Gordon S. Clinton Mayoral Records
Scope and Contents note
Correspondence, reports, and studies, financial papers, minutes, speeches, notes and memoranda, newspaper clippings, and ephemera relating to Clinton's term as mayor. Includes departmental files and correspondence with agencies and individuals outside City government. Arranged alphabetically for each year.
Dates
- Creation: 1953-1964
Creator
- Clinton, Gordon S. (Gordon Stanley), 1920-2011 (Person)
- Seattle (Wash.). City Clerk (Organization)
Conditions Governing Access note
Records are open to the public.
Biographical Note
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).
Extent
48 Cubic Feet
Language of Materials
English
Arrangement note
Chronological
BRS AFA Note
Inventory available at UW
Location of Records
UW
Subject
- Seattle Art Museum (Organization)
- Seattle Housing Authority (Organization)
- Puget Sound Utilities Council (Organization)
- Seattle-King County Advisory Council on Aging (Organization)
- Washington State International Trade Fair, Inc. (Organization)
- Seattle (Wash.). Board of Adjustment (Organization)
- Seattle (Wash.). Mayor (Organization)
- Seattle Urban League (Organization)
- Seattle (Wash.). Street Naming Committee (Organization)
- Seattle-King County Youth Commission (Organization)
- Seattle (Wash.). Mayor's Maritime Advisory Committee (Organization)
- United Nations (Organization)
- United Good Neighbor Fund of King County (King County, Wash.) (Organization)
- Seattle (Wash.). Board of Theatre Supervisors (Organization)
- National Safety Council (Organization)
- Seattle Symphony Orchestra (Organization)
- Seattle Area Industrial Council (Organization)
- Clinton, Gordon S. (Gordon Stanley), 1920-2011 (Person)
- Japan-American Conference of Mayors and Chamber of Commerce Presidents (Organization)
- Juvenile Advisory Council (Organization)
- Port of Seattle (Organization)
- Metropolitan Problems Advisory Committee (Seattle, Wash.) (Organization)
- Citizens Advisory Committee on Minority Housing (Seattle, Wash.) (Organization)
- Municipal League of Seattle (Organization)
- Seattle (Wash.). Civic Center Advisory Committee (Organization)
- Civic Unity Committee (Seattle, Wash.) (Organization)
- Municipality of Metropolitan Seattle (Organization)
- United States Conference of Mayors (Organization)
- Seattle (Wash.). Fire Prevention Code Advisory Board (Organization)
- Seattle (Wash.). Housing Advisory Board (Organization)
- United States. Advisory Commission on Intergovernmental Relations (Organization)
- Jackson Street Community Council (Seattle, Wash.) (Organization)
- American Municipal Association (Organization)
- Joint Advisory Apprenticeship Committee (Seattle, Wash.) (Organization)
- Seattle (Wash.). Annexation Review Board (Organization)
- Seattle (Wash.). Building Code Advisory Board (Organization)
- Air Pollution Control Advisory Board (Organization)
- Association of Washington Cities (Organization)
- City Beautiful Committee (Seattle, Wash.) (Organization)
- Citizens Planning Council (Seattle, Wash.) (Organization)
- University of Washington (Organization)
- Washington (State). World Fair Commission (1955-1962) (Organization)
Geographic
Topical
- Administrative Procedures
- Air pollution -- Washington (State) -- Seattle
- Airlines
- Alcoholism
- Asphalt plants -- Washington (State) -- Seattle
- Boundary Dam (Wash.)
- Capital Improvement Program
- Century 21 Exposition (1962 : Seattle, Wash.)
- City Owned Automobiles
- Civic Centers
- Civil defense
- Civil rights
- Colombo Plan
- Consular Corps
- Dog Leash Law
- Ferries
- Fishing
- Floating Homes
- Football
- Freeways
- Garbage
- Harbor Patrol
- Housing
- Howard A. Hanson Reservoir (Wash.)
- Hungary -- History -- Revolution, 1956
- Industrial Development
- Juvenile delinquency
- Labor Relations
- Lake Washington Bridge (Mercer Island and Seattle, Wash.)
- Mayor's Messages
- Montlake Bridge (Seattle, Wash.)
- Municipal Building
- Natural Gas
- Noise
- Parking
- People-to-People (Organization)
- Pike Place Market
- Playgrounds and Playfields
- Public Transit
- Public works -- Washington (State) -- Seattle
- Railroads
- Raw milk -- Washington (State) -- Seattle
- Ross Dam
- School integration -- Washington (State) -- Seattle
- Schools
- Seafair
- Sewage disposal
- Sewers -- Washington (State) -- Seattle
- Sister cities
- Streets
- Strikes and lockouts -- Local transit -- Washington (State) -- Seattle
- Television
- Traffic safety
- Urban Renewal Program
- Title
- Guide to the Mayoral Records 1953-1964
- Language of description note
- Finding aid written in English.
Repository Details
Part of the Seattle Municipal Archives Repository