On July 27, 1923, President Warren G. Harding (1865-1923) arrived in Seattle from Alaska as part of a 40-day tour of the Western United States. His short six-hour stay included a review of the Navy fleet in Elliott Bay, a parade through downtown, greeting schoolchildren at Volunteer Park, speaking to a huge crowd of boys at Woodland Park, making an address at the University of Washington, a visit to Children's Orthopedic Hospital, and a visit with members of the Press Club. Already showing signs of poor health, President Harding departed Seattle by train and died six days later in California. The Seattle speeches were President Harding's last, as subsequent scheduled events on the tour were canceled due to his illness.
In this image, a crowd of about 40,000 listen to President Harding speak at the University of Washington's Husky Stadium. The view here faces east, with Lake Washington's Union Bay visible behind the stage.
Handwritten on verso: Stadium - Seattle, Wash. July 27, 1923 Photographer's number: 209
Caption information source: "President Warren Harding makes final speeches of his life in Seattle on July 27, 1923," by Greg Lange, HistoryLink.org Essay 878. Caption information source: "Alaska Destined For Statehood," The Seattle Daily Times, July 27, 1923, p. 13.
ID Number: 2008.7.3
Date: 1923
Physical Description: 1 photographic print : b&w ; 32 x 8 in.
Additional Information: Digital copy of this item available thanks to funding from a 2016 Institute for Museum and Library Services grant.
