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Initiative 256 "Keep America Beautiful" Act of 1970 Records, 1952-1974

Overview of the Collection

Creator
Keller, Robert H.; Initiative 256 Campaign
Title
Initiative 256 "Keep America Beautiful" Act of 1970 Records
Dates
1952-1974 (inclusive)
1969-1972 (bulk)
Quantity
5 Linear Ft., ( )
Collection Number
XOE_CPNWS0033initiative256 (collection)
Summary
The collection is a detailed account of Dr. Robert Keller’s attempt to promote a legally mandated return to deposits on beverage containers in Washington state. The collection documents a small part of the larger ecology movement of the early 1970's as well as the polarization of American society during the Vietnam era. It is also valuable as a detailed exposition of Washington state's initiative process.
Repository
Western Washington University, Center for Pacific Northwest Studies
Goltz-Murray Archives Building
808 25th St.
Bellingham, WA
98225
Telephone: (360) 650-7534
cpnws@wwu.edu
Access Restrictions

The collection is open to the public.

Languages
English.
Sponsor
Funding for preparing this finding aid was provided through a grant awarded by the National Historical Publications and Records Commission. Funding for encoding the finding aid was awarded by the National Endowment for the Humanities.
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Historical Note

In January of 1970 a small group of students from Western Washington State College, under the guidance of Dr. Robert H. Keller, set out to eliminate littering in the adjacent park of Sehome Hill. The efforts of the group did not achieve the desired results but it did inspire a drive to organize a state-wide initiative campaign with the goal of instituting a deposit system for all bottles and cans sold in the State of Washington. It was hoped that a legally mandated return to deposits on beverage containers might end casual littering and initiate citizen involvement in recycling.

Initiative 256 was born of this effort and represented a grassroots campaign to stimulate public awareness and provoke debate over environmental reform. In the end local beverage producers, the container industry, and grocery retailers rallied to defeat Initiative 256 by portraying it as a misguided idea which would eliminate jobs and increase the cost of living for every citizen throughout the state. By introducing a counter-initiative and hiring one of the most prestigious political advertising firms in Seattle at the time, opponents effectively maligned the Initiative 256 campaign in the eyes of voters. While Initiative 256 proponents were disheartened by this turn of events they felt victorious in their goal of elevating the visibility of environmental issues within the political system as well as stimulating citizen participation in state politics.

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Content Description

The Initiative 256 records are a detailed account of Dr. Robert Keller’s attempt to promote Initiative 256. The collection documents a small part of the larger ecology movement of the early 1970's as well as the polarization of American society during the Vietnam era. It is also valuable as a detailed exposition of Washington state's initiative process.

Series have been established which reflect the origins of the initiative, the filing process, campaign organization, opposition to the initiative, events surrounding the election, correspondence, the post-election book project and television documentary, as well as promotional photographs. Materials have been arranged chronologically within series. The collection includes the final draft of the initiative, handouts and flyers, mailing lists, organization files documenting activities of volunteers and committees, as well as materials related to the 1972 television production "The Initiative and the People". Also included is an unpublished history of Washington state's initiative process and the Initiative 256 campaign entitled: "Keeping America Beautiful: The History of Initiative 256 in Washington State, 1970" by Robert Keller.

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Use of the Collection

Preferred Citation

Initiative 256 "Keep American Beautiful" Act of 1970 Records, Center for Pacific Northwest Studies, Western Libraries Archives & Special Collections, Western Washington University, Bellingham WA 98225-9123.

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Administrative Information

Arrangement

The Initiative 256 "Keep American Beautiful" Act of 1970 Records are organized in accordance with the following series arrangement:

  • Series I: Origins of Initiative 256, January-March 1970
  • Series II: Initiative Filing Process, 1967-1970
  • Series III: Campaign Organization, Undated; 1970
  • Series IV: Campaign Finances, May-October 1970
  • Series V: Campaign Promotion, March-October 1970
  • Series VI: Opposition to Initiative 256, March-October 1970
  • Series VII: The Election, April 1970 to January 1971
  • Series VIII: Reference Materials, January 1969 to March 1971
  • Series IX: Press Coverage, April-November 1970
  • Series X: Correspondence, April 1952 to May 1974
  • Series XI: Book Project- Robert Keller, April 1970 to March 1976
  • Series XII: Post 256 Reference Materials- Collected by Robert Keller, 1969-1994
  • Series XIII: Television Production: "The Initiative and the People" 1972
  • Series XIV: Photographs, Undated
  • Series XV: Film- 8mm Color, 1970

Processing Note

About Harmful Language and Content

To learn more about problematic content in our collections, collection description and teaching tools (including how to provide feedback or request dialogue on this topic), see the following Statement About Potentially Harmful Language and Content

Custodial History

Initial materials were donated by Dr. Robert H. Keller to the Center for Pacific Northwest Studies in April of 1986. Additional materials were donated in 1994.

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Detailed Description of the Collection

The following section contains a detailed listing of the materials in the collection.

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Subject Terms

  • Beverage containers--Law and legislation--Washington (State)--History--Sources.
  • Beverage containers--Recycling--Washington (State)--History--Sources.
  • Environmental policy--Washington (State)--Citizen participation--History--Sources.
  • Environmentalism--Washington (State)--Bellingham--History--Sources.
  • Glass waste--Recycling--Washington (State)--History--Sources.
  • Referendum--Washington (State)--History--Sources.
  • Refuse and refuse disposal--Law and legislation--Washington (State)--History--Sources.

Personal Names

  • Keller, Robert H.--Archives. (creator)

Corporate Names

  • Initiative 256 Campaign

Finding aid created by Jason Viers.
September 2004

CC Attribution
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

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