Chapman Family Collection on Special Education and the Northwest Center, 1966-2022
Table of Contents
- Overview of the Collection
-
Biographical Note
- Content Description
- Use of the Collection
- Administrative Information
-
Detailed Description of the Collection
- Evelyn Chapman papers, 1983, 2005
- Northwest Center for the Retarded papers, 1967-1969
- Northwest Center for the Retarded funding, 1968-1971
- Northwest Center for the Retarded Legislative Committee papers, 1968-1978
- Northwest Center planning and minutes, 1991-2003
- Northwest Center histories, 2005 and undated
- Northwest Center yearbook, 1972
- Pacific School and Wilson-Pacific School yearbooks, 1976-1981
- Miscellaneous papers, 1969-1985
- Coolidge Chapman school work and other materials, 1968-1982
- Reference materials
- Names and Subjects
Overview of the Collection
- Creator
- Chapman family
- Title
- Chapman Family Collection on Special Education and the Northwest Center
- Dates
- 1966-2022 (inclusive)19662022
1967-1973 (bulk)1967-19731967-1973 - Quantity
- 2 boxes, (10 linear inches)
- Collection Number
- 2024.14 (collection)
- Summary
- The collection documents efforts to improve the quality of and mandate public funding for education of children with disabilities in Washington State, led by parents associated with the Northwest Center for the Retarded (now the Northwest Center).
- Repository
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Museum of History & Industry, Sophie Frye Bass Library
P.O. Box 80816
Seattle, WA
98108
Telephone: 2063241126 x102
library@mohai.org - Access Restrictions
-
The collection is open to the public by appointment. Access to one folder of materials is restricted.
- Languages
- English.
Biographical Note
Evelyn Johnson Chapman (1935-2016) and John Hume Chapman (d. 2000) married in 1959 and had three children. Their oldest son, Coolidge, was born with brain damage which caused physical and mental developmental disabilities. Because of this, the Chapmans were not allowed to enroll Coolidge in Seattle Public Schools for kindergarten, and instead entered him into an experimental program at the recently formed Northwest Center for the Retarded (now the Northwest Center) in 1966. The Chapmans and other parents of children with disabilities became deeply involved in the Center, serving on its Board of Directors and working to increase funding and city and state support for its programs, with the goal of obtaining public funding for their children's educations. John Chapman, an attorney, served on the Board of Trustees of the NCR and was Board President in 1969-1970. Evelyn Chapman led a group of four mothers--herself, Janet Taggart, Cecile Lindquist, and Katie Dolan--and two University of Washington law students on a Northwest Center legislative committee fighting for "Education for All" legislation in Washington state. Washington State House Bill 90 was passed in 1971, mandating public education for children with disabilities. The bill went into effect in 1973 and became the basis for the Federal Education of All Handicapped Children Act of 1975 (Public Law 94-142). Coolidge Chapman began attending Seattle Public Schools in 1973, and graduated from Franklin High School in 1983. Evelyn Chapman went on to work for the City of Seattle for over 30 years, and was involved programs for women and children, immigrant families, and people with disabilities.
Content Description
The collection consists of papers belonging to the Chapman family related to the schooling of their son. A large portion of the papers relate to the family's involvement with Northwest Center for the Retarded (now the Northwest Center) during its early years, when parents of NCR students and other concerned people worked to improve the funding and programs at the Center. A large folder of papers documents the efforts of a smaller group of parents-- the Legislative, or "Education for All," Committee--to advocate for legislation to mandate public funding of education for children with disabilities in Washington State. Materials also include school yearbooks, and publications and clippings related to education for children with disabilities.
Use of the Collection
Restrictions on Use
The Museum of History & Industry is the owner of the materials in the Sophie Frye Bass Library and makes available reproductions for research, publication, and other uses. Written permission must be obtained from MOHAI before any reproduction use. The museum does not necessarily hold copyright to all of the materials in the collections. In some cases, permission for use may require seeking additional authorization from the copyright owners.
Preferred Citation
Chapman Family Collection on Special Education and the Northwest Center, Museum of History & Industry, Seattle
Administrative Information
Return to TopDetailed Description of the Collection
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Description: Evelyn Chapman papers
Includes Evelyn Chapman's resume, showing employment and community service projects from 1966 to 1983; and one photograph from the Northwest Center's 40th anniversary celebration showing Evelyn Chapman with her daughter Mary, King County Executive Rom Sims, and Seattle City Council members Nick Licata and David Della.
Dates: 1983; 2005Container: Box/Folder 1/1 -
Description: Northwest Center for the Retarded papers
Includes a copy of the Northwest Center for the Retarded By-Laws, Board of Trustees member lists, meeting minutes, and reports to the Board. Also includes documents about grant funding, other programs for children, including the Nellie Goodhue Group Home; detailed information about goals, policies and procedures of the Specialized Training Program (1969); financial summaries; and job descriptions.
Dates: 1967-1969Container: Box/Folder ½ -
Description: Northwest Center for the Retarded funding
Includes letters and templates for letters soliciting donations, and letters of thanks for donations and other funding, including corporate and government; budgets; and information about applying for staffing grants.
Dates: 1968-1971Container: Box/Folder 1/3 -
Description: Northwest Center for the Retarded Legislative Committee papers
Papers documenting the work of Evelyn Chapman, Chair, and the members of the legislative committee in their efforts to pass HR-90, the "Education for All" legislation. Includes Evelyn Chapman's speech at the "Legislators' Luncheon" hosted by the Northwest Center for the Retarded Mother's Guild in May 1968; information about the NCR, and the budget for the 1967-1968 year; lists of legislators; template for writing to legislators and follow up letters to legislators; Washington Association for Retarded Children newsletter with recommendations for 1969 legislature; NCR newsletters to legislators; letters from legislators (1969); Social Service Legislation Information Committee newsletters; and related papers.
Dates: 1968-1978Container: Box/Folder 1/4 -
Description: Northwest Center planning and minutes
Includes letter from John Chapman to current Northwest Center Board president with long-range planning suggestions, and minutes for a February 2003 Board of Directors meeting.
Dates: 1991-2003Container: Box/Folder 1/5 -
Description: Northwest Center histories
Includes an undated printout from the Washington State Department of Social and Health Services website, and "A Brief History of the Northwest Center" by Janet Taggart, 2005
Dates: 2005 and undatedContainer: Box/Folder 1/6 -
Description: Northwest Center yearbookDates: 1972Container: Box/Folder 1/7
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Description: Pacific School and Wilson-Pacific School yearbooks3 yearbooksDates: 1976-1981Container: Box/Folder 1/8
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Description: Miscellaneous papers
Letter to Evelyn Chapman from Superintendent of Seattle Public Schools in response to her letter about school funding, 1985; minutes of December 1979 meeting of the Steering Committee for the Campaign for Children & Families; lists of members of Advisory Committee for Specialized Programs for Seattle Department of Parks and Recreation, 1969.
Dates: 1969-1985Container: Box/Folder 1/9 -
Description: Coolidge Chapman school work and other materials
Access to folder is restricted.
Dates: 1968-1982Container: Box/Folder 1/10 -
Description: Reference materials
Box includes the following reference materials: Booklet "Sunshine for Retarded Children/ Seattle Guilds for Retarded Children, 1968-1969"; book "Becoming Citizens: Family Life and the Politics of Disability," (2005) by Susan Schwartzenberg, containing an interview with Evelyn Chapman; booklet "From Segregation to Community Integration : Washington State Developmental Disabilities Services 1861-1980"; two binders with information on Epton Center schools in Seattle and Washington state; printouts of articles from the Northwest Center website; printout of article "Special Education Law" (2022); printout of information about the film premiere of "Together they were Stronger" about passage of the "Education for All" law. Also includes a folder of newspaper and magazine clippings, 1968-2018, and 3 scrapbook pages with clippings, from Janet Taggart's scrapbook.
Container: Box 2
Names and SubjectsReturn to Top
Subject Terms
- Bills, Legislative--Washington (State)
- Children with disabilities--Education
Personal Names
- Chapman, Evelyn Johnson, 1935-2016
- Chapman, John Hume, d. 2000
Corporate Names
- Northwest Center for the Retarded (Seattle, Wash.)
- Northwest Center (Seattle, Wash.)
Geographical Names
- Seattle (Wash.).
