Fred C. Ashley was born in Spokane in 1899. After his graduation from Lewis and Clark High School in Spokane, he was commissioned an U.S. Army balloon officer, but the war ended before he had an active assignment. After the end of World War I, he returned to Spokane and was employed by several firms in the automotive and insurance fields until 1938. In that year, he organized his own real estate business. In the 1950's he specialized in real estate appraisals and he and his associates became active in condemnation proceedings involving public works projects. Ashley ultimately became one of the leading figures in the appraisal profession and in recognition was elected to senior membership in the American Society of Appraisers, an organization of which he was regional governor from 1964 to 1968. As an adjunct to his real estate interests, he was a developer and builder of residential homes in Spokane during the early 1940's. He was also a rancher in the Colville area from 1946 to 1963.
Ashley entered politics as a Republican about 1940. He served in the Washington State Legislature as representative from Spokane County from 1942 to 1947. He sponsored the Teacher's Retirement System Law of 1947 and several pieces of aviation legislation. He also authored a wartime resolution commending the establishment of a Jewish homeland in Palestine. About 1948, Ashley became a Democrat, and from 1952 to 1958, he served as Stevens County Democratic Chairman. He was an organizer of the 1952 Adlai Stevenson campaign and a delegate to the 1956 Democratic National Convention. He ran unsuccessfully for the Washington State Senate in 1954 and 1958, and in 1960 was the unsuccessful Democratic nominee for Congressman representing the Fifth District of Washington.
Active in the public electric power movement in both Washington and Idaho, Ashley was for a time a member of the Bonneville Power Administration Advisory Committee. He received another important appointment in 1959 when he was made a member of the Washington State Advisory Board on Public Assistance, and remained a member until its dissolution in 1965. He also held appointment as Director of the Stevens County Civil Defense Unit for several years during the 1950's.
The papers of Fred C. Ashley are concerned with his various activities from 1941 to 1970. Approximately one-half relates to real estate appraisals performed by Ashley, or his associate W. J. Carrothers, during the 1950's and 1960's. Although this material contains some private appraisals, much of it is concerned with public works projects, such as the John Day Dam, the Albeni Falls Dam and various highway construction projects.
The collection also contains material related to Ashley's work as a representative of Spokane County in the state legislature; personal papers and photographs; and professional papers relevant to real estate and appraisal organizations, especially the American Society of Appraisers.
The collection is organized into seven series. The appraisal papers, as well as certain real estate transaction records, have been retained in Ashley's working arrangement. The remaining series are subdivided by subjects and arranged chronologically within.
This collection is open and available for research use.
Literary rights in the unpublished writings and other properties in this collection are reserved by Washington State University Library.
[Item description]
Fred C. Ashley Papers, 1941-1970 (Cage 294)
Manuscripts, Archives, and Special Collections, Washington State University Libraries, Pullman, WA.
>The Washington State University Library was gifted these papers by Fred C. Ashley in 1970.
Fred C. Ashley: a Register of His Papers, 1941-1970 in the Washington State University Library. Pullman [Wash.]: The Library, 1971.
Fred C. Ashley Papers, 1943-1977
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.
This sub-series contains personal political correspondence relative to the Washington State Legislature, the Washington State Democratic Party, the National Democratic Convention of 1956, political appointments and expressions of opinion. Included is correspondence with Mon Walgren, Arthur B. Langlie, Albert Rosellini, Lon Johnson, Daniel Evans, Warren Magnuson, Henry Jackson, Tom Foley, Don Magnuson, Luke Wright, Adlai Stevenson, Averell Harriman, Stuart Symington, John F. Kennedy, Lyndon B. Johnson, Hubert H. Humphrey, and others.
This sub-series contains correspondence with members of the Board and with officials of the Department of Public Assistance, reports of the Board, minutes of meetings and supplementary information collected for the Board's consideration.
Letters, printed materials, circulars and reports of the American Society of Appraiser's Northwest Regional Office, both before and during Ashley's tenure as Regional Governor. Also included is correspondence of the various local chapters that made up the regional unit.
This group contains some "random" papers relative to Ashley's insurance policies, charities, book clubs and activities. Included is material from the American Platform Association, a public speaking group, and the text of a speech on the mental health of financial executives. Also included are Ashley resumes and a short biographical sketch.
Portrait and photograph of Ashley, his family, and professional and political associates. Some identified. Included is a presentation portrait of Warren Magnuson.
Letters relative to securing contracts, bills for services and correspondence related to appraisals.
Notes, reports, and maps relative to the John Day Dam, the Ice Harbor Dam, the Priest Rapids Dam, the Albeni Falls Dam, Bonneville Power Administration, the Kalispell and Cut Bank Air Force Station, and highway projects.