When they hissed at Dixy Lee Ray and other memories from possibly more optomistic times, the 1976 Bicentennial.

USA's 250 year birthday seems fairly tarnished by worries about an overly powerful president and hotter weather cancelling some events back east. I bring up memories from the Bicentennial in 1976, my college years at WWU.

Back issues of our campus newspaper, The Western Front, have been digitized and are searchable on the Wilson Library website. The service is free.

Remembering that I had written something that was placed in a time capsule, I looked up the details of that Bicentennial capsule on campus.

I knew that I would not likely live, in this earthly form, to the 300 year birthday when that capsule was to be opened. Too bad it wasn't a 50 year capsule. 100 years is a too long to wait, however I can open the time capsule of the Western Front Newspaper Archive today.

By searching for the capsule, I came up with the October 1976 Edition of the Western Front, a bit after the Forth of July, but when the article, about the capsule, appeared.

Also, in that same edition was a treasure-trove of other things I remember, including one of my own letters to the editor.

Here are some selected screen captures from that paper.

I remember sitting in the back of that lecture hall when Dixy Lee Ray gave a speach. She was running for governor of Washington State as a Democrat. Her pro nuclear power stance got heckles from the audience.

At one point, I remember her talking about fossil fuels running out, "but we still have the atom."

The crowd started hissing loudly. When the room calmed down she said, "would someone please remove the snakes."

The hissing sound was associated with "atomic" back then.

About that time capsule now buried in the State Capitol Building.

President Ford was in the White House, Watergate had mostly been resolved and Carter was running for president.

People wrote, "Will Carter win?" They also drew lots of magic mushrooms on the paper as that was a big thing back then.

I wrote a comment wondering where the gay movement would be and also wondering how civilization would adjust to so many natural resources being depleated on earth.

Some people called Dixy Lee Ray, "Dixy Lee Radiation."

The writeup of her speach. Looking back, it was quite insightful.

Continued writeup.

A play about gay rights that was big in the local area, back then. Play by Rebecca Valrejean.
I knew her. She was one of the founders of the gay group on campus. She was a student just before my time.

One of the venues, besides campus and around the state for the play Lavender Troubador, was in this building.

Back then, someone was planning to develop it as a community center for many alternative things.

It later became an office supply store and is now other things.

Mural has been added recently.

Oh, ya. This letter was also in that issue of the Western Front as well. Coincidence.

After the big gay symposium, on campus, in 1976, I noticed that it seemed like apathy was setting in.