Choose an Effective City Council (CHECC) Records, 1960-2009

Overview of the Collection

Creator
Choose an Effective City Council (Organization : Seattle, Wash.)
Title
Choose an Effective City Council (CHECC) Records
Dates
1960-2009 (inclusive)
Quantity
5.64 cubic feet (7 boxes)
2 vertical files
Collection Number
4326
Summary
An organization that worked to achieve Seattle city government reform through candidate endorsements and watchdog activities, primarily in the early 1970s.
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

Open to all users.

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

Historical NoteReturn to Top

CHECC—Choose an Effective City Council—was formed on Apr. 24, 1967, by a bi-partisan group of young professionals seeking to reform Seattle city government. Members of CHECC's core group were young lawyers, many of whom had worked together on an earlier effort to reform Washington's "blue" laws. Lem Howell, Thomas Alberg, Christopher Bayley, Bruce Chapman, and Peter LeSourd were among CHECC's founding members who would go on to become leading figures in Seattle's civic and political establishment.

Characterized by one political observer as a "movement," CHECC took advantage of a growing sentiment that Seattle's City Council, comprised of old-guard politicians whose average age was 68, was not up to the task of solving the problems facing a modern, rapidly-growing urban area. It sought out and endorsed young, progressive activists to run for city council seats. CHECC-endorsed candidates benefited its members' campaign organizational talents, financial resources, and youthful energy. The two CHECC-endorsed candidates, Tim Hill and Phyllis Lamphere, won seats to the city council that fall.

After its success in the 1967 municipal elections, CHECC's members voted to remain in business and formalize their association. It held political seminars and testified on council-related matters. The organization, however, nearly died after the 1969 municipal elections, in which two of three CHECC-endorsed city council candidates were defeated. Many young Republican members pulled out of the organization and membership dropped to about ten.

In 1970, CHECC was reborn under the leadership of another young lawyer, John Hempelmann. CHECC sought to play a greater role in political and government reform matters beyond the campaign season. In the wake of questionable campaign contributions to two city council members, it called for the establishment of an ethics committee. It also supported reform of the city's licensing procedures. CHECC continued to endorse candidates, including a slate of candidates for the Freeholder Board elections in 1974. Increasingly, CHECC members themselves began to seek public office.

By 1977, there was growing sentiment that CHECC on Seattle City Government, as the group was now called, had outlived its original purposes. They had succeeded in changing the face of the Seattle City Council. Moreover, its membership had changed. The young lawyers with their focus on downtown politics were gone. In their place were neighborhood activists with little money to pump into campaign activities. A motion to disband, however, failed to pass, leading to the resignation of the chairman, vice-chairman, and treasurer. The new leadership recast CHECC's role as a "relay center of documented research on vital issues." CHECC continued to exist into the 1980s, although it never regained the prestige or influence of its early days.

Content DescriptionReturn to Top

Notes, clippings, correspondence, articles of association, histories, reports, proposals, position papers, research, financial documents, interviews, campaign materials, newsletters, press releases, clippings, ephemera and other documents relating to an organization working against government corruption and for the disclosure of campaign contributions. Includes materials related to campaign finance and licensing reform, and the effort to revise Seattle's city charter.

Use of the CollectionReturn to Top

Restrictions on Use

Creator's literary rights transferred to the University of Washington Libraries

Administrative InformationReturn to Top

Arrangement

Organized into 4 accessions.

  • Accession No. 4326-001, Choose an Effective City Council (CHECC) records, 1967-1976
  • Accession No. 4326-002, Choose an Effective City Council (CHECC) records, 1970-1971
  • Accession No. 4326-003, Choose an Effective City Council (CHECC) records, 1960-2009
  • Accession No. 4326-004, Choose an Effective City Council (CHECC) records, 1965-2008

Detailed Description of the CollectionReturn to Top

 

Accession No. 4326-001: Choose an Effective City Council (CHECC) records, 1967-1976Return to Top

3.42 cubic feet (4 boxes)

Scope and Content: The records contain minutes, correspondence, campaign expense reports, resumes, financial records, reports, candidate questionnaires, committee files, ballots, membership records, and clippings.

The collection documents CHECC's efforts to achieve government reform through its candidate endorsements and watchdog activities. The records are particularly relevant to the study of Seattle civic and political life in the early 1970s. Materials related to issues in which CHECC involved itself during that period, including campaign finance and licensing reform, are located primarily in the Subject Series and CHECC Committees Subgroups. The collection also contains materials related to the effort to revise Seattle's city charter. Activities from CHECC's earliest years, when it was less formally organized, are not well documented.

Restrictions on Access: Open to all users.

Acquisition Info: Donated by Pat Solon in 1991.

Processing Info: The records were processed in 1999.

Separated Material: Issues of CHECC's newletter, CHECC Out, were transferred to the serials collection in the division.

Container(s) Description Dates
Organizational Records
Box/Folder Accession
1/1 4326-001
Articles of Association
1971-1972
General Correspondence
Box/Folder Accession
1/2-6 4326-001
Miscellaneous
1969-1975
1/7 4326-001
Re: Campaign '71
1971
1/8-9 4326-001
Seattle City Council
1971-1974
1/10 4326-001
Seattle Community Development Department
1973
1/11 4326-001
Seattle Mayor Wes Uhlman
1970-1974
Minutes
Box/Folder Accession
1/12 4326-001
Endorsement Meetings
1971
1/13 4326-001
Executive Board
1970-1973
1/14 4326-001
Membership Meetings
1970-1974
Box/Folder Accession
1/15 4326-001
Ballots
1971-1974, n.d.
Campaign Expense Reports
Box/Folder Accession
1/16-19 4326-001
Miscellaneous
1967-1971
1/20 4326-001
Chapman, Bruce K.
1971
1/21 4326-001
CHECC
1967-1972
1/22 4326-001
Chesterfield, Bob
1971
1/23 4326-001
Gordon, William
1971
1/24 4326-001
Hill, Timothy H.
1971
1/25 4326-001
Kimbrough, Jim
1971
1/26 4326-001
Lamphere, Phyllis
1971
1/27 4326-001
McCrackin, Jodie
1971
1/28 4326-001
Miller, John
1971
1/29 4326-001
Rochester, Junius
1971
1/30 4326-001
Seefeld, Bill
1971
1/31 4326-001
Smith, Sam
1971
Reports
Box/Folder Accession
1/32 4326-001
Miscellaneous
1974, n.d.
1/33 4326-001
CHECC Public Disclosure Commission C-4 Filling Form
1975-1976
Conferences and Conventions
Box/Folder Accession
2/1 4326-001
CHECC "Give a Damn" Conference
1970
Box/Folder Accession
2/2 4326-001
Financial Records
1971, 1975
2/3 4326-001
Membership
1970-1974, n.d.
2/4 4326-001
Membership Data
1974
2/5 4326-001
[number not used]
2/6 4326-001
News Releases
1971-1974
Notes
Box/Folder Accession
2/7 4326-001
Miscellaneous
1971, n.d.
2/8 4326-001
Bradburn, Pamela
1974
Box/Folder Accession
2/9 4326-001
Ordinances
1971, 1975, n.d.
2/10 4326-001
Position Papers
1970-1972
Questionnaires
Box/Folder Accession
2/11 4326-001
Candidate Evaluation
1971
Box/Folder Accession
2/12 4326-001
Speeches and Writings
1971-1974
2/13 4326-001
Statements
1971, 1974
Subject Series
Box/Folder Accession
2/14-16 4326-001
Campaign Expense Reporting Act
1969-1970
2/17 4326-001
Campaign '71 Fair Campaign Practices Pledge
1971
2/18 4326-001
Campaign Finance Disclosure
1970-1971
2/19 4326-001
Charter Review
1971
2/20 4326-001
CHECC Campaign '71 Fund
1971
2/21 4326-001
Coalition for Open Government
1971
2/22 4326-001
Committee and Taskforce Membership Rosters
n.d.
2/23 4326-001
Corr, Eugene
1971
2/24 4326-001
Fair Campaign Practices
1970-1971
2/25 4326-001
Fort Lawton Park
1970
2/26 4326-001
King County Multi-Purpose Stadium
1972
2/27 4326-001
Kleig Lite Kapers (Party)
1971
2/28 4326-001
Lawton Neighborhood Council Meeting
1968-1970
2/29 4326-001
Municipal Court Reform
1972
2/30 4326-001
Ordinance / Fair Campaign Practices
1973, n.d.
3/1 4326-001
Pike Place Market
1971
3/2 4326-001
Revenue Sharing
1973
3/3 4326-001
Seattle 2000 Commission
1972-1973
3/4 4326-001
Seattle Center
1971
Seattle City Council
Box/Folder Accession
3/5 4326-001
Ethics Code
1971
3/6-7 4326-001
News Releases
1971-1974
3/8 4326-001
Reports: Housing Rehabilitation
1974
3/9-10 4326-001
Communications
1972-1973
Box/Folder Accession
3/11 4326-001
Seattle City Government
1971-1972
3/12 4326-001
Seattle City Light
1972-1973
3/13 4326-001
Sign Control Ordinance
1973
3/14 4326-001
Special Review Districts
1973
3/15 4326-001
West Seattle Freeway
1973-1974
3/16 4326-001
Woodland Park Zoo
1971
3/17 4326-001
VIP Volunteers
1974
Box/Folder Accession
3/18 4326-001
Miscellany
1971, 1975, n.d.
Invitations
Box/Folder Accession
3/19 4326-001
Mayor Neil Goldschmidt to speak
1974
Clippings
Box/Folder Accession
3/20 4326-001
Miscellaneous
1970-1974
3/21 4326-001
Campaign Finance Reform
1970-1971
3/22 4326-001
Charter Amendment no. 7
1971
Box/Folder Accession
3/23 4326-001
Ephemera
n.d.
Box/Folder Accession
3/24 4326-001
CHECC Campaign Practices Task Force
1970-1971
3/25 4326-001
CHECC Candidate Evaluation Committee
1971, n.d.
CHECC Consumer Protection and Licensing Task Force
Box/Folder Accession
3/26 4326-001
General Correspondence
1971-1972
3/27 4326-001
Minutes
1970-1971
3/28 4326-001
Court Paper: Crime of Conspiracy Against Governmental Entities
n.d.
3/29 4326-001
Lists
1971-1972, n.d.
3/30 4326-001
Notes: Information Sheet on Consumer Affairs
n.d.
3/31-32 4326-001
Ordinances
1972
3/33-34 4326-001
Reports
1970-71
4/1 4326-001
Speeches and Writings
1971, n.d.
4/2 4326-001
Clippings
1970-1972
4/3 4326-001
Subject Series: Ehlert Proposals
1970
Box/Folder Accession
4/4 4326-001
CHECC Freeholders Ad Hoc Committee
1974, n.d.
4/5 4326-001
CHECC Governmental Organization Task Force
1971
4/6 4326-001
CHECC Urban Design and City Planning Committee
1972-1973
Citizen's Charter Review Committee (Seattle)
Box/Folder Accession
4/7 4326-001
General Correspondence
1970-1971
4/8 4326-001
Ballots
1971
4/9 4326-001
Speeches and Writings
1970-1971
4/10 4326-001
Clippings
1971
4/11 4326-001
Subject Series: Charter Reform of Finance Department
1970-1971
Seattle Freeholders Board
Box/Folder Accession
4/12 4326-001
General Correspondence
1973-1974
4/13 4326-001
Minutes
1974
4/14 4326-001
Lists
1974, n.d.
4/15 4326-001
Memoranda
1973-1974
4/16 4326-001
Candidate Questionnaires
1974
4/17 4326-001
Speeches and Writings
1974, n.d.

Accession No. 4326-002: Choose an Effective City Council (CHECC) records, 1970-1971Return to Top

2 vertical files
Arrangement: Arranged by type of material

Scope and Content: Two file folders of notes, clippings, correspondence and other documents relating to government corruption and disclosure of campaign contributions.

Restrictions on Access: Open to all users.

Acquisition Info: Donor: Roger Leeds, December 2013.

Processing Info: Processed by A. Demeter, January 2014.

Container(s) Description Dates
Folder Accession
1 4326-002
Government corruption - Correspondence
1970-1971
2 4326-002
Government corruption - Notes
1970-1971

Accession No. 4326-003: Choose an Effective City Council (CHECC) records, 1960-2009Return to Top

0.94 cubic feet (2 boxes)

Scope and Content: Articles of Association, histories, correspondence, news clippings, reports, proposals, position papers, research, financial documents, interviews, and a CHECC pin. Includes a manuscript by Peter LeSourd chronicling the founding of a Seattle political action committee, Choose an Effective City Council (CHECC), and details the impact of the organization on city affairs from 1967 to 1978. An abstract of the manuscript has been posted on Historylink.org.

Restrictions on Access: No restrictions on access.

Restrictions on Use: Creator's copyrights transferred to the University of Washington Libraries Special Collections.

Acquisition Info: Donor: Camden Hall [07/11/2018] Donor: Peter LeSourd [09/28/2017]

Processing Info: Peter LeSourd Papers/ Transformation of Seattle: CHECC's Role, 2008 (acc 5665-001) has been merged with this accession

Container(s) Description Dates
Box/Folder Accession
1/1 4326-003
Articles of Association, histories, and newsletter
1967-1969
1/2 4326-003
News clippings and copies of news clippings
1967-1970
1/3 4326-003
Correspondence
1967-1970
1/4 4326-003
Statements on Planning
1967
1/5 4326-003
Statement on Crime
1967
1/6 4326-003
The Path to Better Parks (proposal paper)
1967
1/7 4326-003
City Planning Subcommittee Recommendations
1967
1/8 4326-003
Report of Candidate Evaluation Committee
1967
1/9 4326-003
Proposal for a New City Charter
1967
1/10 4326-003
Recommendations of the Utility Undergrounding Subcommittee of the Issues Committee
1967
1/11 4326-003
Statement on Council Campaign Conduct
1967
1/12 4326-003
Planning Policy Report
circa 1967
1/13 4326-003
Statement on Pioneer Square Historical Ordinance
1969
1/14 4326-003
Statement on Proposed Household Tax-Subsidy for Seattle Transit System
1969
1/15 4326-003
The Seattle Parks System: Planning for Distinction (position paper)
1969
1/16 4326-003
Lake Union Issue (position paper)
1969
1/17 4326-003
A Zoning Administrator: Proposal for Zoning Reform in Seattle
1969
1/18 4326-003
Statement of Campaign Principles
1969
1/19 4326-003
Statement in Support of an Historic Preservation Ordinance
1969
1/20 4326-003
Phyllis Lamphere-First Two Years on Seattle City Council
1969
1/21 4326-003
Comparative Analysis of Planning Enabling Legislation
circa 1969
1/22 4326-003
Arts and the City (position paper)
1970
1/23 4326-003
Abuses of Municipal Campaign Finance Disclosure Laws and Suggested Revisions in the Law (position paper)
1970
1/24 4326-003
CHECC Projections
1970
Box
2 4326-003
"The Transformation of Seattle: CHECC's Role" by Peter LeSourd
2008
2 4326-003
CHECC pin
undated
2 4326-003
Manuscript draft feedback by Chris Bayley
2007
2 4326-003
Donation to the University of Washington
circa 2008
2 4326-003
Research
circa 1960-2007
2 4326-003
Fundraising
1967
2 4326-003
Endorsements
1967
2 4326-003
Membership
1967
2 4326-003
Press Releases
1967
2 4326-003
"CHECC: An Analysis of a Reform Group" by George Moore
1968
2 4326-003
News clippings
circa 1966-2009
2 4326-003
Interviews
2006-2008

Accession No. 4326-004: Choose an Effective City Council (CHECC) records, 1965-2008Return to Top

1.28 cubic feet (1 box)

Scope and Content: Papers and records related to the history and activities of CHECC, including: reports; campaign materials; correspondence; newletters; press releases; and clippings.

Restrictions on Access: No restrictions on access.

Restrictions on Use: Creator's copyrights transferred to the University of Washington Libraries Special Collections.

Acquisition Info: Donated by Camden Hall, June 2021

Container(s) Description Dates
Box/Folder Accession
1/1 4326-004
CHECC History
Scope and Content: Includes constitution, by-laws, articles of association, statements, goals, board members, letterhead
1965-1969
1/2 4326-004
Board Meeting Agendas and Minutes
1967-1969
1/3 4326-004
Treasurer's Reports
1967
1/4 4326-004
CHECC Memoranda
1967-1969
1/5 4326-004
CHECC Statements and Writings
Scope and Content: Includes Statement on Crime
1967-1969, undated
1/6 4326-004
Candidate Evaluation Committee--1967
Scope and Content: Includes CHECC Candidate Evaluation Questionnaire responses and Camden Hall's notes
1967
1/7 4326-004
1967 City Council Campaign
Scope and Content: Includes campaign strategies, voting statistics printout, flyers, ephemera
1967
1/8 4326-004
Phyllis Lamphere Campaign Materials
1967
1/9 4326-004
Tim Hill Campaign Materials
1967
1/10 4326-004
1969 City Council Campaign
Scope and Content: Includes campaign strategies, Don Wright debate transcript, campaign flyers
1969
1/11 4326-004
Candidate Evaluation Committee--1969
Scope and Content: Includes CHECC Candidate Evaluation Questionnaire responses
1969
1/12 4326-004
General Correspondence
1967
1/13 4326-004
General Correspondence
1968
1/14 4326-004
General Correspondence
1969
1/15 4326-004
CHECC Newsletters
1967-1970
1/16 4326-004
Handwritten notes
General Notes: written by Camden Hall, Vice-Chairman and later Chairman of CHECC
undated
1/17 4326-004
Press Releases
1967-1969, undated
1/18 4326-004
Newspaper Clippings
1967
1/19 4326-004
Newspaper Clippings
1968-1970
1/20 4326-004
"Give a Damn" Conference
1970
1/21 4326-004
"The Seattle CHECC Movement--Could it Happen Again?"--Town Hall Panel Presentation
2004
1/22 4326-004
"The Transformation of Seattle: CHECC's Role" by Peter LeSourd
2008

Names and SubjectsReturn to Top

Subject Terms

  • Campaign funds--Washington (State)--Seattle
  • City councils--Washington (State)--Seattle
  • Municipal government--Washington (State)--Seattle
  • Personal Papers/Corporate Records (University of Washington)
  • Political campaigns--Law and legislation--Washington (State)--Seattle

Personal Names

  • Hempelmann, John W

Corporate Names

  • Choose an Effective City Council (Organization : Seattle, Wash.)--Archives
  • Seattle (Wash.). City Council

Geographical Names

  • Seattle (Wash.)--Politics and government