Gertrude E. Backstrom
"Although
she entered competition only 18 months ago, Mrs. Ted Backstrom, 2626
Pacific Avenue, Hoquiam, won the women's national indoor individual
expert class
pistol championship recently...Mrs. Backstrom broke three national
records: rapid
fire, national match course and ladies aggregate." The
Aberdeen World, June 7, 1952.
"Mrs. Gertrude Backstrom of Hoquiam recently retained her
national women's indoor
pistol championship and the Grays Harbor pistol team took fourth place
in national
competition with civilian teams." --The Aberdeen World, June
20, 1954.
"A straight shooting woman wielding a 1917 Colt .45 blasted
her way to a new national
women's NRA championship record score during the fourth annual Seafare
(sic) pistol
matches held in Raymond this weekend. Mrs. Gertrud E. Backstrom
of Hoquiam shot
a score of 2,538 of a possible 2,700 to establish a new record for
women." -- The
Aberdeen World, July 7, 1854. --from Karen Barkstrom, The
Daily World
"Mrs. Backstrom not only won the Oregon state indoor gallery
championship, but set two
new civilian records and broke five national women's records.
And that's not all.
The mighty mite tied the national open record. That makes her
the first women in the
history of the sport to hold an open record in either rifle or pistol
shooting." -- The
Aberdeen World, April 22, 1955. Information provided by
Dick Moulton.
Her husband operated Sommerville Pharmacy in Hoquiam.
Don Baker
“Baker, armed with an insatiable curiosity, ravenous
desire to learn, and problem solving
smarts he learned as a kid, turned his assignment into a lifetime
quest that revolutionized
the field of medicine, by refining ultrasound into the most
vital, cost effective, diagnostic
tool available today.”
“In recognition of his accomplishment, the University of Washington
and the
UW Alumni Association have bestowed upon Baker their highest honor:
The 2002 Alumnus Summa Laude Dignatus Award.” -- Columns,
University
of Washington Alumni Magazine, June 2002.
“His
early inventions are on permanent display in the Smithsonian Institution's
National Museum of Natural History.
Spent early years on a farm in Rochester.
Graduated Raymond High School,
circa 1949. Played football
for Grays Harbor College Chokers.
Science
Degree,
University of Washington.
Eldon A. Bargewell
Major Generall, U. S. Army.
A founder and leader of Delta Force, U. S. Army
counter-terrorism and hostage-rescue unit, founded
1977. — Fayetteville
Online,
April 5, 2001.
Formerly
Chief of Staff, Military Operations SFOR, Joint Headquarters Centre,
Allied
Command Europe. Currently
Director of the Center of Operations, Plans, and Policy,
United Special Operations Command, MacDill Air Force Base, Florida.
Promoted
to Major General by President George W. Bush, 2001.
Former Chief of Staff,
Military Operations SFOR, Joint Headquarters
Centre, Allied Command Europe. Former Director of the Center
of Operations,
Plans, and Policy, United Special Operations Command, MacDill Air
Force Base,
Florida. First Commander, Deployable Joint Task Force, NATO
Response Force.
One of only two holders of the Distinguished Service Cross currently
on active duty.
Born, raised and educated in Hoquiam.
Hoquiam High School, 1965.
Gregory P. Barlow
Major General, U. S. Army. Retired.
Served as Adjutant General for the State of Washington,
Commanding the Army and Air National Guard from
1989 through 1999.
Currently
resides in Ocean Shores.
Wendy Hagen Bauer
Universally recognized astrophysicist.
Tenured professor, Wellesley College.
--archives of Bob Preble.
Born, raised and educated in Aberdeen.
Weatherwax High School, 1967.
Karl Bendetsen
“During the administration of President Harry Truman,
Bendetsen served as Acting Deputy
to the first Secretary of Defense (Mr. Forrestal).
From 1949 through 1952, he served
successfully as The Asst. Secretary of Army, and Under Secretary
of the Army.”
Also
served “as Director General of U. S. Railroads,” and was appointed
by
President Truman “as the first Chairman of the Panama Canal Company.”
— Jerry Ness,
“Oral History Interviews with Karl R. Bendetsen,” Truman Presidential Museum and
Library, October 24 1972, November
9, 1972, November 21, 1972.
In
1942, held the more dubious role of Commander of Wartime Civil Control
Administration, which directed the evacuation and relocation of persons
of Japanese ancestry.
Former
CEO, Champion Paper and Fiber Company.
For more on his life read The Colonel and the Pacifist, by
Klancy Clark de Nevers.
(Weatherwax 1951)
Born,
raised and educated in Aberdeen.
Weatherwax High School, circa 1933.
Elton Bennett
Nationally acclaimed silk screen artist, who worked from
his home in Hoquiam.
Most of his art was of scenes of the waterfront in Grays
Harbor.
Guy Bingham
Offensive Lineman and “Long Snapper” with the New York
Jets.
Seven year
NFL veteran. — from
Rick Anderson, The Daily
World.
Born
and raised in North River. Weatherwax
High School, 1976.
E. K. “Ned” and Lillian Fleet
Bishop
Aberdeen philanthropists who left their fortune to the
Bishop Foundation. Since
1972, the
foundation has contributed over $37,000,000 in grants
and scholarships.
Most have been for projects and students
in Grays Harbor County.
Bishop
Center for Performing Arts on the campus of Grays Harbor College,
was constructed in honor of Mr. And Mrs. Bishop and funded by a contribution
from Rueben Fleet.
Endowments funded by the foundation have a current combined value
of $4,000,000
to provide future scholarships. --information provided by Jim Mason,
Bishop
Foundation Board Member.
Kenneth G. Bixler
Captain, U. S. Navy.
Former Commander of U. S. Navy Command College,
Newport, Rhode Island. —
archives of Bob Preble.
Born,
raised and educated in Aberdeen.
Weatherwax High School, 1963.
William Boeing
Founder. Boeing Airplane Company.
“Boeing,
who had studied engineering at Yale until quitting in 1903, opened
up a profitable lumber business (Greenwood Logging Company)
in Hoquiam
when he was 22. While
Boeing made his first fortune with lumber, he had, as
history knows, a side interest in a new kind of machine called
the airplane.” —
“Four Men Who Shaped the Seattle Century,” Seattle Times,
December 29, 1999.
Jack Bowers
Assistant Chief Designer for America’s first intercontinental
ballistic missile, the Atlas Rocket.
Former
President, Convair Division, General Dynamics, Assistant Secretary
of Navy under
President Nixon. —
archives of Bob Preble.
Raised
and educated in Aberdeen. Valedictorian,
Weatherwax High School, 1938.
Gene Brewer
Former CEO, U. S. Plywood Corporation, and CEO
Champion - U. S.
Plywood Corporation.
Former CEO Pacific Southwest Timber Corporation.
Born,
raised and educated in Montesano.
Gail Brown
(a.k.a. Gail Quigg)
Internationally renowned author of serging, sewing and home
decoration publications.
One of the most highly recommended authors in her field.
See www.gailbrown.com
for complete information on
Gail’s work.
Resides in Hoquiam.
Trisha Brown
World-renowned choreographer and one of the most celebrated
people in modern dance.
Recipient of a
John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Fellowship.
Honored as
Distinguished Alumnus of Mills College. —
archives of Bob Preble.
Featured
in “Seven Beauties — Portraits of Remarkable Women,”
“What
kind of a
woman becomes the first female choreographer to win the MacArthur
Foundation’s
‘genius’ award?” —
Joyce Tenneson, AARP
Magazine, September/October
2002.
Also
a featured personality in Wise Women — A Celebration of Their Insights, Courage
and Beauty by Joyce
Tenneson.
See
www.trishabrowncompany.org,
or search www.google.com.
Born,
raised and educated in Aberdeen.
Weatherwax High School, 1954.
Walter E. Brown
“He was recognized universally for his contributions
to the crystallography, chemistry,
and biochemistry of calcium phosphate compounds.”
“His pioneering studies of the physicochemical properties of
mineralized tissues, such as
teeth and bone, provided the foundation for much of the modern research
on diseases such
as dental caries, osteoporosis and arteriosclerosis, and in the topical
fluoride treatments for
teeth.”— John Tesk and Ronald Munro, Dental Research
at the National
Bureau of Standards.
Developed
and patented Enamelon toothpaste.
Director from 1967 to 1983 of the American Dental Association Health
Foundation at
the National Institute of Standards and Technology (formerly National
Bureau of Standards).
His estate funds
the Walter E. Brown Scholarship and the Three Sisters Garden at Grays
Harbor College. — information
provided by his cousin, Harold Bergstrom, Aberdeen.
Raised and educated in Aberdeen.
Weatherwax High School, 1936.
Grays Harbor
College, 1938. Bachelor
and Master of Chemistry, University of Washington.
Doctorate
in Chemistry, Harvard University, 1949.
Mark Bruener
NFL player. All-American
Tight End for the University of Washington Football Huskies.
Starting Tight End for the
Pittsburgh Steelers.
1995 to 2002. — Rick
Anderson,
The Daily World.
Born,
raised and educated in Aberdeen.
Saint Mary School, 1979-1987,
Weatherwax
High School, 1991.
Bob Bush
Congressional Medal of Honor Recipient from Harry F. Truman.
Former President, Medal of Honor Society.
Featured personality in Tom
Brokaw’s best selling book The Greatest Generation.
Born, raised and
educated in South Bend. Lived
much of his business life in Elma
and Aberdeen.
Development
of Cable Television System
The first cable television
system in the U. S. was in Astoria , Oregon in 1948.
Around
1950, a system was developed in Aberdeen by Homer Bergen,
Fred Goddard,
Bob McCaw
and Elroy McCaw.
The group began developing
systems throughout the Northwest establishing 50/50
partnerships with local owners, including Astoria, and formed Pacific
Northwest
Community TV.
Systems were developed in Washington, Oregon, Northern California,
and Manhattan
Island. Some systems
were sold off, but most became Tele-Vue Systems.
In 1968, Tele-Vue was sold to CBS.
In 1970, the Federal Communications Commission
required CBS to divest the cable systems, and Viacom was formed.
— “Charles E.
Clements, An Oral History.” The Cable
Center, Oral Histories.
Fred Goddard’s son, John Goddard,
served in management of Tele-Vue, Cable
Division of CBS, and Viacom Cable.
Was CEO of Viacom Cable from 1980 to
1996. — The Cable
Center, www.CableCenter.org.
Alexander Calder
Considered the most innovative sculptor of the 20th
Century.
June 1922: “Calder takes a
lumber schooner to Willapa Harbor, Washington, where
he catches the bus for Aberdeen and meets his sister Peggy and her
husband, Kenneth
Hayes. Calder finds a
job as a timekeeper at a logging camp in Independence,
Washington (near Oakville). Inspired
by mountain scenes and logging camps, Calder is
compelled to paint.” --Calder 1966, 57-58.
In his “Oral History Interview With Alexander Calder
at Perls Gallery” for the
Smithsonian Archives
of American Art,
October 26, 1971, Interviewer Paul
Cummings, Calder commented “Well I had about four years in a logging
camp in
Washington State…”
Often
visited his sister Peggy Calder Hayes in Aberdeen.
Robert Cantwell
Novelist.
Author of Laugh and Lie Down and
The Land
of Plenty.
In
On the Harbor, John Hughes and Ryan Beckwith
write that in “1935 – Cantwell
takes a job as literary editor at Time magazine, becoming one of its
top writers.
1956 – Cantwell joins Sports Illustrated
where he eventually becomes
senior editor.”
Raised
and educated in Aberdeen. Weatherwax
High School, 1924. Was
on the staff of the school newspaper, Ocean Breeze.
Casa
Mia Pizza
Three time award winner at the International Pizza Expo.
Three Cheese Chicken Pizza,
1996 Top Pizza Festival Honor. Pizza Sole,
1998 Vegetarian Pizza of the Year.
Potato Gorgonzola Truffle Pizza, 2003 Vegetarian
Pizza of the Year.
Casa Mia Pizza Restaurant was founded in 1952 in Hoquiam
by Phil Bellafato and is
currently owned and operated by the Roger Jump family.
The family has nine franchised
restaurants in Washington state.
Neil “Buzz” Carnes
U. S. Naval Academy Graduate, Nuclear Submarine Commander,
CEO of numerous
nuclear power plants in the eastern United States.
— archives of Bob
Preble.
Born,
raised and educated in Aberdeen.
Weatherwax High School, 1957.
Rip
Caswell
"Accomplished sculpture Rip Caswell is popular with
private and corporate collectors
worldwide. He has created more than 60 sculptures
of various subjects in both
contemporary and realistic styles. Considered an
authority in wildlife art, he is often
sought after to judge competitions and present seminars.
Several art galleries,
publications and television broadcasts have also featured
his works."
www.caswellgalleryartists.com/caswell
Information provided by Karen McDonald
Smith.
According to his website and friends, Caswell collectors
include Vice President
Dick Cheney and Clint Eastwood.
Raised and educated in Montesano. Montesano High
School 1981.
Samuel Chamberlain
Considered one of the leading dry point etching artists
in the world.
“Published several books containing etchings, pen and
ink, and watercolors,
as well as graphic arts and illustrations. “Frequently
contributed to Gourmet
Magazine
and created Clementine
in the Kitchen, the
first book to popularize
Country French (sic) cooking in the United States.” —
www.childsgallery.com.
Four
Chamberlain etchings are displayed in the Aberdeen Timberland Library.
Raised and educated in Aberdeen.
George Chemeres
Nationally renowned trainer of world recognized boxers.
Trainer for Pete
Rademacher in his Olympic Gold Medal victory in 1956, and
Boxing Heavyweight Title Match with Floyd Patterson in
1957. Managed Harry
“Kid” Matthews, Eddie Cotton, Greg Haugen, John Palaki
and other boxing contenders.
“Moved
to Hoquiam with his family when he was a year old.
He attended school in
Montesano before settling in Aberdeen.”
Died November 15,
2002. “A high school
dropout, Chemeres moved to Seattle
and fought on the Northwest club circuit for
several years. But later
found his true calling as a trainer and manager.” — obituary,
The Daily World, November
15, 2002.
Weatherwax
High School, circa 1931.
Ark G. Chin
Appointed to Board of Regents, University of Washington, for
the term of 1998 to
2003. “Retired CEO
and President of Kramer, Chin and Mayo, Inc., a Seattle
engineering firm with clients world-wide.” — press release, Office
of Governor
Gary Locke.
He and his wife opened
a 100-bed orphanage in China in the fall of 2002.
— The Fountain,
University of Washington
Alumni Association Newsletter,
Fall 2002.
2001-2002 President
of the Board of Regents of University of Washington.
