Betty Fukuyama papers, 1940-1992

Scope and Content: This accession documents Betty Fukuyama's life as a writer and her husband’s career in the ministry.

Betty Fukuyama's personal papers include a variety of diaries and notebooks. Many contain her poetry, others contain personal journal entries, and some contain class notes. Betty Fukuyama was diabetic from age four. During the early 1980s she took classes with the hope of becoming a counselor for diabetics and their families. She also had an interest in dreams and kept several dream journals during that period of her life.

A large portion of the correspondence in this accession consists of the letters written between Betty and her future husband, Tom Fukuyama, while he was incarcerated at Minidoka (dated January 1944 to July 1945). These provide rare, intimate insights into the experience of a young couple directly affected by the incarceration of Japanese Americans. Their letters to each other describe their daily thoughts and activities -- Tom’s as a young Baptist minister living at Minidoka, Betty’s as a young woman attending college and making plans for marriage. They also write of the challenges they expect to face as an interracial couple. Tom’s letters to Betty are found in Box 1 (approximately 200 letters). Betty’s letters to Tom are found in box 6 (approximately 300 letters).

Sound cassettes include a poetry reading by Betty Fukuyama, and a sermon and a church service conducted by Tom Fukuyama in the 1980s.

The Tacoma Pierce County Civic Arts Commission, Pierce County Artists in Motion Program series includes transcripts of interviews with pioneers. Betty Fukuyama worked with illustrator Carol Sheldahl to produce an anecdotal history of Pierce County based on oral history interviews. Funding ran out before the project was completed. Although Betty Fukuyama was able to acquire the rights to publish the book on her own, it does not appear to have been completed. Tapes of the oral history interviews are not included. These were kept by the Tacoma Pierce County Civic Arts Commission (no longer in existence).

The Tom Fukuyama series contains letters from Betty Fukuyama and various records documenting his career as a protestant minister. Included are sermons and other writings, and a variety of subject series reflecting his particular interests.

The Adkins Family series includes Betty Fukuyama's letters to her mother and extensive genealogical information on Fukuyama's family. Her mother, Miriam Luella Brown Adkins (born 1895), came from an Oregon pioneer family from the Gresham area. Her father, Jesse Albert Adkins (born 1889) was of Scottish immigrant descent.

Scope and Content: This accesion contains materials related to Betty Fukuyama’s writing and some personal correspondence. Here are found typescripts of mostly unpublished poetry, publications containing her poetry, clippings, and other memorabilia such as certificates and awards.

Scope and Content: One hundred plus annotated poetry drafts, “Twenty-Five Poems by Betty Fukuyama,” and personal family photographs. Ephemera from Tom Fukuyama’s ministerial career, unpublished autobiography, and correspondence. Clippings and ephemera describing the Minidoka incarceration camp.