Palmer G. Lewis (1904-1994) founded one of the nation's major independent building-material distributorships, the Palmer G. Lewis Co., of Auburn. Mr. Lewis started his business in 1940 in Seattle, travelling to Alaska to sell building products for supply companies to the growing population there. Total sales grew from $40,000 that first year into the millions. The company eventually became a publicly held firm, and was Lewis’s principal interest until his retirement in the 1970s. Lewis also gave considerable time to community causes. He was a member of Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity, the College Club of Seattle, the Salvation Army, and the National Association of Building Materials Dealers. He was also past president of the Museum of History & Industry.

Interview conducted by Donald A. Schmechel on September 4, 1985. This interview is part of the Donald Schmechel Oral History Collection. Don Schmechel, who was a member of the Seattle Public Library Foundation board, began this project with Seattle Public Library in 1984, with the Museum of History & Industry (MOHAI) brought on board as a partner in early 1985. Schmechel himself worked to raise the funding for the project, and volunteered his time to manage the project, and to conduct interviews along with a crew of volunteers. Originally titled the Videotaping Historic Figures (VHF) Program, the project interviewed 91 people, and MOHAI holds the interviews for 32 of these individuals.