Monthly Speakers
Local historians are featured as speakers, offering presentations on a wide variety of subjects based on extensive research. Upcoming presentations are listed on our Programs page. Past presentations are archived below.
2022 Speakers
Monday, September 12
Virtual Program
Monday, July 11
Virtual Program
Monday, May 9, 2022
Virtual Program
Monday April 11, 2022
Virtual Program
Monday, March 14, 2022
Virtual Program
Monday, February 14, 2022
Virtual Program
Monday, January 10, 2022
Virtual Program
2021 Speakers
Monday, December 13, 2021
Tacoma Historical Society Museum
Featuring guest speaker Clark McAbee, who spoke on the impacts the St. Paul & Tacoma Lumber Company had on the city of Tacoma and surrounding communities during its 7 decades of operation.
Monday, November 8, 2021
Livestreamed online meeting due to COVID-19 concerns.
Monday, October 11, 2021
Livestreamed online meeting due to COVID-19 concerns.
Monday, September 13, 2021
Livestreamed online meeting due to COVID-19 concerns.
Monday, August 9, 2021
Livestreamed online meeting due to COVID-19 concerns.
Monday, July 12, 2021
This was the first in-person meeting in more than a year, following COVID pandemic restrictions on public gatherings. Audio and slideshow presentation from the featured speaker, author Don Tjossem, is shared below:
Monday, June 14, 2021
Livestreamed Online Meeting - due to COVID-19 restrictions on public gatherings.
Monday, May 10, 2021
Livestreamed Online Meeting - due to COVID-19 restrictions on public gatherings.
Monday, April 12, 2021
Livestreamed Online Meeting - due to COVID-19 restrictions on public gatherings.
Monday, March 8, 2021
Livestreamed Online Meeting - due to COVID-19 restrictions on public gatherings.
Monday, February 8, 2021
Livestreamed Online Meeting - due to COVID-19 restrictions on public gatherings.
Monday, January 11, 2021
Livestreamed Online Meeting - due to COVID-19 restrictions on public gatherings
2020 Speakers
Monday, December 14, 2020
Livestreamed Online Meeting - due to COVID-19 restrictions on public gatherings
Monday, November 9, 2020
Livestreamed Online Meeting - due to COVID-19 restrictions on public gatherings
Monday, October 12, 2020
Livestreamed Online Meeting - due to COVID-19 restrictions on public gatherings
Monday, September 14, 2020
Livestreamed Online Meeting - due to COVID-19 restrictions on public gatherings
Monday, August 24, 2020
Part Two of Speaking Out About Dreams That Matter, presented in partnership with Tacoma Public Library, with funding support from Tacoma Creates. Livestreamed Online, due to COVID-19 restrictions on public gatherings.
Monday, August 10, 2020
Part One of Speaking Out About Dreams That Matter, presented in partnership with Tacoma Public Library, with funding support from Tacoma Creates. Livestreamed Online, due to COVID-19 restrictions on public gatherings.
Monday, July 13, 2020
Livestreamed Online Meeting - due to COVID-19 restrictions on public gatherings
Monday, June 8, 2020
Livestreamed Online Meeting - due to COVID-19 restrictions on public gatherings
Monday, May 11, 2020
Livestreamed Online Meeting - due to COVID-19 restrictions on public gatherings
Monday, April 11, 2020
Livestreamed Online Meeting - due to COVID-19 restrictions on public gatherings
Monday, March 9, 2020
Murray Board Room, Wheelock Student Center, University of Puget Sound
To complement our new exhibit on banking history, Bruce Ramsey, the author of "The Panic of 1893" recalled the depression that devastated Tacoma just as the city was getting started.
Monday, February 10, 2020
Murray Board Room, Wheelock Student Center, University of Puget Sound
Paul R. Michaels spoke about "History in Bronze". Michaels creates beautiful life-size bronze figures, busts and historic plaques as well as representational sculpture. Michaels has a unique ability that blends his love of history and art in bronze. He has worked closely with the Tacoma Historical Society to design and create several pieces which document significant people and locations in Tacoma history.
Monday, January 13, 2020
Murray Board Room, Wheelock Student Center, University of Puget Sound
Noted collector Eric Swanson discussed "Tacoma's Treasures".
2019 Speakers
Monday, December 9, 2019
Rassmussen Rotunda, Wheelock Student Center, University of Puget Sound
Our featured speaker was Bill Erxleben, a former Washington State assistant attorney general, executive assistant United States attorney for the Western District of Washington, and Seattle regional director of the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). He shared from his recent book, A Lion Where There Were Lambs. A Lion Where There Were Lambs highlights many highly controversial and famous legal events involving the Puget Sound region that occurred from 1970-1980, an extraordinarily turbulent and transformative decade in our nation’s history. It was a time of urban bombings, rioting, anti-war protests, widespread police corruption, and dangerous environmental pollution that resulted from the discharge of mercury and sulfite waste into the Puget Sound from area pulp mills. These challenges were meet by a series of nationally publicized federal enforcement actions, most famously the Tacoma conspiracy trial of the Seattle 7. As the former Executive Assistant United States Attorney and Seattle Regional Director of the Federal Trade Commission during this period, Erxleben was as an eyewitness to history. He takes the reader behind the scenes to disclose explosive new details about these tumultuous times.
Monday, November 11, 2019
Rasmussen Rotunda, Wheelock Student Center, University of Puget Sound
Richard Miller, project manager with the Northwest Seaport for the Arthur Foss haul out, covered the history of the vessel and issues involved with its haul out in the summer of 2017. The history of the Arthur Foss is a long and storied tale and with any vessel as 130 years old, there are many chapters.
Monday, October 14, 2019
Murray Board Room, Wheelock Student Center, University of Puget Sound
Novelist Richard Wiley discussed his latest book, Tacoma Stories, stories drawn from his hometown.
Monday, September 9, 2019
Murray Board Room, Wheelock Student Center, University of Puget Sound
Historian Michael Hemp wove together John Steinbeck, Cannery Row, ecology pioneer Ed Ricketts and his Northwest connections, the Tacoma-built Western Flyer and more!
Monday, June 10, 2019
Murray Board Room, Wheelock Student Center, University of Puget Sound
Regent Pam Gassman and Lynne Stallcop presented the 125th Anniversary of the DAR in Washington: the Mary Ball Chapter. The presentation covered the roles of DAR women in education, patriotism, and historical preservation.
Monday, May 13, 2019
Murray Board Room, Wheelock Student Center, University of Puget Sound
Drew Crooks, local author, historian and retired curator of collections at the State Capital Museum in Olympi, shared his research into artist Edward Lange. Crooks is the author of "Edward Lange: An Early Artist of Olympia and Washington State".
Monday, April 8, 2019
Rasmussen Rotunda, Wheelock Student Center, University of Puget Sound
Karen Haas and a cast of re-enactors portrayed fascinating women from Tacoma's history, going back 150 years. Evening began with the presentation of Tacoma Historical Society's Murray Morgan Award and the Alan C. Liddle Award.
Monday, March 11, 2019
Murray Board Room, Wheelock Student Center, University of Puget Sound
Alice Miller examined 100 years of the history of women in the workforce. Presented with actual clothing, artifacts and histories of local women.
The February 2019 monthly meeting was cancelled due to inclement weather.
Monday, January 14, 2019
Murray Board Room, Wheelock Student Center, University of Puget Sound
Gary Emmons shared a Tacoma story of railroading, family traditions, and family connections.
2018 Speakers
Monday, December 10, 2018
Murray Board Room, Wheelock Student Center, University of Puget Sound
Historian and re-enactor Jerry Eckrom brought to life Floyd Owen, longtime superintendent of Tacoma Parks.
Monday, November 12, 2018
Murray Board Room, Wheelock Student Center, University of Puget Sound
University of Puget Sound professor Nancy K. Bristow shared stories from her research into the 1918 Influenza Epidemic. Dr. Bristow is the author of American Pandemic: The Lost Worlds of the 1918 Influenza Epidemic.
Monday, October 8, 2018
Murray Board Room, Wheelock Student Center, University of Puget Sound
Kim Davenport, author of the recent Images of America release "Tacoma's Lincoln District", shared the story behind the Lincoln Statue, a century-old landmark in Tacoma's south end.
Monday, September 10, 2018
Murray Board Room, Wheelock Student Center, University of Puget Sound
David Cantlin, local railroad historian and photographer, and author of multiple articles on railroad history as well as the 2013 Image of America book Tacoma Rail, spoke on "Some Mid Life History of Tacoma Rail".
Monday, May 14, 2018
Murray Board Room, Wheelock Student Center, University of Puget Sound
Finding Aunt Kate: History sleuth Deb Freedman shared stories of searching for clues to identify orphaned photos.
Monday, April 9, 2018
Wyatt 109, University of Puget Sound
Our featured speaker was Alma Marush, with her presentation "A Century and More of Tacoma History." Almost 102 years ago, Alma Marush was born in Tacoma to immigrant parents who founded Marush Brothers Fish and Oysters and other fishing-related enterprises. She worked as her father's financial assistant in the family businesses and later became an administrative secretary in the Clover Park School District. She and her husband led in establishment of a hospital in India. At age 85 she went to college to became a chaplain and at 95 was awarded a doctorate. She shared her recollections of the last century with Tacoma Historical Society.
The video documentary of Alma's life shared during the meeting was produced by Braaten Productions.
Monday, March 12, 2018
Murray Board Room, Wheelock Student Center, University of Puget Sound
Virna Haffer: A Turbulent Lens
David Martin discussed the art and life of Tacoma photographer Virna Haffer (1899-1974), one of the most original and accomplished photographers ever active in the Pacific Northwest. Martin was co-author and co-curator of the highly successful Haffer exhibition at the Tacoma Art Museum in 2011. Having been a close friend of Haffer's son Gene Randall for many years, Martin shared personal stories about the artist and will be available to answer any questions about her life and career.
Monday, February 12, 2018
Kilworth Chapel, University of Puget Sound
A Tacoma Mayor's Life Journey
Victoria Woodards took office as Tacoma's 39th mayor in January 2018, and Tacoma Historical Society was honored to present her as our February speaker. Woodards shared stories from her journey of life, work, and service in Tacoma.
Monday, January 8, 2018
Murray Board Room, Wheelock Student Center, University of Puget Sound
From the Historical to the Fictional
Tacoma author Joanne Francis shared excerpts from her collection of short-stories, "Dearest Sparrow."
2017 Speakers
Monday, December 11, 2017
Murray Board Room, Wheelock Student Center, University of Puget Sound
New Tacoma Historical Society Website: Soft Launch
THS Director Kim Davenport presented the new THS website and invited member feedback prior to the site's launch.
Monday, November 13, 2017
Murray Board Room, Wheelock Student Center, University of Puget Sound
The Cushman Substation and Its Importance in Tacoma’s History
Jeffrey J. Ryan, architect
Monday, October 9, 2017
Murray Board Room, Wheelock Student Center, University of Puget Sound
Heydey and Demise of J M Martinac
Joe Martinac Jr. presents stories about Tacoma's historic shipbuilding firm that cranked out tugs, fishing boats, and Navy patrol craft on the Thea Foss Waterway from 1924 to 2014.
Monday, September 11, 2017
Murray Board Room, Wheelock Student Center, University of Puget Sound
Memories of Memories
Gregory Tanbara shared stories his parents shared with him about their lives, the World War II relocation camps, and later.
Monday, March 13, 2017
Murray Board Room, Wheelock Student Center, University of Puget Sound
Dennis Flannigan looks back on a career that started in 1964 with Freedom Summer in Mississippi & included years of public service in his native Tacoma.
Monday, February 6, 2017
Murray Board Room, Wheelock Student Center, University of Puget Sound
Karla Stover
Author of the new book, Tacoma Curiosities
Monday, January 9, 2017
Murray Board Room, Wheelock Student Center, University of Puget Sound
The Mosquito Fleet of South Puget Sound
Jean Cammon Findlay
2016 Speakers
December 12, 2016
Murray Board Room, Wheelock Student Center, University of Puget Sound
Former Tacoma Mayor Harold G. Moss
Author of a recent memoir, "Fighting for Dreams that Mattered"
November 14, 2016
Murray Board Room, Wheelock Student Center, University of Puget Sound
Howard Carr: Scion of a Tacoma Legend with a Legendary Story
Mary Bowlby, executive director, Job Carr Cabin Museum
October 10, 2016
Murray Board Room, Wheelock Student Center, University of Puget Sound
Deborah K. Freedman
Author of the newly released book "Tacoma's Dry Goods & Wet Goods: Nineteenth Century Jewish Pioneers"
September 18, 2016
Greater Destiny Church, 324 North J Street
Windows into History
An opportunity to tour the former Temple Israel building, hosted by the Rev. Ivan Johnson. Then learn about the lives of the Jewish pioneers remembered in the memorial windows, as presented by Deb Freedman.
September 12, 2016
Murray Board Room, Wheelock Student Center, University of Puget Sound
Eleanor Corey Guderian
Author of a recently published family memoir that resonates with local history: "Sticks, Stones and Songs - The Corey Story"
June 12, 2016
Tacoma Historical Society Museum, 919 Pacific
Local historian Dale Wirsing presents: Street-Wise in Tacoma - the Stories Behind the Names
March 14, 2016
Murray Board Room, Wheelock Student Center, University of Puget Sound
From Resource to Road Maps: Documenting Tacoma's Growth
Presented by Julie LaRue, Tacoma Historical Society Director. A preview of the upcoming exhibit "Mapping Tacoma" and an opportunity to provide feedback for future exhibits, programs, and THS outreach.
February 8, 2016
Murray Board Room, Wheelock Student Center, University of Puget Sound
Kimberly Davenport, author of the new Images of America book, Tacoma's Theater District
January 11, 2016
Murray Board Room, Wheelock Student Center, University of Puget Sound
Dr. Jerry V. Ramsey, author of the new book, Stealing Puget Sound, 1832-1869
2015 Speakers
December 7, 2015
Murray Board Room, Wheelock Student Center, University of Puget Sound
How the carrier Lexington kept Tacoma from going dark
William Lokey
November 9, 2015
Murray Board Room, Wheelock Student Center, University of Puget Sound
The Other Woman - Building the 2007 Tacoma Narrows Bridge
Dennis Engel, Washington State Department of Transportation engineer
October 12, 2015
Murray Board Room, Wheelock Student Center, University of Puget Sound
Tacoma Public Library - From its Beginnings to Today
Brian Kamens, Supervisor of Tacoma Public Library's Northwest Room
June 8, 2015
Murray Board Room, Wheelock Student Center, University of Puget Sound
Pictures at an exhibition: the Richards Photography Collection Meets Write @253
Rusty Johnson
June 7, 2015
Tacoma Historical Society Museum, 919 Pacific
An "Open" Conversation with Ken Still. Tacoma Historical Society is pleased to join with the Tacoma Athletic Commission in honoring special guest Ken Still, the coming US Open, and the rich history of golf in Tacoma.
April 13, 2015
Rotunda, Wheelock Student Center, University of Puget Sound
Allen B. Petrich, Tacoma's First Ship Builder
March 9, 2015
Murray Board Room, Wheelock Student Center, University of Puget Sound
TEE-Time in T-Town, Golf History in the City of Destiny
Dr. Jerry V. Ramsey shares forgotten facts as Tacoma prepares to be the center of the golf world.
2014 Speakers
November 10, 2014
Murray Board Room, Wheelock Student Center, University of Puget Sound
Abby Williams Hill: Her Life, Her Legacy
Laura Edgar
October 13, 2014
Murray Board Room, Wheelock Student Center, University of Puget Sound
Tacoma Street Railways
Paul Curtiss
September 8, 2014
Murray Board Room, Wheelock Student Center, University of Puget Sound
Candymaker: The Life and Times of Fred Haley
Dr. Ronald E. Magden
April 14, 2014
Murray Board Room, Wheelock Student Center, University of Puget Sound
Sydney Newell recounts the life of her remarkable grandmother, Bernice E. Newell, society writer, impresario and a woman ahead of her time.
March 10, 2014
Murray Board Room, Wheelock Student Center, University of Puget Sound
Walter Neary, as "the man who wrote it all down," Tacoma historian Herbert Hunt. The real Herbert Hunt will be portrayed by Walter Neary, local historian and a journalist himself.
February 10, 2014
Murray Board Room, Wheelock Student Center, University of Puget Sound
David Cantlin, author of the new Arcadia book, Tacoma Rail
January 13, 2014
Murray Board Room, Wheelock Student Center, University of Puget Sound
Sandra Walker, author of the new book, Little Merchants, the Golden Era of Youth Delivering Newspapers
2013 Speakers
December 9, 2013
Murray Board Room, Wheelock Student Center, University of Puget Sound
Della Gould Emmons - Tacoma visionary, author and activist
Col Gary Emmons recounts his grandmother's remarkable life
November 11, 2013
Murray Board Room, Wheelock Student Center, University of Puget Sound
Tacoma's Playground - American Lake
Nancy Covert, writer and journalist
October 14, 2013
Murray Board Room, Wheelock Student Center, University of Puget Sound
Tacoma's Haunted History
Teresa Nordheim and Ross Allison
September 9, 2013
Murray Board Room, Wheelock Student Center, University of Puget Sound
The Search for El Primero
Rich Hildahl
June 10, 2013
Wyatt 109, University of Puget Sound
Richard Blumenthal, author of the new book Maritime Place Names; Inland Washington Waters
April 8, 2013
Murray Board Room, Wheelock Student Center, University of Puget Sound
Showtime in Tacoma: The 125-year story of Tacoma Theaters
Blaine Johnson & Brian Kamens
The Alexander Pantages Story
Babe Lehrer
March 11, 2013
Murray Board Room, Wheelock Student Center, University of Puget Sound
Tacoma's First Footprints, Yesterday to Today
Dr. Jerry V. Ramsey will trace the history of our area's first citizens, provide an overview of the impacts that treaty rights and federal recognition and laws have had on our area's Native Americans, and bring us up to speed on current concerns and achievements in the Tacoma community.
February 11, 2013
Murray Board Room, Wheelock Student Center, University of Puget Sound
The Long Journey from Cambodia to Tacoma
Patricia Harrington
January 14, 2013
Murray Board Room, Wheelock Student Center, University of Puget Sound
Melissa McGinnis and Dorren Beard-Simpkins, authors of a new Images of America book, Tacoma's Point Defiance Park
2012 Speakers
November 12, 2012
Murray Board Room, Wheelock Student Center, University of Puget Sound
Piecing Together a Life: Sam Wall
Deb Freedman and JoAnn Yost
October 8, 2012
Murray Board Room, Wheelock Student Center, University of Puget Sound
Brewed in Tacoma: Celebrating the Revival of Our Craft Breweries
Doug McDonnell
September 10, 2012
Murray Board Room, Wheelock Student Center, University of Puget Sound
The Johnsons and the Swedish Exodus
Thomas R. Stenger
June 11, 2012
Murray Board Room, Wheelock Student Center, University of Puget Sound
Tacoma's Fateful Fourth
Russel Holter, author of an unpublished book, Tacoma's Fateful Fourth, the History of the Worst Trolley Accident in America, July 4, 1900.
May 14, 2012
Murray Board Room, Wheelock Student Center, University of Puget Sound
Karla Wakefile Stover, author of the new book, Hidden History of Tacoma: Little-Known Tales from the City of Destiny
April 9, 2012
Murray Board Room, Wheelock Student Center, University of Puget Sound
1929 Tacoma: First Showing of a Rare Film
Dr. Ronald E. Magden
March 12, 2012
Murray Board Room, Wheelock Student Center, University of Puget Sound
Fife - from Reservation through the Farming Community Years
Susan Kaelin, author of the newly published Images of America book, Fife
February 13, 2012
Murray Board Room, Wheelock Student Center, University of Puget Sound
The Forgetting of John Montgomery
Dr. Jerry V. Ramsey
January 9, 2012
Murray Board Room, Wheelock Student Center, University of Puget Sound
Chuck Fowler, co-author of the new Images of America book, Patrol and Rescue Boats on Puget Sound
2011 Speakers
October 10, 2011
Murray Board Room, Wheelock Student Center, University of Puget Sound
One Hundred Years of Panorama Photography
Ron Karabaich and Thomas R. Stenger
September 12, 2011
Murray Board Room, Wheelock Student Center, University of Puget Sound
Kris Anderson Reisinger, author of the new Images of America book, Cemeteries of Tacoma
April 11, 2011
Murray Board Room, Wheelock Student Center, University of Puget Sound
Franke Tobey Jones Was a Lady: Frank Tobey Jones - a familiar name indeed. Here was a woman of substance and independent spirit, and her legacy endures.
Presented by Darlyne Reiter
February 11, 2011
Murray Board Room, Wheelock Student Center, University of Puget Sound
Homeward, Upward, Forward: the Immidgrant Saga of Otto and Alva Karlstrom and the Founding of Lutheran Compass Missions in Seattle and Tacoma
Dr. Ernest Karlstrom, professor emeritus of biology, University of Puget Sound
2010 Speakers
April 12, 2010
Bates Technical College Downtown Campus, 1101 S. Yakima Avenue
20th Annual Meeting, Tacoma Historical Society
Speaker: C. Mark Smith, biographer of Tacoma Mayor Harry Pulliam Cain
March 18, 2010
Washington State History Museum, 1911 Pacific Avenue
May's Vote
Barbara Callander and Toni Douglass appear as suffragists Emma Smith DeVoe and May Arkwright Hutton
February 8, 2010
Tacoma Public Library, 1101 Tacoma Avenue
Hotel Living - From the Tacoma to the Man Without a Dime
Tacoma historian Thomas R. Stenger
January 11, 2010
Tacoma Public Library, 1101 Tacoma Avenue
Tugboats on Puget Sound
Maritime author Chuck Fowler
2009 Speakers
December 14, 2009
Tacoma Public Library, 1101 Tacoma Avenue
University of Puget Sound - the Early Years
Dr. George Mills, Vice President of Enrollment, Office of Admissions, UPS
November 9, 2009
Woodbrook Hunt Club
Author Joy Keniston-Longrie presents from her new Images of America Series book, Woodbrook Hunt Club
October 12, 2009
Bekins Building, 621 Tacoma Avenue
Tacoma's Architecture: One Part of the Story
James Martin Harris, Architect
Changes in Tacoma's downtown, ca. 1980s and 90s, plus a tour of First United Methodist's new home, the remodeled Bekins Building.
September 14, 2009
Tacoma's Suffragettes
Shanna Stevenson, coordinator of the Women's History Consortium for Washington State Historical Society
June 8, 2009
Tacoma Public Library, 1102 Tacoma Avenue
Tough Times in T-Town
Thomas R. Stenger, member of the THS board of directors and former Tacoma City Councilman.
March 9, 2009
The Life and Times of "Gentleman Jim" - the story of Tacoma's Admiral James S. Russell
Speaker: Malcolm Russell
February 9, 2009
The Mosquito Fleet of South Puget Sound
Speakers: Robin Paterson and Jean Findlay
January 12, 2009
In Hot Pursuit of a Cold Case: Investigating the Burning of Washington's Major Cities During the 'Year of Evil Destiny' - 1889
Presnted by: Charles Hansen
2008 Speakers
December 8, 2008
Theater on the Square, downtown on Broadway
So Many Things to Do Yet: the Saga of Thea Foss
A one-woman show by Karen Haas
Made possible by a grant from Greater Tacoma Community Foundation
November 10, 2008
Grace Baptist Church, 2507 North Vassault
Pictures from a New Home: Early Nordic Immigrant Painters in Tacoma and Pierce County
Professor Brian Magnusson shared insights on the influence of Swedish culture on the Pacific Northwest.
October 13, 2008
Tacoma Public Library, Main Branch
The Selden Saga: Dr. Ron Magden and Stan Selden recounted the history of this long-time Tacoma family whose furniture store has served the community since 1940.
September 8, 2008
St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church, 7410 S. 12th St.
Tour and Presentation: "St. Andrew's Church and Tacoma's Westward Growth."