Norman B. Rice was born in Denver on May 4, 1943. He received his college education at the University of Washington, earning a bachelor's degree in communications and a Masters of Public Administration. Rice holds honorary degrees from Seattle University, the University of Puget Sound, and Whitman College. Before entering City government, he worked as a reporter at KOMO-TV News and KIXI radio, served as Assistant Director of the Seattle Urban League, was Executive Assistant and Director of Government Services for the Puget Sound Council of Governments, and was employed as the Manager of Corporate Contributions and Social Policy at Rainier National Bank.
Beginning in 1978, Rice served eleven years on City Council, including a term as Council President; he also served as chair of the Energy and Finance and Budget Committees. Rice facilitated the development of more equitable cost allocation and rate design procedures for Seattle City Light as part of his work on the Energy Committee; his accomplishments on the Finance and Budget Committee included the passage of the Women and Minority Business Enterprise Ordinance and the elimination of City investments in firms doing business in South Africa. Norm Rice also worked to improve public safety in Seattle and advocated for the use of local funds to improve conditions for disadvantaged Seattle citizens.
Rice was elected mayor of Seattle for the term beginning January 1, 1990, and served two full terms. He was the first African-American mayor in Seattle's history. An important issue in his first mayoral race was mandatory busing of schoolchildren to improve integration in schools; schools and education continued to be an important issue throughout his tenure as mayor, including support for the Families and Education Levy. Downtown revitalization was also a top priority during his tenure as mayor.
Rice ran for mayor a second time in 1993 and was re-elected. He also served as President of the U.S. Conference of Mayors. After leaving office, Rice served as President and CEO of the Federal Home Loan Bank of Seattle from 1998 to 2004; he then became vice-chair of Capital Access, LLC, and a visiting professor at the University of Washington.
Records documenting Rice's tenure as Seattle mayor through much of the 1990s. Major issues covered include downtown revitalization, education, public safety, comprehensive planning, energy, and arts and culture. Individual record series are described more fully below.
The records have been organized into the following series:
Records are open to the public.
[Item and date], [Title of record series], Record Series 5272-XX. Box [number], Folder [number]. Seattle Municipal Archives.
Publications were pulled from the collection and are cataloged
separately in the
This collection is indexed under the following headings in the online catalog. Researchers desiring materials about related topics, persons, or places should search the catalog using these headings.
The following section contains a detailed listing of the materials in the collection.
Records include correspondence, memoranda, reports, studies, and briefing materials to and from City agencies regarding the full range of municipal government activities during Rice's terms as mayor. Topics include municipal facilities, arts and culture, planning, budget and financial issues, and schools and education, among others. Constituent correspondence is included in this record series.
Records are arranged chronologically and then by major departments within City government.
Correspondence, memoranda, reports, studies, and other materials to and from non-city government agencies, businesses, associations, and the general public. Includes records about King County, state and federal government agencies, public development authorities, Metro, and boards and commissions, as well as constituent correspondence. Topics include the Seattle Mariners, sister cities, the Pang warehouse fire, the 1990 education summit, Pike Place Market, the Seattle Jobs Initiative, affirmative action, and regional transit.
Appointment calendars documenting meetings and events during Rice's tenure as mayor. Also includes one appointment book from 1978.
Activity reports filed with the Mayor each week by Executive Department directors and superintendents. The reports include items needing the attention of the Mayor, and progress reports on departmental and mayoral work program goals. The records are useful in establishing a chronology of departmental activities and for identifying high profile news events involving City agencies. Reports exist only for the first two years of Rice's terms as mayor.
The reports are arranged chronologically and then by City department.
Ceremonial documents issued by the Mayor honoring individuals or organizations, or declaring the City's support for issues outside the City's governance.
Records are arranged chronologically and without an index.
Talking points and speeches of Mayor Norm Rice. Speeches given at events and organizations such as Martin Luther King Memorial Service, United Way, National Association of Women in Construction, Earth Day, Red Cross, Chamber of Commerce, arts groups, meetings, ceremonial events and commencements on topics such as volunteerism, regional cooperation, social services, education, and the environment.
Photographs, primarily informal, of Norman Rice's tenure as
Seattle mayor and some from his years as Councilmember and before. Most are
color photographs, but some black and white photographs are also included.
Represented in the images are campaigns, city events, political events,
meetings and conferences (including the U.S. Conference of Mayors and the
National Black Bar Association Conference), visits to Seattle by dignitaries
and celebrities, and sister city events and travel. Events pictured include
groundbreaking ceremonies, fundraisers, receptions, dedications, award
ceremonies, announcements and proclamations, banquets, parades, marches, and
celebrations, including the Chinese New Year. Rosa Parks, Bill Clinton, Barack
Obama, the Dalai Lama, the Reverend Jesse Jackson, the Reverend Billy Graham,
Muhammad Ali, Dionne Warwick, and B.B. King are among the visiting political
figures, religious leaders, and celebrities pictured in the collection.
Portraits of Rice and family photographs are also included. Negatives are
included with some color snapshots. More than 400 images have been digitized and are available to view on our digital platform.
Records from Rice's city council races in 1978, 1979, and 1983 and his mayoral runs in 1989 and 1993. The series also includes materials from his 1985 mayoral bid, his 1988 congressional race, and his 1996 gubernatorial race, all unsuccessful. Records include campaign flyers, news clippings, briefing books, invitations, debate preparation materials, and calendars.
Newspaper clippings, magazine articles, and other items collected by Mayor Rice. Articles cover the Mayor and his wife, Seattle events and issues, and other topics of interest to the Mayor.