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Darwin Meisnest photograph collection, 1907-1947

Overview of the Collection

Collector
Meisnest, Darwin
Title
Darwin Meisnest photograph collection
Dates
1907-1947 (inclusive)
Quantity
210 photographic prints (1 box)
Collection Number
PH0082
Summary
Photos of University of Washington student activities and sports, and portraits of individuals affiliated with the university. Also included are photographs documenting the construction of the stadium and the athletic pavilion as well as panoramic views of the campus.
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

Selections from the collection can be viewed on the Libraries' Digital Collections website. Permission of Visual Materials curator required to view originals. Contact Special Collections for more information.

Request at UW

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

Darwin Meisnest was a member of the Associated Students of the University of Washington (ASUW) during his time as a student from 1915-1919. For his senior year, Darwin was the general manager of all student activities for the ASUW. In 1918, Weisnest was named the first student to be accepted to the Officers Material School at the Naval Training Station after trying and failing to join the army three times. As a student, he also worked for The Daily, the Washingtonian, the University magazine, business manager of the Tyee, representative to the Board of Control, basketball team manager, a member of the Oval Club, and member of the Sigma Chi fraternity. After his graduation with a degree in Liberal Arts in 1919, he became the Graduate Manager of the ASUW, a position he held from 1920 to 1928.

Meisnest is widely attributed with leading the effort to build a sports stadium on campus, Washington stadium, which later developed into Husky Stadium. The stadium brought in a surplus of money after its construction and Meisnest was given the credit for the commercial success. He also was the Wayfarer assistant manager and executive secretary. Controversy emerged late in Meisnest’s time at UW when he was essentially given a blank check to build the UW athletic pavilion near the stadium. Its $600,000 budget was opposed by then ASUW president and future US representative, Marion Zioncheck. Zioncheck and Meisnest’s “civil war” is not noted as playing a part in Darwin Meisnest’s decision to leave his position. In 1928, he accepted a position as the assistant sales manager for the Pacific Coast Cement Company in Seattle to run their $3 million budget and was replaced by Earl F. Campbell.

Darwin Meisnest retained his close relationship with UW and the sports program in specific. He later served on as the Chairman for the alumni board for the crew team to raise funds to provide new equipment to the team and facilitate their travel. Upon his death, he left $5000 to the UW athletics program. The Meisnest memorial was dedicated in 1956 by Henry Schmitz.

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Content Description

The collection consists of an album depicting University of Washington student and sports activities, including football rallies, women's hockey and basketball, fencing, track and field, May Day celebrations, various clubs, and military training.

Also included in the collection are portraits of individuals affiliated with the university (athletes, coaches, university president, etc.) and local dignitaries such as Washington Governor Louis F. Hart and Seattle Mayor Hugh M. Caldwell. In addition, there are photographs which document the construction of, and activities in the stadium, as well as photographs of the athletic pavilion. There are photographs of the University of Washington campus, as well as Frederick Meisnest, Darwin's father and a professor of German at the University of Washington. Some of the photographs were taken by Asahel Curtis, Webster & Stevens, and Lloyd G. Linkletter.

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Use of the Collection

Restrictions on Use

Restrictions may exist on reproduction, quotation, or publication. Contact Special Collections, University of Washington Libraries for details.

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Administrative Information

Separated Materials

Material Described Separately:

Darwin Meisnest papers (Mss Coll 2945-001)

Acquisition Information

Donor: Mrs. Darwin Meisnest Williams, March, 1980.

Processing Note

Processed by Rebekah Dalby, 2002.

Photograph Coll. 116 (the album, containing items 1-137) and Photograph Coll. 82 have been merged. The album had disintegrated and the photographs were therefore removed, but the original order of the photos was retained. The album's page numbers directly correspond to the folder numbers.

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Detailed Description of the Collection

 

Names and SubjectsReturn to Top

Subject Terms

  • College athletes--Washington (State)--Seattle--Photographs
  • College buildings--Washington (State)--Seattle--Photographs
  • College sports--Washington (State)--Seattle--Photographs
  • College students--Washington (State)--Seattle--Photographs
  • College students--Washington (State)--Seattle--Societies, etc.--Photographs
  • Running races--Washington (State)--Seattle--Photographs
  • Sports facilities--Washington (State)--Seattle--Photographs
  • Stadiums--Washington (State)--Seattle--Design and construction
  • Stadiums--Washington (State)--Seattle--Photographs
  • Universities and colleges--Washington (State)--Seattle--Photographs
  • Visual Materials Collections (University of Washington)

Personal Names

  • Caldwell, Hugh Milton, 1881-1955--Photographs
  • Hart, Louis Folwell, 1862-1929--Photographs
  • Meany, Edmond S. (Edmond Stephen), 1862-1935--Photographs
  • Meisnest, Darwin--Photographs
  • Roosevelt, Eleanor, 1884-1962--Photographs
  • Suzzallo, Henry, 1875-1933--Photographs

Corporate Names

  • Edmundson Pavilion (Seattle, Wash.)--Photographs
  • Husky Stadium (Seattle, Wash.)--Photographs
  • University of Washington--Buildings--Photographs
  • University of Washington--Football--Photographs
  • University of Washington--Officials and employees--Photographs
  • University of Washington--Presidents--Photographs
  • University of Washington--Rowing--Photographs
  • University of Washington--Societies, etc.--Photographs
  • University of Washington--Sports--Photographs
  • University of Washington--Students--Photographs
  • University of Washington. Associated Students--Photographs

Other Creators

  • Personal Names

    • Curtis, Asahel, 1874-1941 (photographer)
    • Linkletter, Lloyd G (photographer)
    • Nowell, Frank H., 1864-1950 (photographer)

    Corporate Names

    • Linkletter Studio (photographer)
    • Webster & Stevens (photographer)


2002 (Last modified: 6/11/2021)

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