The College That Could Have Been: Seattle’s Bid to Steal Whitworth
As Tacoma and Seattle compete for the relocation of Whitworth College, local boosters scramble to offer land and cash, revealing a fierce battle for civic prestige in the early 1900s.
The story, cleaned up
A cleaned-up reading of the newspaper page: spelling and layout repaired, one story lifted off a crowded page. It follows the original closely but it is not a transcription. The original page is below; read it if a detail matters.
In all probability Seattle is to have another college. The trustees of Whitworth College, now located at Sumner, have concluded to move the college to some larger city, and Tacoma and Seattle are working far [for] it equally.
Yesterday Rev. Stewart, the corporate secretary of the institution, met with the Chamber of Commerce yesterday to ascertain what inducement Seattle would offer for the college. J.A. Moore assured the chamber that there were plenty of offers for suitable land in Seattle and he thought that a temporary building could also be obtained.
A committee consisting of C.J. Smith, Irwin Davis, L.A. Nadeau, H.C. Henry, and John Schrant was appointed by acting president J.W. Chase, to canvass among the citizens and secure offers. This committee will meet at the Chamber of Commerce room Monday at 10 p.m. and they hope to be ready to report at the next regular meeting of the chamber of commerce.
Dr. Stewart said the college had $100 in cash to be used in clearing and filling on the site. The whole matter will be settled by the trustees at their meeting in Seattle July 26.
This 1904 article captures a moment of intense civic competition between Seattle and Tacoma for cultural institutions, a dynamic that still echoes today as cities vie for universities, stadiums, and corporate headquarters. The struggle to secure 'prestige' through education mirrors modern debates over funding public universities versus private endowments.
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