowed to public pressure and withdrew from this attempt. The film features short interviews with people in favor of and opposed to the proposed industrial development (all except Nelson are unidentified). In addition, there is a small amount of scenic footage. See S-53 for more about this issue. See S-26 for footage concerning the INTALCO Aluminum plant in Ferndale, WA
1966 September 11
32/2
S-53 Guemes Island: View From Anacortes
Length: 24:30 minutes Film Quality (Original): good Duplicate: VHS, DVD, digital Sound: yes Description: This reel consists of a press conference by an executive spokesperson from Northwest Aluminum Company. The spokesperson (unidentified) explains why the Guemes Island site was chosen, and describes the company’s plan for development. Northwest Aluminum, a subsidiary of a Japanese-backed consortium, sought a deep water site with adjacent flat acreage, and was also lured by the promise of cheap power from Bonneville power. Despite Skagit County’s hasty rezoning of the area to heavy industrial, public opposition forced the company to withdraw the next year. See S-52 for more on this issue, and S-26 for footage concerning the INTALCO aluminum plant in Ferndale (Whatcom County)
1966 September 18
33/1
S-56 Low Cost Housing
Length: 23:30 minutes Film Quality (Original): fair Duplicate: VHS, DVD Sound: partial Description: Reel of footage concerning affordable housing for low-income elderly in Bellingham. At 13:30 minutes there is a short interview with a Mrs. Howell of Bellingham, a seventy-year old resident of government subsidized housing. At 19:15 minutes there is a short interview with an unidentified official who claims that Bellingham is well ahead of federal standards in this area, and refers to urban renewal. There is also some silent aerial footage and scenic footage of Bellingham. Most of the reel consists of scraps and fragmented footage, lacking sound and context
Undated
33/2
S-57 North to the Future: Alaskan Ferry
Length: 41 minutes. Film Quality (Original): fair – film requires several splices.* Duplicate: VHS, DVD Sound: partial Description: This reel of film concerns the proposed marine highway link between Alaska and Washington State. The reel consists of both color and black and white footage, and includes both magnetic and optical film spliced together. There are several interviews with newly-elected Alaskan Governor Walter Joseph Hickel, during which he promotes the ferry, and describes transportation problems concerning Alaska. He criticizes the Jones Act, which requires domestic cargo to be transported on American vessels. A representative of the Bellingham Terminal Committee (unidentified) presents the case for a Bellingham terminus; at the time, Seattle and Anacortes were also under consideration. There is silent color footage both of and from the ferry Matanuska, including the Sehome High School Band (Bellingham) performing on its deck. Scenic footage from the ferry includes Seattle (Space Needle visible), and arrival in Ketchikan. Note: *VHS and DVD copies may exhibit brief inconsistencies in sound, quality, due to switches between optical and magnetic film on the reel
Undated
34/1
S-60 Interview With John J. O'Connell
Length: 25:45 minutes Film Quality (Original): good Duplicate: VHS, DVD Sound: yes Description: Washington State Attorney General John J. O’Connell is interviewed in this episode. O’Connell begins by discussing the “long hot summer” of race riots which occurred in many U.S. cities that year, and explains why a race riot was unlikely to occur in Washington State. He discusses the social tensions and injustices which led to these outbreaks of chaos and violence, and talks about fair housing legislation. He also mentions, in passing, the similar injustices faced by Native Americans. Next, O’Connell explores the broader topic of soaring crime rates, both nationally and state-wide. He suggests a need to reexamine ineffective punitive measures against crime. Finally, O’Connell calls for major reform of the Washington State Constitution; including a complete constitutional re-write, to be undertaken by a constitutional convention of elected delegates.
1967 August 27
34/2
S-61 Bellingham Technical School
Length: 25:45 minutes Film Quality (Original): good Duplicate: VHS, DVD Sound: yes Description: Bellingham Technical School (precursor of Bellingham Technical College) is profiled in this episode. After an introduction by Western Washington University President Harvey Bunke, Citizen’s Education Committee chairman David Mintz discusses the benefits of non-traditional education, embodied by the vocational school. The technical school offered a wide range of programs, including nursing, engineering, electronics, mechanics, and cooking. Footage of the cafeteria shows culinary students preparing and serving meals, while students in the carpentry shop and machine shop gained experience in those professions. Mr. Pratt, and engineering technology instructor, is briefly interviewed about surveying and drafting.
Undated
34/3
S-64 He Would Be Dead Now (Outtakes)
Length: 6 minutes Film Quality (Original): good (scraps) Duplicate: VHS only Sound: partial Description: Six minutes of color footage outtakes from an episode not represented in the collection. The subject is a young Nooksack tribal member (identified only as Roy Jr.) who is undergoing dialysis treatments at the Seattle Artificial Kidney center. The footage includes excerpts of the treatment underway, a description of the anticoagulant drug used in the process, and part of an interview with Roy himself. The last minute or so features his father, who discusses the need to bring a dialysis machine to the Everson – Nooksack area. Color footage
1967 August 27
35/1
S-65 A Place to Grow
Length: 29 minutes Film Quality (Original): good Duplicate: VHS, DVD Sound: yes Description: This full-length color episode profiles Latino migrant farm workers in Skagit County, and some new programs designed to help them and their children. Called “Spanish Americans” in the film, these migrant laborers are present for several weeks each year in Skagit County, harvesting strawberries, raspberries, cucumbers, etc. A group called the Skagit Migrant Facilities Committee was particularly focused on providing limited educational and community opportunities for the children of the workers, who are described in the film as “functional illiterates.” The committee, under its president William Grant (a Methodist Minister) obtained funds through the Washington State Office of Economic Opportunity and from charitable donations. One of two daycare centers funded by the group was at the Immaculate Conception School in Mount Vernon; a second center was located in Burlington. Both sought to address the issues of illiteracy and cultural alienation, and offered bilingual instruction in both English and Spanish. Color footage
1967 September 17
35/2
S-66 Junk Mail
Length: 15 minutes Film Quality (Original): good Duplicate: VHS, DVD Sound: yes Description: Deputy Postmaster General Frederick C. Beeley (sp?) is interviewed about junk mail, mass-mailings, bulk advertising, improving post office service, and the suggested postal rate increase. He discusses first class, second class, third class, and fourth class (parcel post) mail. Lawrence O’Brien was then Postmaster General. Black and white footage
1967 October 1
36/1
S-67 Western's Fourth R.
Length: 27:30 minutes Film Quality (Original): good Duplicate: VHS, DVD, digital Sound: yes Description: A diverse array of Western Washington University faculty members involved in research are profiled. The first four minutes are silent, and feature Professor Gerald Kraft and students conducting field experiments from a boat. After that a series of professors explain their research. These include Dr. June Ross, one of the first female biochemists at the University, who discusses her research on sponges. Ross is the wife of Geology Professor Charles Ross. Dr. Larry Douglas talks about monitoring the impact of special educational programs in minority neighborhoods. Dr. Carol Diers from the psychology department, a specialist in personality research, discusses a failed experiment involving armadillos (the last armadillo died from exposure to Bellingham’s climate). Dr. Debnath Mookhergee of the geography department explains his research into urban demographics in India. Dr. Joseph Hashisaki of the math department highlights his book, The Theory of Arithmetic. The last few minutes of footage feature local saltwater invertebrates, including crabs, sea urchins, and sea cucumbers. The bizarre looking Puget Sound King Crab (Lopholithodes mandtii) is included.
1967 October 15
36/2
S-68 Christmas Concert: The Sehome Choir
Length: 28: 30 minutes Film Quality (Original): good Duplicate: VHS only Sound: yes Description: This color episode features the 1967 Christmas Concert performed by the Sehome High School choir. Several songs, Christmas carols, and Hymns are performed, with brief commentary.
1967 December 24
36/3
S-69 Julian Bond Interview.
Length: 28 minutes Film Quality (Original): good (but abrupt ending; cut off) Duplicate: VHS, DVD, digital Sound: yes Description: Georgia State Legislator and Anti Vietnam War activist Julian Bond is interviewed in front of the Old Main building at Western Washington University. Political Science Department Chairman Manfred Vernon also participated in the discussion. The discussion focuses heavily on the war in Vietnam, and topics include pacifism, the draft and conscription, unilateral withdrawal, poverty, racism, race relations, minorities, civil rights, political activism, and Dr. Martin Luther King. Bond, then a 27 year old African-American, had to fight for two years in the Supreme Court before the State of Georgia would recognize the legitimacy of his victory. The following year, as a delegate to the infamous 1968 Democratic convention in Chicago, he was a key member of the “Georgia Loyalist” faction. He is currently (2005) the Chairman of the NAACP.
1967 May 18
36/4
Reach Out! (AAUW)
Length: 12 minutes Film Quality (Original): fair (color severely faded) Duplicate: VHS only Sound: yes Description: This American Association of University Women promotional film focuses on the Educational Fellowship Foundation Program, which gives grants to women studying at the pre-doctoral, doctoral, and post-doctoral levels. It also supports independent research. Film is produced and distributed by Pilgrim Film Services. An AAUW Endowment Promotional Film
undated
Box
37
Description: This box contains the Alpha and Beta Master tapes for the films in Box 30 "Have Not Love" as well as a Master Audio track on 16mm Film.
boxes
38-43
Description:These boxes contain all the VHS Tape and DVD copies of the above KVOS films.

Names and SubjectsReturn to Top

Subject Terms

  • Broadcasting--British Columbia--Lower Mainland--History--Sources.
  • Broadcasting--Washington (State)--Bellingham--History--Sources.
  • Century 21 Exposition -- (1962 : Seattle, Wash.) --History--Sources.
  • Earthquakes--Alaska--History--Sources.
  • Public schools--Washington (State)--Bellingham--History--Sources.
  • Television stations--Washington (State)--Bellingham--History--Sources.
  • Universities and colleges--Washington (State)--Bellingham--History--Sources.

Personal Names

  • Burr, Raymond, d 1917-
  • Hargis, Billy James, d 1925-
  • Horn, Kahn-Tineta
  • Avital, Benad
  • Berton, Pierre, d 1920-
  • Bond, Julian, d 1940-
  • Connelly, Marc, d 1890-
  • Douglas, William O. (William Orville), d 1898-
  • Farmer, James, d 1920-
  • Farmer, James, (1920- )
  • Ford, Leighton
  • Gregory, Dick
  • Magnuson, Warren Grant, d 1905-
  • Mowat, Farley
  • Swift, Al, d 1935-
  • Treacher, Arthur, d 1894-1975
  • Webster, Jack

Corporate Names

  • KVOS-TV (Television station : Bellingham, Wash.) --Archives.
  • Sons of Freedom Dukhobors.