WAULangRichard3214.xml Guide to the Richard E. Lang Oral History Interview 1981 Lang (Richard E.) Oral History Interview Special Collections, University of Washington Libraries ©2007 (Last modified: 4/16/2018)
Seattle, WA 98195
Finding aid written inEnglish. Finding aid based on DACS (Describing Archives: A Content Standard). University of Washington Libraries, Special Collections 3214 (Accession No. 3214-001) Lang, Richard E., 1906-1982 Richard E Lang oral history interview 1981 4 sound cassettes (ca. 3.5 hours); transcript: 70 pages Collection materials are inEnglish. Tape-recorded interviews from 1981 with Richard E. Lang, a Jewish community member in Seattle.

Tape-recorded interview conducted on 10/1/1981, 10/5/1981, and 11/20/1891 and covering the period 1852-1981.

Mr. Lang tells of the beginnings of the family business in Weaverville, CA, in 1852 by his grandfather Max Lang, an immigrant from southwestern Germany. His father, Julius, came to Seattle during the Alaska-Yukon gold rush years and settled permanently in 1902 as president of the National Grocery Company, a wholesale distribution firm serving Alaska and Washington states.

Mr. Lang talks about the social life of the German-Jewish families of Seattle. He discusses his own Jewish education at Temple De Hirsch, his friendship and differences with Rabbi Samuel Koch, and his friendship with Rabbi Jonah Wise. Mr. Lang goes into little detail on his decision to resign from Temple De Hirsch in 1944 and his break with the Jewish community, only hinting at his reasons.

Finally, Mr. Lang briefly outlines his business career and his activities in art collecting.

Listen to the audio recording and view the transcript of this interview on the Libraries Digital Collections site.

Open to all users.

Request at UW

Informant's/creator's rights dedicated to the public. May be used for research, instruction, publication or similar purposes.

Donated by Richard E. Lang, 11/20/1981.

 Lang, Richard, 1906-1982--Archives Lang, Max Lang, Julius C., b. 1872 Lang, Grace Elsinger Koch, Samuel, 1874-1944 Wise, Jonah Bondi, 1881-1959 Eckstein, Nathan, 1873-1945 Shemanski, Alfred, 1874 or 5-1966 Droker, Howard National Grocery Company (Seattle, Wash.) Seattle Fur Exchange Temple de Hirsch (Seattle, Wash.) Schwabacher Bros. & Company (Seattle, Wash.) Jews--Washington (State)--Seattle--Interviews Businessmen--Washington (State)--Seattle--Interviews Art--Collectors and collecting--Washington (State)--Seattle Immigrants--Washington (State)--Seattle Jewish families--Washington (State)--Seattle German American families--Washington (State)--Seattle Washington State Jewish Archives (University of Washington) Personal Papers/Corporate Records (University of Washington) Sound Recordings Jewish Americans Seattle Washington State Jewish Archives (University of Washington)