Skip to main content

5272-00. Norman B. Rice

 Record Group
Identifier: 5272-00
Norman B. Rice was born in Denver on May 4, 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 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. Norm 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 was elected mayor of Seattle for the term beginning January 1, 1990, and served two full terms. He was the first African-American mayor in Seattle’s history. An important issue in his first mayoral race was mandatory busing of schoolchildren to improve integration in schools; schools and education continued to be an important issue throughout his tenure as mayor, including support for the Families and Education Levy. Downtown revitalization was also a top priority during his tenure as mayor. Rice ran for mayor a second time in 1993 and was re-elected. He also served as President of the U.S. Conference of Mayors. After leaving office, Rice served as President and CEO of the Federal Home Loan Bank of Seattle from 1998 to 2004; he then became vice-chair of Capital Access, LLC, and a visiting professor at the University of Washington.
Creator: Rice, Norman B.

Found in 9 Collections and/or Records:

Norm Rice Departmental Correspondence

 Series
Identifier: 5272-01
Scope and Contents note

Records include correspondence, memoranda, reports, studies, and briefing materials to and from City agencies regarding the full range of municipal government activities during Rice's terms as mayor. Topics include municipal facilities, arts and culture, planning, budget and financial issues, and schools and education, among others. Records are arranged chronologically and then by major departments within City government. Constituent correspondence is included in this record series.

Dates: 1990-1997

Norm Rice Subject Files

 Series — Box 5
Identifier: 5272-02
Scope and Contents note Correspondence, memoranda, reports, studies, and other materials to and from non-city government agencies, businesses, associations, and the general public. Includes records about King County, state and federal government agencies, public development authorities, Metro, and boards and commissions, as well as constituent correspondence. Topics include the Seattle Mariners, sister cities, the Pang warehouse fire, the 1990 education summit, Pike Place Market, the Seattle Jobs Initiative,...
Dates: 1978-1997

Norm Rice Calendars

 Series — Box 1
Identifier: 5272-03
Scope and Contents note

Appointment calendars documenting meetings and events during Rice's tenure as mayor. Also includes one appointment book from 1978.

Dates: 1978-1997

Norm Rice Weekly Department Reports

 Series — Multiple Containers
Identifier: 5272-04
Scope and Contents note Activity reports filed with the Mayor each week by Executive Department directors and superintendents. The reports include items needing the attention of the Mayor, and progress reports on departmental and mayoral work program goals. The records are useful in establishing a chronology of departmental activities and for identifying high profile news events involving City agencies. The reports are arranged chronologically and then by City department. Reports exist only for the first two years...
Dates: 1990-1991

Norm Rice Mayoral Proclamations

 Series — Multiple Containers
Identifier: 5272-05
Scope and Contents note

Ceremonial documents issued by the Mayor honoring individuals or organizations, or declaring the City's support for issues outside the City's governance. Records are arranged chronologically and without an index.

Dates: 1990-1997

Norm Rice Speeches and Statements

 Series
Identifier: 5272-06
Scope and Contents note

Talking points and speeches of Mayor Norm Rice. Speeches given at events and organizations such as Martin Luther King Memorial Service, United Way, National Association of Women in Construction, Earth Day, Red Cross, Chamber of Commerce, arts groups, meetings, ceremonial events and commencements on topics such as volunteerism, regional cooperation, social services, education, and the environment. Arranged chronologically.

Dates: 1989-1997

Norm Rice Photographs

 Series
Identifier: 5272-07
Scope and Contents note Photographs, primarily informal, of Norman Rice's tenure as Seattle mayor and some from his years as Councilmember and before. Most are color photographs, but some black and white photographs are also included. Represented in the images are campaigns, city events, political events, meetings and conferences (including the U.S. Conference of Mayors and the National Black Bar Association Conference), visits to Seattle by dignitaries and celebrities, and sister city events and travel. Events...
Dates: 1978-1997

Norm Rice Campaign Materials

 Series
Identifier: 5272-09
Scope and Contents note

Records from Rice's city council races in 1978, 1979, and 1983 and his mayoral runs in 1989 and 1993. The series also includes materials from his 1985 mayoral bid, his 1988 congressional race, and his 1996 gubernatorial race, all unsuccessful. Records include campaign flyers, news clippings, briefing books, invitations, debate preparation materials, and calendars.

Dates: 1978-1996

Norm Rice News Clippings

 Series — Multiple Containers
Identifier: 5272-10
Scope and Contents note

Newspaper clippings, magazine articles, and other items collected by Mayor Rice. Articles cover the Mayor and his wife, Seattle events and issues, and other topics of interest to the Mayor.

Dates: 1988-1997

Placeholder text The Seattle Municipal Archives holdings document the history, development, and activities of the agencies and elected officials of the City of Seattle. Descriptions of selected records are also available through the Library of Congress National Union Catalog of Manuscript Collections and through Archives West.

| | |