Archives West Finding Aid

Albert Sperry Kerry was born in Kingston, Ontario, on April 14, 1866, the son of Aaron and Matilda Kerry. A Northwest lumberman by profession, Albert Kerry was known for his business acumen in the lumber industry and for his civic involvement, particularly in Seattle. Two towns, one in Oregon and one in Washington, where Kerry established lumber mills were ultimately named after him. Kerry's involvement in Seattle’s civic affairs included taking part in the construction of the Rainier Club building in 1904, and later serving as president of the club. In 1909 he served as vice-president of the Alaska-Yukon-Pacific Exposition in Seattle, and also served on the fair’s executive committee. In 1923 he served as president of the Seattle Chamber of Commerce, and later that year was elected president of the Community Hotel Corporation for the purpose of overseeing construction of the Olympic Hotel (now named the Fairmont Olympic Hotel), which opened in downtown Seattle in December 1924. A well-rounded man, Kerry also played a leading role in a number of other organizations and projects during his life, such as the King County Anti-Tuberculosis League and the Seattle Park Board. In the mid-1930s Kerry’s health began to decline, forcing him to scale back his civic activities. On April 27, 1939, Kerry was once again traveling through Oregon, returning by train to Seattle from a trip to California with his daughter, Glen. As the train approached Portland, he suffered a third, and far more serious, heart attack. In Portland he was transferred to St. Vincent’s Hospital, where died a few hours later.