My name is Barbara Street. The people affiliated with the Governor’s Mansion Foundation
know me as Bobby. From 1984 to 1987, I was President of the Foundation and am now
Trustee Emeritus. I believe Betty Jo Neals recruited me as a volunteer. She was
very active in the GMF. Although she was never president, she was just about everything
else. She was fervently involved with the mansion and had great faith in the organization.
Betty Jo was excited about what it was doing, wanted to see it prosper and she helped
bring that about. I knew her through my husband’s parents, with whom she was a very
good friend. She and her husband were very close with my in-laws. She was a lovely
woman, most gracious, charming and delightful.
I came into the GMF having been on the boards of some arts organizations and also
some social service organizations. Specifically the Seattle Art Museum Board, the
Tacoma Art Museum Board, Children’s Home Society of Washington, Lutheran Family
and Child Service, Mental Health Clinic of Tacoma. The Foundation was young and
I like to think that I brought in a certain amount of experience and common sense.
During my term, many acquisitions were still coming in to the refurbished mansion.
Furniture or historic pieces of art would arrive and it was very exciting. Well,
Jean Jongeward was acting as the Interior Designer for the Foundation. She was a
most interesting individual. She was not particularly articulate, but she was particularly
determined. She was adamant that we not relax our standards and in any way be less
than perfect about the furnishings for the Mansion. She chose the best fabric, the
most historically accurate interpretations in every way. She felt a challenge to
keep us on the right track and not let us become in any way second rate.
Jean worked in conjunction with a famous rug factory whose name is in the records,
I’m sure, and designed some of the beautiful mansion rugs. I’m not sure how she
worked with the fabric providers, but she had contacts with the very best, believe
me. And they were priced accordingly. She used the beautiful greens and golds used
in so many Washington State designs.
Diana Neely was a trustee of the mansion when she went to New York and attended
an auction at either Sotheby’s or Christie’s and bought a couple of Audubon prints,
more or less without actual authorization from the GMF to do so. It was just something
that happened very spontaneously and it was an opportunity that she couldn’t pass
up. As I recall, it was verified or authorized after the fact. She may have telephoned
just before bidding. I’m not sure. But it was a very spur of the moment thing. And
it was a wonderful thing to have done. It was an opportunity, and it provided a
couple of beautiful pictures that are hanging somewhere in the Mansion in one of
the public rooms now.
When the Gardner administration came in, in 1985, I found Jean Gardner to be exceptionally
cooperative with the Mansion Foundation. She was, however, very nervous when she
had to address a group of people, even us, the Foundation members. She was a very
welcoming and gracious person, but her nervousness became evident when she began
her speaking engagements in her role as the First Lady of Washington. But that changed
rather soon, by degrees, and markedly, until after a couple of years she was very
relaxed and delightful to hear. She was so encouraging about the Foundation and
everything that we were trying to do to maintain the standards and the quality.
Again, at the direction of Jean Jongeward, we would continue to perfect the public
rooms of the Mansion.
Eva Goldberg was another delightful person, a very friendly woman. She always seemed
so glad to see me. And I’m sure that many other people felt that way about her,
too. She was a diligent worker and a great asset to the Foundation. And she was
a member present at many occasions for a number of years.
In those years, the teas were more public relation events and not specifically used
as fundraisers. Each area, and there were eight geographic areas statewide, had
a chairman and would hold fundraisers of some sort and each area would contribute
to the annual income of the Foundation. That money would go toward refurbishing
things in the Mansion, as needed. There was a lot of activity. A lot of people were
dedicated to seeing this organization prosper. Because they were proud of the Governor’s
Mansion, and they were proud of what the Foundation was doing to enhance it.
This State has been a lifelong interest of mine, and I have done what I could to
add to the enjoyment and well-being of the people who live here. My family lived
in Klickitat, Washington for years and years, and I grew up there. So my mother
became interested not only in the small lumber community, but also in the Klickitat
Indians. The name Klickitat has been applied, to the river, to Klickitat County,
to a very short street in Seattle, and to a ferry, which used to ply the waters
of Puget Sound. And I’m not sure whether it still is afloat or not. My mother, Mrs.
Selma Neils, wrote two books about Klickitat and the Klickitat Indians. I don’t
remember whether she gave a copy of each to Jean Gardner, or whether she gave only
one. But at least one was given to Jean to put in the Mansion library. Jean, as
an example of her gracious hospitality, invited my mother and myself to come to
the Mansion Christmas Eve morning. It must have been 1986. And in order to enhance
the situation, Jean invited Ralph Munro, the Secretary of State, who brought along
his father, who was probably about my mother’s age, which was then ninety. And my
mother presented the books to Jean. And there were photographs taken, which all
made it a wonderful, wonderful treat for my mother, and she appreciated it very
much. And I still have a very warm affection for Jean for having been so gracious
to my mother.
When my term as President of the Governor’s Mansion Foundation ended, in 1987, I
was given two glass pitchers and was most appreciative of that lovely gesture on
the part of the Foundation. However, I felt humility. I felt it was above and beyond,
this gift, this wonderful gift for me, and I would rather return the favor and leave
those beautiful pitchers with the Foundation to be used at the Mansion as long as
the Mansion stands. So I do not have them in my possession. They are with the Mansion.
May I say, I am really impressed with this project that the GMF is involved in.
It’s significant and an important record of the history they’ve gathered.