Securing the Future of the University of Washington
Edmond S. Meany secures a massive land grant and independence for the University of Washington in a legislative victory.
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The University of Washington has secured a monumental victory in the state legislature thanks to the work of Representative Edmond S. Meany, the only graduate of the university in the legislature. A newly enacted law grants the institution 100,000 acres of land, potentially worth $1,000,000, for its permanent support. The act abolishes the old land and building commission, empowers the regents to build a new campus, and makes tuition free for state residents graduating from high schools. The legislation also resolved long-standing confusion over original land grant records from 1860, which had been preserved by Reverend Daniel Bagley. This bill sets the stage for the university to grow into a premier institution for the Pacific Northwest.
“The university of Washington is now starting on a new era, and the friends of the institution will from this time on be greatly gratified in watching its progress.”
This piece chronicles the birth of the University of Washington as a major state institution. Today, the university remains a cornerstone of Seattle's identity, and the story of Meany—a dedicated alumnus-turned-legislator—underscores the historical influence of UW in state politics.
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