Skip to main content

Seattle Municipal Archives Finding Aids

5287-00. Wesley C. Uhlman

 Record Group
Identifier: 5287-00
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 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.

Found in 5 Collections and/or Records:

Wesley C. Uhlman Departmental Correspondence

 Series
Identifier: 5287-01
Scope and Contents note Correspondence with city departments regarding ongoing operations as well as specific issues and events. The largest section of records covers the Executive Department, which includes the office and activities of the Mayor as well as subsidiary agencies like the Citizens Service Bureau, the Office of Policy Planning, and the Office of Management and Budget. Mayoral staffers' files are also included. Records relating to the Department of Community Development go into detail about the city's...
Dates: 1956-1977

Wesley C. Uhlman Subject Files

 Series
Identifier: 5287-02
Scope and Contents note Correspondence, reports, and other records related to the issues, programs, and organizations that were part of the work of the Mayor's Office during Uhlman's tenure. Topics range in scale from large transportation projects and the 1976 U.S. Bicentennial to individual parks and fire stations. The records include correspondence with and about local organizations, boards and commissions, and other governmental entities. The records also include routine mayoral correspondence such as thank you...
Dates: 1957-1977

Wesley C. Uhlman General Correspondence

 Series
Identifier: 5287-03
Scope and Contents note

Series contains correspondence with individuals and institutions, filed by letter. Many of these are from citizens who wrote to the mayor about a particular issue of concern to them. Other miscellaneous correspondence, sorted by year, is also included.

Dates: 1964-1978

Wesley C. Uhlman Photographs

 Series
Identifier: 5287-04
Scope and Contents note

Photographs collected from the Wesley Uhlman Departmental Correspondence and other series. Included are photos of Mayor Uhlman's trip to Israel in 1971 among other images of Seattle in the 1960s.

Dates: 1956-1977

Wesley C. Uhlman Mayoral Proclamations

 Series — Box 1
Identifier: 5287-05
Scope and Contents note

Ceremonial documents issued by the Mayor honoring individuals and organizations, and celebrating special events. Records include a copy of the proclamation and, in some cases, information about the honoree or the event being celebrated. Proclamations exist for 1969-1970 and 1976-1977. The earliest proclamations are arranged alphabetically, while those from 1976 and 1977 are filed in rough chronological order.

Dates: 1969-1977