Betty Fukuyama papers, 1940-1992

Overview of the Collection

Creator
Fukuyama, Betty
Title
Betty Fukuyama papers
Dates
1940-1992 (inclusive)
Quantity
7.09 cubic feet (10 boxes and 1 package)
Collection Number
4411
Summary
Papers of a Washington poet who also participated in a church mission project at the Camp Minidoka internment camp in Idaho.
Repository
University of Washington Libraries, Special Collections
Special Collections
University of Washington Libraries
Box 352900
Seattle, WA
98195-2900
Telephone: 2065431929
Fax: 2065431931
speccoll@uw.edu
Access Restrictions

The papers are open to all users.

Additional Reference Guides

Languages
English
Sponsor
Funding for encoding this finding aid was partially provided through a grant awarded by the National Endowment for the Humanities.

Biographical NoteReturn to Top

Betty Fukuyama (1922-1992) was a Tacoma, Washington, poet. She was born Betty Marie Adkins in Heppner, Oregon, and came from an Oregon pioneer family of Scottish descent. Betty met her future husband, the Reverend Tom (Tsutomu Tom) Fukuyama at Camp Minidoka in Hunt, Idaho, while she was a college student on a church mission project. They were married as soon as Tom left the camp, in August 1945. They had five children.

Betty Fukuyama attended Willamette University and Boston University, graduating in 1947 with a degree in English language and literature. She received a Master of Arts degree in creative writing from the University of Washington in 1972, and an M.A. in psychology from Antioch University, Seattle, in 1986. Fukuyama co-founded the Washington Poets Association in 1971, serving as secretary from 1971 until 1975 and president from 1975 until 1978. The association published an anthology entitled Pierce County Poetry, for which Fukuyama was editor. She also published a chapbook of her own poems that year, entitled 25 Poems. Fukuyama's poetry has been published in numerous periodicals and newspapers, including the Alaska Review, the Christian Century, Crosscurrents, the West Coast Poetry Review, the Seattle Times, the The Oregonian and the Tacoma News Tribune.

Tom Fukuyama, the son of pioneer Japanese immigrants, was born on Bainbridge Island, Washington, in 1915. He was educated at Seattle Pacific University and at Berkeley Baptist Divinity School. Fukuyama began his ministry while incarcerated in Idaho at Camp Minidoka during World War II. He served as one of several pastors of the Federated Christian Church of Hunt, Idaho. After the war he directed Brotherhood House in Denver and later held pastorates in Iowa, Idaho, and Washington State (primarily United Church of Christ congregations). He died of cancer in 1988.

Content DescriptionReturn to Top

The Betty Fukuyama papers document her life as a writer and her husband’s career in the ministry. The papers include writings, diaries, sermons, sound cassettes, clippings, and related records. Portions of the papers provide intimate insight into one young couple affected by the internment of Japanese-Americans during World War II. The bulk of the correspondence is between Betty and Tom Fukuyama while he was serving as a clergyman at Camp Minidoka, Idaho, 1944-1945. Their letters describe their daily thoughts and activities -- Tom’s as a Baptist minister living at Minidoka, Betty’s as a young woman making plans for college and marriage. They speak also of the challenges they expect to face as an interracial couple.

Use of the CollectionReturn to Top

Restrictions on Use

Betty and Tom Fukuyama's literary rights have been transferred to the University of Washington Libraries.

Administrative InformationReturn to Top

Arrangement

Arranged in 2 accessions:

  • Accession No. 4411-001, Betty Fukuyama Papers, 1940-1989
  • Accession No. 4411-002, Betty Fukuyama Papers, 1957-1992

Processing Note

Thirteen 11 x 14 inch, black and white U.S. War Relocation Authority photographs were relocated to the Minidoka Relocation Camp Photograph Collection, PH Coll. 384, which is also available in the Special Collections division of the University of Washington Libraries.

Detailed Description of the CollectionReturn to Top

 

Accession No. 4411-001: Betty Fukuyama Papers, 1940-1989Return to Top

6.25 cubic feet (8 boxes and 1 package)
Arrangement: Arranged in 5 series:
  • Personal Papers, 1940-1989
  • Tacoma Pierce County Civic Arts Commission, Pierce County Artists in Motion Program Subject Files, 1975-1976
  • Washington Poets Association Records, 1975-1978
  • Tom Fukuyama Papers, 1942-1989
  • Adkins Family, 1942-1982

Scope and Content: This accession documents Betty Fukuyama's life as a writer and her husband’s career in the ministry.

Betty Fukuyama's personal papers include a variety of diaries and notebooks. Many contain her poetry, others contain personal journal entries, and some contain class notes. Betty Fukuyama was diabetic from age four. During the early 1980s she took classes with the hope of becoming a counselor for diabetics and their families. She also had an interest in dreams and kept several dream journals during that period of her life.

A large portion of the correspondence in this accession consists of the letters written between Betty and her future husband, Tom Fukuyama, while he was incarcerated at Minidoka (dated January 1944 to July 1945). These provide rare, intimate insights into the experience of a young couple directly affected by the incarceration of Japanese Americans. Their letters to each other describe their daily thoughts and activities -- Tom’s as a young Baptist minister living at Minidoka, Betty’s as a young woman attending college and making plans for marriage. They also write of the challenges they expect to face as an interracial couple. Tom’s letters to Betty are found in Box 1 (approximately 200 letters). Betty’s letters to Tom are found in box 6 (approximately 300 letters).

Sound cassettes include a poetry reading by Betty Fukuyama, and a sermon and a church service conducted by Tom Fukuyama in the 1980s.

The Tacoma Pierce County Civic Arts Commission, Pierce County Artists in Motion Program series includes transcripts of interviews with pioneers. Betty Fukuyama worked with illustrator Carol Sheldahl to produce an anecdotal history of Pierce County based on oral history interviews. Funding ran out before the project was completed. Although Betty Fukuyama was able to acquire the rights to publish the book on her own, it does not appear to have been completed. Tapes of the oral history interviews are not included. These were kept by the Tacoma Pierce County Civic Arts Commission (no longer in existence).

The Tom Fukuyama series contains letters from Betty Fukuyama and various records documenting his career as a protestant minister. Included are sermons and other writings, and a variety of subject series reflecting his particular interests.

The Adkins Family series includes Betty Fukuyama's letters to her mother and extensive genealogical information on Fukuyama's family. Her mother, Miriam Luella Brown Adkins (born 1895), came from an Oregon pioneer family from the Gresham area. Her father, Jesse Albert Adkins (born 1889) was of Scottish immigrant descent.

Restrictions on Access: The papers are open to all users.

Acquisition Info: Source: Mary A. Fukuyama in 1993.

Processing Info: Processed in 1993.

Container(s) Description Dates
Personal Papers
Incoming Letters
Box Accession
1 4411-001
Fukuyama, Tom
1944-1968
1 4411-001
Miscellaneous
1944-1982
Box Accession
1 4411-001
Biographical Materials
1976
1 4411-001
Outgoing Letters
1980-1982
1 4411-001
Personal Documents
1940-1981
1 4411-001
Clippings
undated
1 4411-001
Ephemera
1944-1987
1 4411-001
Newsletters
1944-1945
2 4411-001
Writings
1962-1989
2-3 4411-001
Diaries and Notebooks
1940-1989
Speeches and Writings of Others
Box Accession
3 4411-001
Lohmann, Jean Ruth Ackley
1978
3 4411-001
Stevens, Pameler
undated
Box Accession
3 4411-001
Sound Cassettes
undated
3 4411-001
Photographs
undated
3 4411-001
Literary Publications
1976-1987
3 4411-001
Historical Publications
1970-1987
3 4411-001
Psychotherapy Publications and Articles
3 4411-001
Miscellany
undated
Subject Files
Box Accession
3 4411-001
Issei Story Material
3 4411-001
Tacoma-Pierce County Artists Cooperative
1976
3 4411-001
Tom Fukuyama's Death
1988
Box Accession
8 4411-001
Yearbook
1942
8 4411-001
Envelopes
1944-1982
Tacoma Pierce County Civic Arts Commission, Pierce County Artists in Motion Program Subject Files
Box Accession
3-4 4411-001
"Pierce County: In Those Days"
1975
5 4411-001
School Visits
1975-1976
Box Accession
5 4411-001
Washington Poets Association Records
1975-1978
Tom Fukuyama Papers
Incoming Letters
Box Accession
6 4411-001
Fukuyama, Betty
1944-1959
Box Accession
6 4411-001
General Correspondence
1944-1979
5, 7 4411-001
Sermons
undated
7 4411-001
Speeches and Writings
1942-1989
7 4411-001
Sound Cassettes
1987
Subject Files
Box Accession
7 4411-001
Anger
undated
7 4411-001
Book Reading
undated
7 4411-001
Brotherhood House
1948-1951
7 4411-001
Conflict
undated
7 4411-001
Death
undated
7 4411-001
Encouragement
undated
7 4411-001
Evacuation - Japanese Americans
1942-1945
7 4411-001
Publicity
undated
7 4411-001
Relaxation Exercises
undated
7 4411-001
Resources
undated
7 4411-001
Shyness
undated
7 4411-001
Support Community
undated
Box Accession
7 4411-001
Certificates
undated
7 4411-001
Program
undated
7 4411-001
Photographs
undated
package
9 4411-001
Photographs
undated
Adkins Family
Incoming Letters
Box Accession
8 4411-001
Fukuyama, Betty
1944-1963
8 4411-001
Miscellaneous
1976-1982
Box Accession
8 4411-001
Family Information
undated
8 4411-001
Adkins Reunion
undated

Accession No. 4411-002: Betty Fukuyama Papers, 1958-1992Return to Top

.84 cubic feet (2 boxes)
Arrangement: Arranged by type of document.

Scope and Content: This accesion contains materials related to Betty Fukuyama’s writing and some personal correspondence. Here are found typescripts of mostly unpublished poetry, publications containing her poetry, clippings, and other memorabilia such as certificates and awards.

Restrictions on Access: The papers are open to all users.

Acquisition Info: Source: Mary Fukuyama, July 1999.

Processing Info: Processed by Michelle Seim in 2001.

Container(s) Description Dates
Box Accession
1 4411-002
Biographical Materials
1986-1989, undated
1 4411-002
Incoming Letters
1968-1990
1 4411-002
Outgoing Letters
1961-1986
General Correspondence
Box Accession
1 4411-002
Stafford, William
1982, 1986
1 4411-002
Miscellaneous
1977-1990
Box Accession
1 4411-002
Bibliography
1960-1962
Writings
Scope and Content: Typescripts.
Box Accession
1 4411-002
Poems with "Directories"
1944-1992, undated
1 4411-002
Poems
1957-1991, undated
1 4411-002
Chapbook: "Growing Up"
1983-1987
1 4411-002
Thesis: "The Moment In and Out of Time"
1972
1 4411-002
Research Project: "Evaluation of Dreams"
1984
Box Accession
1 4411-002
Subject File - Fukuyama Poetry Readings
1963-1992
Clippings
Box Accession
1 4411-002
Published Poems
1947-1987
1 4411-002
Miscellaneous
1947-1982
Box Accession
2 4411-002
Publications - with Fukuyama Poems
1958-1990
2 4411-002
Awards and Honors
1972-1987
2 4411-002
Certificates
1972, 1975
2 4411-002
Programs
1965-1983
2 4411-002
Bulletins
1966, 1986-1988, undated
2 4411-002
Notes
undated
2 4411-002
Photographs from Album Page - Unidentified
2 photographs
undated

Names and SubjectsReturn to Top

Subject Terms

  • American poetry--Washington (State)--20th century
  • Church work with prisoners of war--Idaho--Hunt
  • Diabetes--Psychological aspects
  • Interracial marriage--United States
  • Japanese Americans--Evacuation and relocation, 1942-1945
  • Women poets, American--20th century--Archives
  • World War, 1939-1945--Concentration camps--Idaho--Hunt
  • World War, 1939-1945--Japanese Americans

Personal Names

  • Fukuyama, Betty--Archives
  • Fukuyama, Tom (Tsutomu Tom), 1915-1988

Corporate Names

  • Minidoka Relocation Center
  • Pierce County Artists in Motion Program
  • Tacoma-Pierce County Civic Arts Commission
  • United Church of Christ--United States--Clergy
  • Washington Poets Association

Family Names

  • Adkins family

Form or Genre Terms

  • Clippings (Books, newspapers, etc.)
  • Diaries
  • Photographs
  • Publications
  • Sound recordings
  • awards
  • correspondence
  • notes
  • poems
  • sermons
  • typescripts
  • writings

Names and SubjectsReturn to Top

Subject Terms

  • Personal Papers/Corporate Records (University of Washington)