New fund planned to honor Maggie

Sparked by Friends of the UW Libraries, a group of volunteers is working to establish the Warren G. Magnuson Endowed Library Fund at University Libraries. The fund will honor the accomplishments of Magnuson, who represented our state for 44 years in the U.S. House and Senate, and whose papers are housed at the University Libraries. Income from the fund will supplement the Libraries' collections in areas related to his legacy of public service: political science and history, labor issues, law, health care, consumer protection, natural resources (including fisheries conservation), science and transportation policies. The minimum amount required to establish the endowed fund is $25,000, and only income generated by the fund will be spent.

Magnuson, known affectionately as "Maggie," began his career in the nation's capitol in 1937 in the House. Elected to the U.S. Senate in 1944, he served six full terms. Among Magnuson's accomplishments: he authored the Civil Rights Act; created legislation to protect Puget Sound; established NOAA (the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration); actively promoted local commerce (especially Boeing); increased consumer protection; reorganized the railroads; and had the Columbia and Snake River dams built to provide electric power to the Pacific Northwest. He was known as a strong advocate for federal aid to education, and also helped found the National Institutes of Health. Magnuson played an integral role in establishing the UW as a leading institution for medical research, and in recognition of his efforts the UW Health Sciences Complex carries his name.

Special solicitation letters for the endowment have been sent. All donors of $44 or more ($1 for each of Magnuson's years in the U.S. Congress) are invited, with a guest, to a celebration on Saturday, April 4 in 210 Kane Hall at 7:30 p.m., followed by a reception in the Walker-Ames Room. The evening program will feature a panel discussion with Shelby Scates, the author of Warren G. Magnuson and the Shaping of TwentiethCentury America, and with Jerry Grinstein (moderator), Ed Sheets, Eric Redman, Norm Dicks, Stan Barer and Michael Pertschuk.

All donors will become Friends of the UW Libraries for a year, and those who donate $75 or more will qualify for library borrowing privileges for 12 months. Those interested in donating should send a check, payable to the UW Foundation, to: Magnuson Endowment, University Libraries, Box 352900, Seattle, WA 98195 by March 20. Indicate the names of attendees for the April 4 event. ¶